High Tech Ways To Improve Your Home Security

Burglars and criminals in general are constantly evolving their techniques and behaviours in order to commit more crime and evade law enforcement. To counter this the police and security companies are always developing new technology and products to beat the criminals. In this article we will discuss 5 high tech products which you can use to protect your home. For more tips to increase your home security please Click Here.

    1. Smart DoorBellsA relatively recent invention developed in 2013 by Jamie Smininoff of Ring. So you’re probably asking what is a smart doorbell? Well a smart doorbell is just like any other doorbell but with a few additional features, which include
      • A Camera
      • Two Way Audio
      • Motion Sensor

      Smart doorbells connect to your homes wifi and can be connected to your smartphone using the smart doorbell companies dedicated app. Allowing you to view the doorbells camera and speak to whoever is at your door. All of these additional security features can help improve the security of your home by the following:

      Keeping You Safe – The camera and two way audio allows you to see and communicate with the person or persons at your door without you having to open the door and expose not just yourself but also your home. Another advantage of the camera is that it will record when triggered so in case anything does happen you will have a record of the event helping the police track down the culprit.

      Keeping watch when you’re not at home – Another advantage of the smart doorbell is that it allows you to activate the camera whenever you wish, allowing you to check on your home wherever you are in the world as long as you have an internet connection.

    2. CCTVClosed Circuit Television (CCTV) has developed tremendously in the last decade. The days of pixelated fuzzy  images are long gone and no longer do you have to worry about recording over old film. Not only has the image quality dramatically increased but the costs have aso dramatically decreased allowing more people than ever to have access to CCTV systems. The majority of CCTV sold today are now wireless operating on batteries and connect to your homes wifi, allowing users to use the manufactures app to stream live images to your smartphone, so wherever you are and as long as you have an internet connection you can keep an eye on things when you are away. In addition to this many CCTV systems provide cloud services meaning all the data recorded will be stored remotely for a certain period of time, it must be kept in mind these services are not free and do require a monthly or annual subscription.According to Eric L. Piza 2019 areas with CCTV experienced a 13% reduction in crime on average. Apart from acting as a deterrent if a crime was to occur the whole incident will be caught on camera, helping the police track down and identify the assailant and used in a court of law to aid prosecution.
    3. Motion Sensor LightingLighting plays a huge part in home and general property security. Criminals and especially burglars are not too fond of light as it illuminates their shady activities. If you take this darkness away you will reduce the chances of becoming a victim of a burglary. The best thing to do is to install lights near any accessible doors or windows as well as any passageway which leads to your door if possible. There are a range of different lights available but we highly recommend purchasing motion sensor lighting as this will only turn on when someone has approached ensuring the light doesn’t disturb you and your neighbours illuminating all night and helping you save on your electricity bill. Additionally we also highly recommend LED lights as they consume much less energy compared to their halogene counterparts helping you reduce your energy bill and carbon emissions. Motion sensor lighting is more important for suburban areas such as Dartford.
    4. Smart LocksSmart locks is an electric lock which unlike traditional locks lacks a pin system, key or key hole. Instead like everything else on our list the smart lock connects to either your wifi or uses a bluetooth connection to interact with other devices. Smart Locks can be unlocked in a number of ways which include
      • Key fob
      • App on your Smartphone using bluetooth
      • App on your smartphone to remotely open the door

      The advantages of a Smart lock areas follows
      Advantages

      Keyless: You no longer have to worry about losing a key and getting new keys cut.

      More Secure: Smart locks are potentially more secure as the traditional ways of bypassing locks are no longer viable such as picking, bumping and snapping.

      Can boost internal security: Smart Locks are not just restricted to your external doors, you can also fit them to the internal doors of your home. This enables you to have control of who has access to certain rooms of the house.

      Convenience: One cool feature of smart locks is that some of them enable you to give temporary access to people which lasts a specified time set by you. This may prove very helpful for a family member who needs to gain  access to your home but doesn’t have the keys. This feature makes the smart lock much more convenient compared to traditional locks.

      However smart locks do have their disadvantages these are as follows

      Disadvantages

      1. Costs: The costs of traditional locks can range from £10 to £500 depending on the security level and type of lock required  but usually sits in the range of between £30-£100. While the cheapest smart locks start from £200. Smart locks are quite new and with all new technology the price is expensive but overtime we anticipate as new manufacturers develop their own versions of smart locks and there is increased competition the price will reduce over time.
      2. Vulnerability to hackers: As we discussed earlier smart locks eliminate the need for traditional keys and are thus immune to the traditional ways of bypassing them. However tech savvy hackers can gain access to your locks by hacking directly into the lock itself using the wifi or bluetooth signal the lock uses to communicate with or by hacking into your router. To help overcome this you will need to invest in a medium to high security firewall, this will help protect against anyone trying to hack into your network.
      3. Reliance on Phones: Many smart locks are operated by a fob and a smartphone. Some people tend to use just their phone to unlock the door this can leave them vulnerable to being locked out. Let’s say if your smart phone was lost or stolen and you’re the only person who has access to your lock you have no other option, but to call the services of a locksmith to replace your lock and this can be an expensive endeavor.
      4. Batteries: Smart Locks need electricity to operate and this electricity comes from a small battery in the lock itself. Like all batteries this will eventually die, if this happens when you are out of the home, again, you will become locked out and will need to call on the services of your local locksmith. You must pay attention to the battery life of the lock and replace it when required.

Home Security System

Home security systems are the most expensive option on this list but are also one of the most effective as they offer a more comprehensive security package along with all of the advantages. The best home security systems features Smart doorbells, Wireless CCTV, Alarm and Siren and Smart Locks all of which can be monitored and controlled from a specially made app on your smartphone. Some Home Security systems go further and also include smoke arms and carbon monoxide alarms. All of these can greatly enhance your security and safety and give you peace of mind. These systems do often require a subscription service so can be expensive to set up and maintain but these systems are very effective.

 

For more information on security and how to keep your home safe please visit the ITCC Website, who have many blogs and articles on the subject.

 

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post and the author’s views here do not necessarily reflect those of the blog owner.