After reading about the crime rate in your local news and watching the true-crime shows on television, it is understandable that you may be concerned about the safety of yourself and your home. Rates of burglaries and violent offenses are rising, and security is often identified as one of our primary concerns as a society.
While nothing is entirely foolproof, improving your home security mechanisms can provide some much-needed protection and peace of mind.
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Get smart
Smart technology is one of the most popular home security options on the market at the moment. There is a myriad of benefits to having your lights, locks and other vital deterrents working harder than their standard counterparts to keep your house safe. Smart devices for home security come with the benefit of being able to control them remotely if you need to and are often far harder to disengage than basic protection measures.
Big Brother is always watching
Another prudent addition to your defenses is the installation of security cameras. Not only will a closed circuit system provide added deterrents for would-be thieves, but your cameras can provide hard evidence in the unfortunate event of anything happening. Video cameras are being more commonly used by police to track down burglars. You may also have seen security footage in your social media stream. While the imagery of crimes in the act has been effective in bringing criminals to justice, it is critical to share this with law enforcement before posting it to your Facebook page.
Strengthening your defenses
A less high tech, but just as effective of a protection option, is reinforcing your doors and windows. For cases where would be trespassers don’t really care about being unable to pick your locks, or caught on camera, a strengthened door can provide valuable minutes for assistance to arrive or at the very least for you to remove yourself and your family from the danger. This is a relatively low-cost addition to your home, and you should be able to find a range of options for both security doors and windows in your local hardware store.
Better safe than sorry
No matter how much effort you put into protecting your external perimeters, it is prudent to have contingency plans in place. Keeping any valuable or irreplaceable items in a safe is a great way to keep them safe against many threats.
While the most obvious danger is intruders, many safes are also built to protect your possessions from disasters such as flooding or fire making them a sound investment.
Backup your backup plan
We’re often reminded of the importance of backing up important files on our computers, but physical documents can often be overlooked. As a general rule, you should have three copies of any information that it would be hard to live without: a hard copy that’s early accessible, digital backup files and an off-site copy in a format that is most convenient for your needs.
While it may seem excessive, protecting your information in this manner means that should one copy be stolen or damaged, you are not as disadvantaged as you would be if this were your only copy.
While this list is far from exhaustive, it will help you get set up and feel safer within your home. Do your research, identify and install your ideal set up and remember to lock your doors, then sit back and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re as protected as you can be.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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