Home security tips -- Good lighting helps prevent crimes

It is obvious that lighting plays a critical role in making your home safer. Yet, many homeowners don't plan it well from the viewpoint of security. Here are several critical home security tips on lighting.

* All sides of your home should have security lighting in place, placed high out of reach. Make sure it is reasonably vandal resistant.

* Lighting near doors is especially important, because burglars tend to focus on doors the most.

* To reduce risk of burglary, any lighting is better than no lighting. If you see that any portion of the house or yard is not adequately lit, take care of it.

* Your garage is another critical area of your home. Make use of an automatic garage opener. Most garage openers turn on one or more lights when activated.

* To protect your carport, leave a light on. If you are going away, have a light set on a timer. Also have lights activated by motion detectors to deter intruders.

* In general, lights attached to motion detectors are the best choice for exteriors, particularly for the backyard. Connect an alarm as well and you will immediately get to know if someone moves around in your yard.

* Some people hesitate to use motion sensor type lighting because of the false alarms caused by small animals like cats and dogs. Proper placement of the motion sensors as well as correct settings for sensitivity will take care of this problem to a large extent.

* Using motion sensors in the front of the house requires careful planning, because they can be triggered by people walking on the sidewalk or by children playing. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to hook lights to motion sensors.

* Many people leave just a small light on when going out. This is done to avoid walking into a dark home when returning. Examples include hallway lights or a light in one corner of the kitchen / living room.

Unfortunately, this kind of lighting signals to would-be burglars that no one is home.

The solution is to leave several lights on. Leave a radio on as well. When going on a vacation, put interior lights and a radio on timers.

As you can see, your objective is twofold. One, to ensure that lighting can reach all nooks and corners of your home and yard on demand. Two, your home should look occupied even when it is not.

Follow these simple home security tips on lighting and you will have gone a long way towards creating a safer home for you and your family.

James Strobes is a home and office security consultant. For information on home security in general, wireless home security systems and more, see the foregoing links

The Value Of Home Security Safes

A basic locking cabinet can secure valuable papers or personal items but it will not protect them from theft or fire damage. Only safes can provide a superior level of protection for documents, jewelry, guns and personal items.Computer data that would be difficult or impossible to duplicate if lost. Home and business security systems require the addition of security safes to eliminate the possibility of data and document loss due to fire and climate disruptions.

The proliferation of home robberies are classified as "snatch and grab." The intruder invests approximately 3-5 minutes within the home. The very presence of a home security safe is a deterrent to such robberies. Any additional time invested within the home increases the odds of apprehension. Theft prevention and climate control management have rendered security safes a requirement for any home, office or business. The needed security afforded by home and business safes completes any existing security control system. Home security safes offer protection of personal documents, jewelry and irreplaceable items. Home safes are a major deterrent from robbery and provide needed security from fire and climate changes. Advance Safes offer a large inventory of wall safes, floor safes, fire safes, gun safes, and electronic digital safes. Home safes are a perfect compliment to any home security system.

Fire could destroy your business! In fact, eight businesses burn almost every hour in the U.S. resulting in over 2.3 billion dollars in annual losses.* Unfortunately, seven out of ten businesses have not adequately protected their vital records. When that information is destroyed a business often fails. Don't become a company that incurs fire damage resulting in critical loss of data (customer, personnel, accounting files, etc.) by not utilizing quality fire and data media safes. Survival is possible but preparation is necessary.

Security safes are an essential protection against fire, theft and climate changes. Theft prevention, fire protection, data security and storage are a requirement for any business or home office. Advance Safes offer a complete inventory of fire safes, data media safes, depository safes, floor safes, treasury safes (TL-15 and TL-30), vaults and hotel safes. A quality safe is an essential requirement for any business security system. A safe investment is a long-term security dividend. Please consider our inventory of security safes as a welcome addition to any home or office environ.

*Source: National Fire Protection Association article Fire Loss in the U.S. During 2004 Abridged Report.

Lawrence Hilliard is the Founder and Director of Op. of Advance Safes. http://www.centurionsafes.com

The importance of a Home Security Alarm

Homeland securitization has been given so much importance over the past few years that we have almost forgotten the importance of our own house and the importance of a good home security alarm. While burglary in your property may not make the headlines, it is in your best interest to safeguard property by installing a good home security alarm.

According to the US bureau of Justice Statistics there were 14 million incidents of theft on property and in 83% incidents the burglars had entered the house or building located in the property. You might feel safe by locking your doors and windows but there are ways to enter a house known only to people who commit burglary for living. Burglars always strike by surprise; to underestimate their resourcefulness would be a mistake you would not want to make at any cost.

There are many types of home security alarm, which can help you effectively protect a property, belongings and more importantly your family from burglars. Home security alarm is one of the more trusted methods to protect your house from burglars; a simple home security alarm generally makes a loud sound or dials a number like 911, your cell phone or a neighbor and sends a pre recorded distress message. Some systems connect themselves with the smoke alarms which notify the fire department immediately. Then there is also the monitored house securitizing systems which are considered the safest of all and the local systems which are considered safer than monitored property securitizing systems, yet cheaper.

Many securitizing systems come with a sign board that can be mounted on the door, mailbox or anywhere else where they can be noticed. Burglars generally target un-protected houses and leave alone the houses protected by any type of home security alarm. As for starters, the cheapest home security alarm is the "do it yourself" systems, you need to do all the installation and setup yourself, but if you are on a budget these are the right ones for you. A home security alarm not only helps in preventing burglary but it also helps in minimizing the loss in case the burglars break into a house because they fear a backup or the sound which might alert the neighbors or the police.

Want to learn more about Home Security Alarms?, feel free to visit us at: Home Security Information and Resources

Home Security How to Spot Suspicious Activity

In part nine of this series on home security, I am going to giver you a list of things to watch out for to help in spotting possibly suspicious people, its surprising how regularly we miss rather obvious signs that should put us on our guard. 1. Somebody going from house to house, this is particularly suspicious if, once a few homes have been visited, one or more of the people go into a back or side yard. It is even more suspicious if another remains in the front when this occurs. It may be that they are looking for a house to burglarize, or there could be a burglary in progress.

2. If somebody is waiting around in front of a home this becomes very suspicious if you know the homeowners are away. The individual you can see may be a lookout for a burglary that is in progress inside.

3. Everyone seen forcing an entry into a home. This is clearly suspicious at anytime and in any circumstances immediately dial 911 or 999 if in the U.K. 4. If you see anybody who does not live in the home, going into the yard, it is possible that a burglary is being committed.

5. Someone running away particularly if something valuable is being carried, they may be leaving the scene of a crime.

6. If you see somebody showing strange mental or physical symptoms, they may be injured or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 7. Anybody moving property may be considered suspicious in some circumstances. Perhaps if it is late at night or if the item is not wrapped, it is possible that the article has been stolen. 8. A large number of comings and goings from a particular house, this may not be suspicious, unless it occurs on a daily or very regular basis, especially during late or unusual hours when it could signify vice or drug related activities. With all of the above situations you must use your common sense, in the majority of situations there is a perfectly innocent explanation for what you see but if you are not certain dial 911 or 999 in the U.K. and let the police investigate.

For more vital home security tips and information about Home Security visit www.homesecuritynews.info

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Types Of Home Security

Let me start off by saying that my home has been robbed. I was at work and got a call from my wife asking me if I had taken the VCR to be repaired. I knew right away that we had been robbed. That was the last time as we have since had a home security system installed.

What I didn't know is, there are different types of security systems and not all security systems are created equally.

Let me start with the type that I have personally. Mine is a monitoring system which is attached to an alarm built into your doors and windows. The more areas in your house you have the alarms installed in, the more expensive the installation, unless the monitoring company has a special offer. In our case we got free installation of alarms on 2 doors and 1 window. Anything beyond that we had to pay for. Fortunately we felt that that was all we needed so we went with it.

The way the system works is very simple. You have an alarm control box which they install by your front door or wherever you designate then to install it. You are then instructed to program a code into the alarm. This is to do 2 things. First, to actually be able to set the alarm. Second to be able to turn off the alarm when entering the house. The alarm goes off based on one of two things, whichever it detects first. The first is the actual opening of the door or window. The second, is a motion sensor installed above the box which sets off the alarm if it detects motion in the house. That is in case somebody bypasses the trigger on the doors and windows. The motion sensor is a backup. The way the alarm detects if the door is open is because a device is installed inside your door. Once connection is broken with the panel across from the door the alarm goes off. If entering the house normally with a key you have 60 seconds to enter the bypass code before the alarm goes into its second stage and blasts out a sound that could deafen the people across the street. At this time an alarm also goes out to the monitoring company who call you up on the phone. If they get no answer or the person who answers does not know the security password, which you give to the company upon signing up, they send the police over.

That is pretty much the way an indoor monitoring alarm system works.

Now, you can get one of these alarms to install yourself and it will go off if someone enters the house who doesn't know the bypass code but without a monitoring service it's just a loud noise and may or may not be enough to scare off the intruder. Considering monitoring is relatively cheap, it doesn't make sense not to get a monitoring service.

But security systems don't end there. There are also outdoor security systems where if an intruder approaches the grounds, flood lights will first come on and then upon passing a certain point without entering in a code into the outdoor device, an alarm will go off before the intruder even enters the house. Needless to say, these systems are much more expensive.

Then of course you have security monitoring systems, closed circuit TV, and wireless intercom systems. While these can be used for your home, especially if you have a mansion, they are mostly used for businesses.

Let's not forget smoke and fire sensors that, when set off by smoke or fire, will also send a signal to the monitoring service who then calls the fire department.

In addition to all of that, there are also the common sense things you can do yourself like get solid wood or metal doors with strong deadbolt locks. Windows can be secured with key locks. Double hung windows can be secured by nailing the top and bottom together. You might also want to consider iron grates or grilles for your windows.

Other things you can do to secure your home is place signs on your lawn indicating that your home is protected by such and such a service or device. Also a beware of dog sign, whether you have one or not, can't hurt.

Yes, there are many ways to protect your home. You don't have to be a victim like I was.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Home Security

How To Successfully Use Home Security Cameras

Increasing home security can be accomplished in several ways. Some of those include home security systems and alarms, neighborhood watch programs and more. But home security camera systems are growing in popularity lately. Let see why.

A home security camera system does not have to be expensive or extensive to help you keep in touch with what is going on around your home at all times. Just a few well-placed cameras at very strategic locations can be all that you need. For instance, cameras that are placed at opposite outside corners of your home can provide good coverage of most of the perimeter of the house. You can even connect these cameras to motion sensitive devices that only turns them on when motion is detected in it's surveillance area.

A couple of cameras inside the home can also be used in a very similar way and because many surveillance cameras are very small these days they can be practically invisible to the casual observance. In fact, oftentimes something as simple and cheap as a webcam can be used to capture enough video to give you the information that you need to be able to successfully monitor your home. And these are very small and inexpensive cameras to use.

With these cameras in place, you can monitor what is happening at your home from a great distance by combining them with appropriate software and connecting through the internet to view the results. There is software available that will alert you by email when motion is detected in a particular area. Or you can choose to have the cameras record video continuously for you and save it to a server where you can then access it and review it at your leisure.

Some use these setups to keep an eye on babysitters, or to monitor what their children are doing while they are away.

Of course, even if you do not have children, a home security camera system can still be beneficial for peace of mind when you are away from home. It can help you make sure that no nasty surprises will be awaiting you upon your return home.

So give consideration to incorporating a home security camera system in your security arsenal. It's cheap and very effective.

Find out more about a home security camera system and home security surveillance by visiting our Home Security website.

Homeland Security Industry Growth through Consolidation

Homeland Security Firms Evolve and Expand Product Portfolios

By: Ann-Marie Fleming February 2006

In early February, President Bush presented his fiscal year 2007 budget request for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The request for $42.7 billion indicates a 6 percent increase in funding from the 2006 budget.

Elaborating on the priorities of the FY 2007 budget request, Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff explained in a recent press conference, "The budget focuses on strengthening our initiatives in protecting our borders, increasing our preparedness, expanding our intelligence gathering and sharing, and improving maritime and transportation security."

This bodes well for companies operating in this arena, in particular those with technology surrounding surveillance, detection and identification products to assist in meeting the needs of border, port and transportation security and overall homeland security readiness.

Defense sector correspondent James H. Smith in his weekly column, "The Defense Market Report"(exclusive HDS feature), explains, M&A activity continued to be the strategic weapon of choice for companies wanting to move decisively into desirable market niches. Top acquirers used M&A activity to drive their top lines far past the levels achievable through organic growth alone. With an estimated US$38 billion in worldwide M&A activity in the aerospace and defense sectors, 2005 was a very good year. And the current year also looks promising."

As the homeland security industry continues to establish itself as a long term market, many anticipate M&A activity to become more prevalent. Scott Sacknoff, manager of the SPADE? Defense Index (AMEX: ^DXS) describes, "The homeland security market is ripe for consolidation. With so many companies offering single solutions and products, we can expect a number of acquisitions in the homeland security market in the coming years as firms seek to offer a portfolio of security options under one roof."

Building product portfolios has become a necessary strategy for many firms working to address the growing needs within the homeland security arena. Dore Perler, CEO of Sense Holdings, Inc (OTCBB: SEHO) explains, "Today's terrorist activities are a global religious and political phenomenon encompassing a broad spectrum of national security threats. These threats range from a lone aggressor covertly gaining access to a national infrastructure asset, all the way to a organized large-scale conspiracy by a number of well-financed suicidal fanatics. The ubiquitous utilization of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) introduces a particularly difficult challenge to security forces throughout the world. The only effective way to simultaneously confront all of these security threats is by the intelligent application of high technology."

"Sense believes that the solution to this problem requires the mass-deployment of security systems integrating Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Biometric Identification and Micro Electromechanical Sensors (MEMS). These Sensors, or electronic noses, are designed to detect infinite amounts of explosives, chemical warfare agents (CWA), biological warfare agents (BWA) and last, but not least, narcotics. Sense is dynamically involved and committed to the development, integration and deployment of all of these technologies," concludes Perler.

Sniffex, Inc. (OTC.PK: SNFX), a developer of a lightweight handheld distance weapon and explosives detection device explains their strategy for being able to expand their offerings, "As the expenditures for homeland defense continue to grow, the customers that we sell to through our worldwide Representative network are asking for more and more products to sell to their existing customer base. There is a huge demand around the world for products and services that can be used as a tool in fighting terror and crime. We believe that if one or our Representatives is selling Sniffex, they should be selling every other great tool in the arsenal of products and services for fighting crime."

Technest Holdings, Inc (OTCBB: TCNH) has been focused on diversifying their product base for many years to be able to target a variety of the nation's security needs. As Robert Tarini, CEO of Technest describes, "Although significant progress has been made against terrorism in the foreign arenas of Iraq and Afghanistan by our combat troops, many security problems remain unresolved domestically here in the US, in our cities, federal infrastructures and borders. Many of these security problems will be solved by innovative technologies that can be delivered by fast and nimble companies with the ability to address multiple problems through a portfolio of solutions such as Technest Holdings."

As the definition of homeland security has shifted to the concept of global security, the diversity and complexity of security and defense needs continues to grow. As a result, companies have had to evolve and expand with many firms understanding the strength of being able to solve multiple needs through further R&D of existing products and by adding new technology to their portfolios through partnerships, mergers and acquisitions.

Ann-Marie Fleming Ann-Marie Fleming completed her MBA in the United States, where she attended Webster University. She also holds an Honors B.A from the University of Toronto. She has over fifteen years of experience within the financial industry to include retail banking and brokerage, investment banking, and mortgage brokerage within the United States and Canada, with a firm background in corporate research. Disclaimer: www.InvestorIdeas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp, www.HomelandDefenseStocks.com/Companies/HomelandDefense/Disclaimer.asp

Ann-Marie Fleming completed her MBA in the United States, where she attended Webster University. She also holds an Honors B.A from the University of Toronto. She has over fifteen years of experience within the financial industry to include retail banking and brokerage, investment banking, and mortgage brokerage within the United States and Canada, with a firm background in corporate research.