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Take the Extra Step: 12 Ways to Protect Your Home from Burglars

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Though you cannot totally protect your home from getting burgled, you would probably be surprised to know that there are no burglars that are as sophisticated as someone like Ethan Hunt from the Mission Impossible movies. However, when you have the right plan in place, you can almost make your home burglar-proof.

When most people think about their home’s security, they only think of a couple of things, such as fake cameras. Though these are nice to have, they don’t fully protect you. A fake camera isn’t going to stop a burglar from kicking in the door. Speaking of the door, the only thing that is separating you and your belongings from a thief is ½ inch piece of pine molding. This isn’t enough. A 12-year-old boy could kick that in, in fact. Instead, it’s best to reinforce your door:

  • Install deadbolt/door knob wraps – these devices strengthen the area around the location of the lock
  • Door bar jammer – this device is put under the doorknob to stop it from moving
  • Door brace – this device makes it difficult to use brute force to kick it down
  • Door frame reinforcement – this is installed on the door and is made of steel

You also might consider something like a Door Devil. This is a kit that features a device molded from steel It is placed over the jamb of the door, and then screwed into the frame. It’s very easy to install, and adds another level of protection for your house. When you combine a device like the Door Devil with other types of security, such as a security system, detection lights, or cameras, it is difficult for a burglar to get in.

Here are 12 more tips to keep the burglars out:

  1. Keep all of your doors locked, even if you are home, and even if it is light out.
  2. Keep your curtains and blinds shut. This ensures that no one can peek inside of your house to check out your valuables.
  3. Use door reinforcements on each and every door and use top-flight locks.
  4. Place security films on the windows. This helps to strengthen the panes and prevents any object from coming in, including baseball bats and crow bars.
  5. Bring in all newspapers and mail in as soon as they get there.
  6. Give your home a look that it is lived in, even if you aren’t home. Set up automated lights to be on at night.
  7. PennyMac says Put a pair of scuffed and worn men’s work boots at the doors of your house.
  8. If you park your car in the driveway, place a pair of men’s gloves on the dashboard. When burglars see this, they often think twice about breaking in because they believe a large, burly man lives in the house.
  9. Put a large dog bowl outdoors by the door, and make it look real. Add a leash or chewed up dog toys, too.
  10. Trim up any shrubs that hide points of entrance into your home.
  11. Go online to the Google News site. Type in your city and state, and then the phrase “door kicked in.” Take a look at those results. You will likely be shocked by what you read.
  12. Consider buying a new home security system. The best systems out there not only give you a full alarm package, but also offer cameras, police monitoring, and a video feed, that allows you to view what’s happening in your home when you are not there. This way, you can easily watch the cameras from your mobile phone or tablet.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen. See him knock’em dead in this identity theft prevention video.

Security is Layered – There is NO Home Security Magic Bullet

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Is your home secure? You might believe it is, but if you aren’t using layered security, it’s probably not as secure as you think. What’s layered security? It means that you aren’t putting all of your eggs in one security basket. Instead, you are using multiple methods to ensure that you are as safe as possible. The reality is there is NO home security magic bullet. Home security requires a mix of layers Here are some ways to layer your home security:

Protection Dogs

Our furry friends, whether big or small, as long as they are territorial, can offer deterrence and defense. Barking dogs bring attention to the situation and also make burglars think twice. A dog that bites is enough to scare any burglar away.

Windows, Doors, and Locks

Have you changed your locks recently? If you are like most of us, probably not. However, locks are essential to keep the bad guys out. Change those locks to quality locks that cant be easily picked or “bumped” and make sure that you are locking your doors and windows at all times…especially when you leave or at night.

The Yard

Taking care of your yard is another important part of layering security. First, a yard that is neat and tidy shows a burglar that you are around. However, a burglar can also use your yard to their advantage. How? Trees, fences, and tall hedges make great hiding places, which allow burglars to move around unnoticed. So, make sure you keep your hedges and trees trimmed, and think about how any fencing you have can help a bugler hide.

Talk to Your Neighbors

Do you have a Neighborhood Watch? These organizations can also help to keep your home safe. The more people watching your house, the better. Plus, Neighborhood Watch signs are a good deterrent to keep burglars away.

Security Cameras

A security system with cameras is also an excellent way to deter criminals. There are different types on the market, and they are made for both indoors and outdoors. Many times, even a fake security camera can keep the bad guys away.

A Home Security System

Choosing a full-blown home security system is also important when layering security. This system should ideally include entry and motion sensors. You can also get glass break sensors. When you set up your security system, also make sure that you choose a good PIN. It should be one that you remember, but one that is not easy to guess, like an anniversary or birthdate. Ask for a panic button, too, as you never know when you might need it.

Reinforced Doors

You should consider door reinforcement. There are a number of devices on the market including door bar jammers, frame reinforcements, door braces, and deadbolt and door knob wraps. Commercial door reinforcement kits like Door Devil also work well. Made of strong, heavy steel, these devices fit over the jamb of the door, and then is screwed into the door frame.

These are just a few of the things that you can do to layer security for your home. This way, if one method stops working, you have several backups to keep those burglars at bay.

Robert Siciliano is a home and personal security expert to DoorDevil.com. Disclosures.

Location Apps make it easy for Thieves

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If you’re using the app Strava for example, your bike could get stolen, says a report on the manchestereveningnews site. Strava, like many other location apps, isn’t the badguy here.

Bicyclists in Greater Manchester are being warned that Strava’s tracking could lead thieves to their bikes and even homes. That’s because it’s already happened. One man had two bikes stolen after Strava tracked his ride and led the crooks to his garage.

It’s easy to see how this happens. The users simply post their location activities, often to and from their homes and they broadcast this data via the apps and social sites.

Why do people have this app in the first place? Cyclists and runners want to share route information and compare times, says the article. The application is a social media venue for cyclists and runners.

The aforementioned man had made his bike model and home address public on his smartphone without using privacy settings. The brazen thieves broke into his garage, perhaps overnight, and took only the bikes even though there was other loot present such as valuable tools. Hmmm, it can’t be coincidence. Bikes can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Strava has security settings to set privacy zones. USE THEM. The victim recommends starting your tracked route a few hundred yards from your home to throw off any potential thieves. And end the tracking a few hundred (or even more) yards from your house as well.

A spokesperson from Strava explains that the privacy settings are easy to use. How much of the user’s information gets out there can be constrained. Many people don’t bother with the security settings of applications and just dive into these tools without a second thought.

But assume that there’s always someone else spying on the personal information that’s being made public by a naïve user.

A privacy zone means that you can set up cyber barriers around your house so that thieves will not be able to see where your start and finish locations are.

As for the man whose two bicycles were stolen out of his garage, he has since purchased a new bicycle (and the stolen ones were very pricey, by the way—something that the thieves certainly knew once they saw the publically-shared model number). But don’t wait for your property to get stolen before you realize the importance of any app’s security settings.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

How to secure your Apartment

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I love that show, “Forensic Files.” Every so often there’s the case of a person who was found murdered in their apartment due to some forced entry. Which brings me to the topic of apartment security.

1HNew Apartment

  • Don’t delay in doing a walk-through of the entire premises, including the laundry room (where a crime can occur after a creep spots a vulnerable-looking woman enter the unlocked room).
  • Take note of any portals through which a burglar could make entry. This includes trees and trellises that lead to a window.
  • Take note of where the lit and dark areas are.

Doors and Windows

  • I can’t begin to tell you how many episodes of “Forensic Files” deal with an intruder getting in through an unlocked door or window—and this includes during the day when the victim was home. Keep them locked!
  • However, we all know that intruders will use force to break through a locked door or window (though if you’re home, you’ll have time to call 911 and perhaps make an escape through the back of the apartment—a plan you should already have in place since Day 1. If you’re on the second floor, have a foldable ladder always ready to make your escape.). Sounds crazy, but it’s good for fire escape too.
  • Hopefully your landlord will permit you to replace what’s probably a cheaply built door strike-plate with a strong one with two-inch screws, as this will make it very difficult to kick open. Press your landlord to allow deadbolts on all the doors, even if you must pay for them.
  • Make sure the window locks are very difficult to get past, even if you must pay for revisions. Landlords typically won’t do things like this; if the lock merely “works,” that’s usually good enough for them. This includes sliding glass doors.
  • Put Charley bars or anti-slide devices in the tracks of sliding doors.
  • No matter how mesmerizing the night crickets or ruffling leaves are, you must never go to sleep when the windows are unlocked.

Miscellaneous

  • Make sure no valuables are visible through your windows.
  • A landlord won’t pay for a security system. Hang on every doorknob a sensor (available online and fits in your palm) that, when the door is opened, emits a loud beep.
  • Install your own home security system. They are relatively inexpensive and some can be moved to another apartment.
  • Use timed lighting devices to make it appear you’re home when you’re out.
  • Every time you leave your apartment to get mail, empty rubbish or go to the laundry room, lock your door!

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

15 Tips to Keep Your Home Safe During the Holiday Season

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Most people don’t like that “fall back” time change every November, but you know who does? Burglars. Burglars love to “fall back” because it gives them more time to practice their criminal activities thanks to the earlier veil of darkness. This is also a convenient time for them as the holiday season is upon us and most people have a lot of newly purchased gifts in our homes. Perfect bait for burglars.

2BIn general, most homeowners will take precautions around Christmas time to prevent fires due to Christmas lights, yet they do not take extra security measures to prevent home robbery. Though fire prevention is certainly important, your home is far more likely to attract the eyes of a burglar than to go up in flames. So, here are 15 ways that you can keep the burglars away:

  1. Keep doors locked at all times. This is true even when you are home, and even when it’s light out.
  2. Keep your windows locked, even those on the second floor. Burglars DO have climbing skills.
  3. Use door reinforcements and top-flight locks.
  4. Keep the curtains and blinds closed. This will ensure that no one can take a peek at your valuables.
  5. Install security films on the windows. These help to prevent the penetration of objects such as a baseball bat or crow bar.
  6. Give your home a “lived-in” look with a home automation technology system. Many of these can be controlled by a model device or scheduled to turn lights on or off at a specific time.
  7. Collect your newspaper and mail as soon as they arrive.
  8. Place a large pair of men’s work boots near the door, and make sure they are scuffed up to make them look worn.
  9. Put a large dog bowl near the entryways of the home, but make sure it looks realistic. Do this by adding a chewed up toy or large leash to the scene.
  10. Make sure there is no shrubbery crowding entry points of the home.
  11. Go to Google news, and type in the phrase “door kicked in” along with your city and state. You will be shocked by the results. To protect yourself, consider a device such as Door Devil, which is a high-level door reinforcement device.
  12. If you have a garage, make sure you are packing and unpacking gifts from the car inside of the garage so no one can see what you purchased.
  13. Don’t advertise your Christmas gift purchases on social media, as many thieves use social media to find potential victims.
  14. Make an investment into a home security system. The best systems provide a clear view of what is happening in the home on your mobile device when you are not there.
  15. If you have a car parked out in the drive, place a pair of men’s gloves on the dash. Most burglars will think twice if they believe there is a large man living in the home.

Robert Siciliano is a home and personal security expert to DoorDevil.com discussing Anti-Kick door reinforcement on YouTube. Disclosures.

Burglars Use Social to target Victims

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So you think it’s really a far-out left-field idea: a burglar studying Facebook and other social media to select homes to rob. Well think again.

14DA survey, conducted by home security expert Friedland, found:

  • 78 percent of burglars use social media to select targets.
  • 74 percent touted the virtues of Google Street View.
  • 54 percent pointed out how risky it is for social media users to reveal their whereabouts and status.
  • 80 percent said a home alarm system would scare them away.

So with everyone and his brother on social media, why wouldn’t burglars also jump on this bandwagon?

Why Burglars Love Social Media

  • People share every detail of their vacation—while on vacation. If there’s a photo of you sipping a margarita in Cancun, a burglar knows he has plenty of time to break into your house. Can’t you wait till you’re home to post all the photos?
  • Apps may have location-sharing features. Find out if yours do and review the privacy features. Did you know that these features can synchronize with other social media and reveal your whereabouts to strangers?
  • Do you know just who can see what you post on Facebook? Check the privacy settings and make sure you understand just who can see your posts.
  • Applications on your phone may be using your GPS without your knowledge. If you have an Android, go to Settings, then Location Services, then turn off the GPS. For the iPhone go to Settings, Privacy, Location Services and System Services. Turn on Status Bar to see which apps know your every move. For the Windows phone go to Settings, then Location.
  • Did you know that a photo is worth a thousand words when posted online? Words that burglars love, too. Crooks could extract “EXIF” data from photos that reveal where and when they were taken—including your home address. Though Facebook strips out this data, many sites don’t. EXIF data can be removed.
  • In theory, a burglar can do a reverse image search and learn too much about you. He may do a search on one of your images to learn everywhere else it appears in cyberspace, leading to your social media accounts and hence, username/s. If your username is your actual name, and it’s not too common like Patricia Adams, and your social media accounts reveal your city, he can find your address via a people-search directory.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Think Your Door can’t get Kicked in, Think Again

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Part of my role as security guy is to keep tabs on the crime climate around the globe. Recently I kept seeing article after article about burglaries with one common theme: “door kicked in”. Don’t believe me? See below. But before you do, probably all of these could have been prevented with Door Reinforcement Technology.

2B9/17/15 Alabama; Front door kicked in at Cahaba Road residence:
The call came in around 2:47 a.m., and officers found an unknown suspect kicked in the front door of a residence to gain entry.

9/21/15 Illinois; Bloomington Police investigating home invasion:
According to Sarah Mayer with BPD, officers were called Saturday to a home that had the door kicked in. Officers say that the resident of the home told them a young black male entered her bedroom and pointed a handgun at her, telling her to lay face down.

9/22/15 Michigan; Couple uses ‘special skills’ to help solve their own burglary:
Sergio and Maura Rodriguez returned to their Southside home on July 17 to find their front door kicked in. Burglars had stolen the couple’s television and Maura’s purse containing her Lone Star and debit cards.

9/23/15 Alabama; Law enforcement blotter:
Caller checking on location for owner, door kicked in, Ashby 2 men with 31 previous arrests nabbed in Hoover break-in 9/21/15 The break-in happened about 3:15 p.m. Thursday in the 5000 block of Tree Crossings Parkway at Ridge Crossings Apartments, said Capt. Gregg Rector. The resident arrived home to find his door kicked in. When he went inside, he interrupted two burglars.

9/24/15 Alaska; Man admits to trying to steal Toyo stove, charged with first-degree burglary:
The homeowner called troopers about 11 a.m. and said he arrived home to find his door kicked in and a man trying to steal his Toyo.

9/24/15  South Carolina; Police Blotter for Sept. 24: A 58-year-old Aiken woman reported Monday that it looked as if a nearby vacant house on Springfield Church Road was burglarized. Deputies found the back door kicked in and several appliances missing from inside.

9/25/15 Georgia; Police Blotter Residential Burglary:
800 block of Loridans Drive—A front door was kicked in and a patio door was tampered with. An Apple MacBook Pro, a black Kindle Fire, Skull Candy headphones, a Wells Fargo checkbook, a PlayStation 4 with controllers, a Burberry watch, a JOS A Bank watch, a white laundry basket, an Xbox with controllers and four games, four watches, an Amazon Fire HD7 and 500 Pesos were taken.

And

100 block of 26th Street—The top of a condo’s door lock was punctured and the door was kicked in. A MacBook Pro laptop, an Apple iPad, jewelry, iPhone 3GS, Apple iPad, Social Security card and personal papers were taken.

And

900 block of Cardova Drive—A homeowner received a text about his alarm sounding but refused police because he didn’t want to be fined. A neighbor discovered the front door kicked in and a TV from the living room was in the driveway. No other items were taken.

And

1800 block of Wellbourne Drive—A 60-inch Sony TV a WII controller, a diamond ring, an Apple MacBook Air, an Apple Thunder Bolt display, a MacBook Pro, two Apple keyboards and wireless mice, a Canon camera, a Sony video camera and a external hard drive were taken when a house’s front door was kicked in.

Now don’t think for one second, “Well I don’t live in Alabama or wherever, so I’m OK”. Wrongo bongo. Go to GoogleNews , type your Town and or state and “Door kicked In” and you will be amazed at how many results come up. Doors, without reinforcement technology are useless. Install high-grade door reinforcement technology. Door Devil, is the door jamb reinforcement I use.

Robert Siciliano is a home and personal security expert to DoorDevil.com discussing Anti-Kick door reinforcement on YouTube. Disclosures.

Home Security App/Camera witnesses two Burglars

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Danny Wheeler was alerted by his smartphone that had a home security app and a do it yourself camera/home security system that his home was being robbed. He was at work and could do nothing but send the real time video to New York City police, reports a story on abcnews.go.com. The burglars got away, however, by the time the place was swarming with police.

ANG3Such an application and system can allow the user to remotely access all the “goings-on” and in some case set off a loud alarm. Even if you have the most elaborate home security system, having one of these smartphone-alerting systems will add an extra layer of protection, and for sure, result in capture of thieves who are less quick at getting away.

These systems should be adjuncts to a full security system, as they don’t have round the clock monitoring and don’t directly contact police. And even though Wheeler’s thieves got away, their images have been retained for possible identification.

Wheeler posted the video on social media, reports an article on nydailynews.com. An intruder is seen entering via a window, and then a second man enters through another window. The men spent only about a minute rummaging through the home, exiting just before an alarm sounded.

There are over 15,000 views so far. Someone is bound to be able to identify the burglars.

Wheeler regrets calling the police before remotely triggering the house alarm. Had he set off the alarm the moment he realized what was happening, it’s possible that his J. Crew silver bracelet would not have been stolen from his bedroom.

Possessing one of these systems, as mentioned, adds a layer of security. The Angee home security system, see them on Kickstarter, is the only one with a video camera that rotates 360 degrees as it detects motion. And this high definition camera has smart zones; you can set up specific zones for monitoring. But Angee is more than just a video surveillance setup. It’s a self-monitored home security system.

Robert Siciliano, personal and home security specialist to Angee. Learn more about Angee in this Video. Support Angee on Kickstarter. See Disclosures.

Butthead Burglar buttdials Cops

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You know what a “buttdial” is. This is when a person has a seat somewhere, and the ensuring pressure of their butt against the seat accidentally presses upon the keypad of the phone that’s in their pocket. Or they don’t lock their phone and their fingers indiscriminately just call someone. Happens a lot.

What are the odds that the numbers that are pressed actually dial someone’s number? It’s pretty small, but it’s happened so much that the term “pocket dial” is now official English vernacular.

Here’s a better question: What are the odds that a buttdial dials 9-1-1? Next question: What are the odds that the buttdialer, at the time he butt dials, is talking about committing a burglary, and the 9-1-1 dispatcher overhears this?

Well, it happened.

Usatoday.com reports that a butt dial call came in to Somerset County dispatchers in New Jersey recently, and the inadvertent call allowed them to overhear burglary plans.

Scott Esser, 42, is now in jail on $100,000 bail after butt dialing on July 27. Nobody knows exactly what he did to accidentally place this call. All we know is that it rung 9-1-1, and dispatchers heard men discussing a burglary but were not able to track the location.

However, that evening, a burglary occurred in Branchburg. And by then, the cell phone company had learned that the butt call had been made by a phone assigned to Esser.

So detectives put out surveillance on Esser, following him as he drove to a home. Once he got out, the police lost sight of him. But he returned, and the detectives went to the home—and saw that it had been burglarized. They caught up with the butthead and arrested him.

His car contained jewelry and some pricey electronics, a gun, $11,300 worth of U.S. bonds, and burglary tools. Esser was then charged with burglaries not only in Branchburg, but in Stafford and Berkeley Heights. The butthead was busted.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

12 Ways to secure your Home

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The FBI says that in the U.S., one out of every 36 homes will be raided by thieves in any given year. Often, the burglars were able to get in due to the residents’ carelessness.

3BUnlike the movies, in which burglars are hiding in the shrubs at night waiting for the homeowner to return home, then jump out and press guns to their ribcages, ordering them inside, real life burglars often literally stroll right through an unlocked door and help themselves to all the goodies. There are many ways the home occupant can make it easy for burglars to get in unnoticed.

  • Unlocked doors and windows.
  • A sloppy yard. This makes a thief think nobody’s hardly ever home, and he’ll likely target the house for a break-in.
  • Shrubs and bushes that obscure entryways. Burglars love it when they can conceal themselves in the dark with the help of plant growth around windows and doors.
  • Posting travel plans on social media. Yes, burglars scout social media to see who’ll be away from the house.
  • Indiscriminately answering the doorbell. Burglars may pose as utility workers and talk their way inside. Or, they may push past the occupant and ransack the place while an accomplice restrains the occupant.
  • A chronically dark house. Don’t be a utility bill penny pincher. Enough lights should be on at night, including when you’re home, to make a burglar think there’s fully-awake people inside. Automatic timers that turn lights on and off will make the house look occupied, and will make it appear people are up in the middle of the night, when many break-ins occur.
  • Newspapers accumulating in the drive or a package sitting on the front stoop, suggesting nobody’s been home for a while.

Beef up Your Home’s Security

  • Get a security system for the house that has it all: motion detectors, surveillance cameras, smartphone connections. Even if money is tight, you can still fool many a burglar with a fake camera installed above the front door, and security company signs around the house—even though you don’t have a system. But really, these days, there are systems for all budgets.
  • Dog owners should hire a dog sitter rather than kennel their pet; a dog’s barking usually scares off a would-be intruder.
  • Put your paper and mail deliveries on a vacation hold.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.