Crime & Safety
5 Common Home Security Mistakes (And How You Can Avoid Them)
Three independent security experts weigh in on the best practices for keeping your house safe and secure.
Ring is a Patch Brand Partner, which means Patch may earn a small commission on products purchased. However, the independent experts quoted in this article are not affiliated with Ring; all views are their own.
Your home is a place you want to feel welcoming, comfortable and, most importantly, safe. Unfortunately, many people unknowingly do things that leave their homes vulnerable to bad actors. Here are five of the most common home security mistakes, along with tips from independent security experts on how you can avoid them.
Mistake #1: Being Careless And Predictable
According to Jeff Zisner, CEO of AEGIS Security & Investigations — a Southern California-based firm offering a range of professional security consulting and protection services statewide, nationally and internationally — "user error" is the single most common problem he sees when it comes to home security.
"When I say user error, I mean people not locking their doors, not locking their windows, not turning on their alarm system, not taking their mail in regularly — really people just ignoring good practices when it comes to home security," Zisner tells Patch. "More often than not, the biggest issue with home security is people not doing what they should be doing, leaving them vulnerable to crime happening at their home."
How To Avoid This Mistake: Don't be the person whose house has unlocked doors, an open garage and a key hidden predictably under the mat. As Zisner explains, "When it comes to home security, criminals like to exploit what is easily achievable, and they prefer the path of least resistance. If you’re looking at three houses on the street, and one house leaves their garage door open, which one are they more likely to go in: the two with the garage doors closed, or the one that's left the garage door open for hours on end?"
Mistake #2: Making It Obvious When You're Not Home
If a house is dark and quiet, with packages piling up on the front porch and no activity happening, it's pretty clear that no one's home. And if you post to social media about traveling or being out of town before you return, you may unwittingly be letting potential crooks know in real time that your house is an easy target.
How To Avoid This Mistake: Most importantly, do what you can to make it look as if someone is home. "If you can afford it and you have pets, it's great to hire a house sitter," Adam Bercovici, a private investigator and expert security consultant who spent 30 years with the Los Angeles Police Department, tells Patch. "I think leaving a car in the driveway is great, too, if possible. Definitely cancel or put a stop on your mail and on any kind of newspaper being delivered." Having smart lights on a timer can also be effective in making it look like someone is home.
"If you have a network of friends and someone can check on your house, that's great," Bercovici adds. "Regular activity happening is a good thing."
Last but not least, be smart when it comes to social media. "[D]on't post online about what you’re doing and when you’re traveling," Zisner cautions. "Bad guys are becoming more technologically savvy and are going online and following people’s vacation plans, they’re following hashtags and trying to target people’s homes when they're not there. Collect all of your posts, save them as drafts, and then post them when you get back so that you’re not leaving your home exposed when you're traveling."
Mistake #3: Having Valuable Items On Display
Leaving the box for your pricey new flat-screen TV on the curb for garbage pickup overnight or posting a photo online of the beautiful earrings you got for your birthday lets potential thieves know that you have these expensive items in your home.
How To Avoid This Mistake: Avoid putting pricey items on display — especially on social media. Robert Siciliano, a personal security expert specializing in identity theft, fraud and violence prevention, tells Patch that folks should "post nothing that shows any newly purchased valuables."
Mistake #4: Only Installing Outdoor Lighting That Works On A Timer
While timed lights can be effective at illuminating outdoor areas, they lack the element of surprise that motion-sensor lights can bring. "[When] the lights go on, it takes you a minute," Bercovici says. "It's kind of startling."
How To Avoid This Mistake: Bercovici, Siciliano and Zisner all recommend having a combination of outdoor static lighting and motion-sensor lighting. "Lighting is great because it silhouettes the person," Bercovici explains. "People that do burglaries and thefts are opportunists. If they're walking down the street and they see a house that’s got a lot of light, or they walk up to a house and it's got a motion detector, they're going to move on."
Mistake #5: Not Taking A Proactive Approach To Home Security
According to Siciliano, "The biggest mistake is people simply don't think it can happen to them." That's why he recommends people "lock doors [and] install a home security system.”
How To Avoid This Mistake: Zisner also recommends "a layered approach with multiple elements" when it comes to home security. This can include a combination of security cameras, smart lighting, alarm systems and professional home monitoring. As Zisner puts it, "Anything that you do to make yourself a hardened target is helpful if it might discourage criminal behavior."
The Bottom Line
Taking few preventive measures can make your home unappealing to would-be burglars and thieves. Click here for more relevant ways to deter home break-ins or burglaries.
Ring makes a line of affordable, easy-to-use home security products that are designed to help protect the people, pets and property you love. Here are a few of the Patch team's top picks.
Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus — See, hear and speak to anyone at your door with one of the latest video doorbells from Ring. Compared to previous models of the Ring Video Doorbell, the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus has improved motion detection and enhanced dual-band wifi. Setup is simple, and you can customize the motion settings to focus on key areas and only receive the alerts you care about most. Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus is also the first battery-powered video doorbell with Pre-Roll, which means you get 4 extra seconds of black and white video to show you what happened before motion was detected.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro — The Ring Video Doorbell Pro connects to your existing doorbell wiring, so you'll never need to charge a battery. With the Ring App, you can see and speak to visitors from anywhere on your phone. The doorbell camera captures wide-angle HD video and has infrared night vision, so you can see exactly what's happening around the clock.
Ring Floodlight Cam — With this motion-activated Floodlight Cam, you can use the Ring App to control the lights, trigger the siren, and use Two-Way Talk — all from your phone. It has motion-activated recording and alerts, and customizable motion zones and scheduling. Setup is simple, and Floodlight Cam easily replaces existing wired floodlights and connects to standard junction boxes.
Ring Spotlight Cam - Battery — With HD video, bright lights and a siren, Spotlight Cam helps protect your home around the clock — day or night, rain or shine. Get alerts on your phone, tablet or compatible Alexa-enabled devices whenever motion is detected, so you can see, hear and speak to visitors from anywhere. Setup is simple, and easily adjustable motion sensors let you get the ideal setting for you and your home.
Related Products:
Ring Solar-Powered Pathlights — These solar-powered Pathlights each shine up to 80 lumens of white light when motion is detected. They stake easily into soft ground and recharge daily in direct sunlight. Easily turn your lights on or off, change the brightness and customize the motion sensitivity from anywhere — all from the Ring App. Plus enjoy features like Dusk to Dawn to keep your lights dimly lit at night and come on to your preferred brightness when motion is detected.
Related: Check Out More Ring Smart Lighting Options For Your Home
Ring Alarm 8-Piece Kit - 2nd Gen — This second-generation Ring Alarm 8-Piece Kit includes one Base Station, one Keypad, four Contact Sensors, one Motion Detector, and one Range Extender. Using the Ring App, set up the Ring Alarm Base Station and security devices, place them around your home, and now you’re ready to go. Arm and disarm using the Keypad or the Ring App. Setup is simple, and you can add more sensors and security devices anytime based on your security needs, and real-time notification preferences can be personalized. Ring Protect Plus** is available for $10 a month per location, and with this subscription service, you'll get cellular backup for your Ring Alarm and you can choose to enroll in optional 24/7 professional monitoring***. Ring Protect Plus also lets you save your videos for up to 60 days and share Ring videos from other Ring cameras you may own (such as the Ring Video Doorbell), as well as view alerts at your convenience.
**By purchasing Ring Protect, you agree your subscription plan will automatically renew and continue until you choose to cancel. For more information about Ring's device and subscription terms, which include Ring’s refund policy, please visit ring.com/terms.
***Ring Protect Plus is required to opt into professional monitoring. Ring Alarm professional monitoring service is available only within the U.S. (all 50 states, but not U.S. territories) and in Canada (excluding Quebec).
Related Products:
- Ring Alarm 5-Piece Kit - 2nd Gen
- Ring Alarm 10-Piece Kit - 2nd Gen
- Ring Alarm 14-Piece Kit - 2nd Gen
Please Note: When you first set up your Ring Doorbell, Camera, or Alarm, you can enjoy a free 30-day trial of the Ring Protect subscription that allows you to save and share your video recordings. Free trial is not applicable for locations with an existing Ring Protect Plus subscription. Your Ring videos are stored in the cloud temporarily for up to 60 days in the U.S. Check Ring Protect Subscription Plans for more information about your plan’s retention period. To keep important videos beyond this period, download them to your desktop or mobile device.
Check Out Even More Ring Products To Help Keep Your Home Safe And Secure
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