3 Tips to Keep your Home Secure Over the Holidays

3 Tips to Keep your Home Secure Over the Holidays

While the holidays are mostly filled with joy, giving and celebration, sometimes things don’t always turn out like we planned. Crimes are two times more likely during the Christmas season, so if you decide to travel, leaving your home empty for a few days, here are some tips to ensure your home is safe during the jolliest time of year.

Light it up

Whether you have decided to travel for the holidays or not, make sure you keep your porch light on. The light will thwart off burglars because there is more of a chance that they may be seen if they choose to target your home. Use exterior lights to illuminate places like your back door and front and back yards so that there aren’t any dark shadows that make it hard for a video surveillance camera to pick up suspicious activity around the perimeter of your home. It is easier to see a burglary in the act if it isn’t as black as night.

A way to trick people into thinking you are home is to implement a lighting timer. You can choose different times to turn on and off lights around your home. You can choose to keep the living room light on all night while flickering between upstairs bedrooms and the kitchen area. Christmas criminals won’t choose to target your home if they believe you are inside.

Protect Your Empty House

Be sure to lock up your house. Double check all windows, doors and fences. If you have an alarm system, make sure it is set before leaving for your journey. Call your alarm company and let them know you will be out of town, so if you alarm is tripped they know that it is a serious emergency and not just a false alarm.

Let your neighbors know that you are not going to be home, so that if they sense any suspicious activity or see any other lights on in your house, they can call the police and then notify you that someone may be lurking in your home.

If your family goes out of town every holiday season, perhaps you should think about investing in a video surveillance system that allows you to monitor the footage in real time from a mobile device. These sorts of systems usually have a notification system that will ping you and the local police department with any and all suspicious activity.

Have Common Sense on Social Media

In this digital age, we like to share everything we are doing in real time, but around the holidays it might be best to wait to share every picture you take if you aren’t at home. Burglars have become especially social media savvy, creeping through social media posts to see which tenants have been posting from other locations for a certain period of time.

If you’d like to tweet out a, “Happy Holidays!” from your phone, just make sure that all your location settings are off. Don’t add your location to your Instagrams and only post pictures when it is not easy to identify where you are.

When you get home from your travels, you can post all of your stories and photos at one time from a location that will not tip off any criminals.

By using these three tips, you will be sure to enjoy your holidays without the added stress of a break-in at your empty home. Whatever you do, don’t forget to have some fun with your family and relax!

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Freedom of Choice

    In today's security landscape, we are witnessing a fundamental transformation in how organizations manage digital evidence. Law enforcement agencies, campus security teams, and large facility operators face increasingly complex challenges with expanding video data, tightening budget constraints and inflexible systems that limit innovation. Read Now

  • Accelerating a Pathway

    There is a new trend touting the transformational qualities of AI’s ability to deliver actionable data and predictive analysis that in many instances, seems to be a bit of an overpromise. The reality is that very few solutions in the cyber-physical security (CPS) space live up to this high expectation with the one exception being the new generation of Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM) software – herein recategorized as PIAM+. Read Now

  • Protecting Your Zones

    It is game day. You can feel the crowd’s energy. In the parking lot. At the gate. In the stadium. On the concourse. Fans are eager to party. Food and merchandise vendors ready themselves for the rush. Read Now

  • Street Smarts

    The ongoing acceptance of AI and advanced data analytics has allowed surveillance camera technology to shift from being a tactical tool to a strategic business solution. Combining traditional surveillance technology with AI-based data-driven insights can streamline transportation systems, enhance traffic management, improve situational awareness, optimize resource allocation and streamline emergency response procedures. Read Now

  • Midtown Manhattan Shooting Kills 4, Including NYPD Officer

    Four people were killed, including a NYPD officer, in a midtown Manhattan shooting on Monday. That’s according to CNN. Read Now

New Products

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.