Home Security Camera Buying Tips
Now is a good time to start thinking home security camera system. If you have been dwelling on introducing home security to your property for some time, consider as we move closer to the festive season, the increased likelihood of your home being burgled.
The holiday season is usually a notorious time for home intrusions and with a security camera system in place you’ll at least have better peace of mind.
In this article, we’ll offer some buying tips and suggestions in purchasing a home security camera system. Technology has increased tremendously just in the last five years alone and today you have many choices. From wireless to internet to the more expensive cabled systems, security cameras are part and parcel of our everyday lives.
Buying Tips
Before you rush out and purchase the first system you see advertised in an ad consider these tips before buying:
- How much coverage do you need and do you require both inside an outside coverage? It’s easy to over-capitalize and you want to avoid spending unnecessary dollars.
- Look at the layout of your home and identify the “blind” spots. These are the areas an intruder can pass through unnoticed or undetected. They are the areas burglars look for when entering a property.
- The same applies to the inside layout of your home. There will be areas where someone may sneak in undetected.
- When you find a system you’re interested in ask for a demo. What you want to inspect is the clarity of the picture, particularly the monitor. You need to decide on color or black and white. To be honest, color is the best option and now even more so considering they’ve come down in price and become a lot more affordable.
- Choosing a monitor is personal choice. Most people will simply use their computer screens or televisions however, these are not always the best options for clarity reasons. It’s no big deal though and choosing a monitor will obviously depend on your overall budget.
- If you can, recording is essential simply because if a crime is committed, it’s more than likely it would have been caught on camera. VCR is still around but today, digital video recorders(DVR) are slowly becoming king.
The one thing to remember is to not go overboard with a home security camera. The “blind” spots we mentioned earlier could easily be taken care of by extra lighting. Start by covering the main areas of concern and then when your budget allows, increase your coverage.
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Door Hardware to Keep Your Home Safe
Moving into a new home or remodeling means thinking about cabinet hardware and cabinet hardware products. And, it also means thinking about the most important house hardware of all – Locks. Door hardware is your home’s protection against intruders.
Choosing the Right Hardware
These days, a deadbolt is essential for keeping your home secure. Regular door locks that function inside the knob just can’t guarantee the protection you need. They can be easily broken by force. The thick throw bolt of a deadbolt is nearly impossible to break through.
There are two kinds of deadbolts; single cylinder and double cylinder. The difference is that single cylinder deadbolts have a knob or thumb turn on the inside, with a key only on the outside. With a double cylinder, you need a key for both sides.
If you are getting a deadbolt for an exterior door, it is usually best to get the single cylinder variety. This is a safety issue. If there were an emergency inside the house, such as a fire, the occupants could risk being trapped inside or slowed down by having to use a key. A single cylinder and a regular doorknob locks will offer enough protection to the house, and also allow anyone inside to get out.
The only exception to this is a door with windows. If there is glass on the door, it would be easy for an intruder to simply break the glass and reach through to the deadbolt’s knob. It is usually best to consider safety first and go with the single cylinder, but if your house has inner and outer front doors, you can use both.
Don’t Forget the Windows
You might wonder, what’s the point of installing window locks? After all, if a burglar wants to get in, they will simply smash the glass. This is true, in Hollywood. But actually, most burglars are opportunists. They want to break into a house with the least amount of bother, and it would be much better to slip in through a window than to break one.
You should definitely have window locks, and make sure that each one, downstairs and up no matter how small, is covered. Even the tiny one in the bathroom should be secured. An experienced burglar can slip through just about anything, and slip right back out again with your stuff.
Whether to use key or thumb turn locks is the same issue we dealt with earlier. If the burglar chooses to break the glass, they can simply turn the thumb knob; if you use a key mechanism instead, they would have to continue breaking out glass and risk getting cut up coming in.
Even a cheap window lock will work wonders in protecting your house from intruders. Make sure it is one that is visible from outside. Most burglars would rather move on to another house than deal with any kind of difficulty getting in.
Keep in mind that locks work not only to keep your house safe, but as a deterrent for would-be burglars. In the same way that security guards deter theft by just being there, having good, solid, visible locks on your doors and windows will keep most burglars looking for an easier house.
Another thing to remember is that you can never have too much home security. It is a good idea to keep a safe, in addition to the other safety precautions you place in your home.
Securing your home is always a high priority. In addition to high tech security systems, simple door hardware like deadbolts can help secure your family and property. Visit CKI Locks today for your lock options. http://www.ckilock.com
16 Tips On Preventing Identity Theft
Identity theft is rampant throughout the world today. Many times you never know your identity has been stolen until you go to buy something with credit or check and the sale is denied. Even theft notification services that notify of possible fraudulent activity don’t totally protect you from Identity Theft.
A study revealed by the US Secret service from 2000 to 2006 that 500 ID thieves arrested, just 8 percent were somewhat acquainted with their victims in any way.
Consumer fears of data break-ins by hackers have really only accounted for 3 percent of all know ID thefts.
A whopping 40 percent of Identity theft cases are actually from lost or stolen wallets, credit cards and checks.
Identity thieves are using high tech devices like credit card encoders, computer printers, keyloggers and telephones for 37 percent of the time.
Here are some of the major real causes of Identity theft and you’ll never believe on of the many causes of it.
Most Identity Thieves get your personal information from retailers, financial companies Mail Stealing and Garbage Diving are used in 20 percent of ID theft cases along with other means such as E-mail Phishing scams and Internet hacking.
One word of caution. If you work on a computer look out for computer monitoring devices like the 2MB Keyshark PS/2 Keystroke Logger. It may be installed logging all your important credit card numbers and bank info. The 2MB Keyshark PS/2 Keystroke Logger plugs in between your keyboard and computer and records all keystrokes including passwords and special characters. All information is memorized on the internal 2MB memory. Stores 12 months of keystroke data in typical use situations. So Be careful.
Here are the key steps you must do to keep your Identity from being stolen protecting you from financial ruin and many months of problem solving trying to find out who stoled your identity.
1) Be aware of fraudulent emails or websites known as ‘phishing’ or ‘web spoofing’ that appear to be legitimate sites. They will usually ask you to update your information including all your personal data. Never click on hyperlinks links in suspicious looking emails and pop-up ads. When click on a link or attachment, they may install deadly viruses, spyware or key-logging programs that can send information back to a malicious site on your system or even destroy your computer by erasing your hard drive.
2) Make sure you have updated virus, firewall on your computer. One of the best ones is McAfee Security Center. It automatically maintains high level virus protection for you.
3) Be aware of using non-secure wireless connections with computers, phones, and portable devices to send sensitive information from public wireless locations or even from home wireless networks. Many people today use wireless routers and have no idea when they log into their bank accounts that their Internet connection is insecure. Using scanning devices, individuals can intercept unencrypted signals and view or obtain your information. Always check. This especially true in Internet Cafe’s and stores and hotels that offer WiFi Internet surfing which are popup all over the place. This is now becoming a huge problem. Many people have no idea their Internet connection is unsecured.
4) When you are using a computer in public areas look out for people looking over your shoulder who may try to intercept your passwords or information but this is become too obvious to most Internet surfers who are already aware of Identity Theft.
5) Always use strong passwords with a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Change passwords periodically, and always change pre-assigned temporary passwords. When creating PINs and passwords, do not use birth dates, addresses, phone numbers, etc. because most Identity Thieves can guess this from simple personal information or store receipts.
6) Never save your ID and password option in your browser at home, or on a laptop or public computer. These pages can be easily hacked into by computer hackers.
7) Make sure you recycle old computers and ensure all sensitive information is removed from the hard drive. Reformatting the hard drive may not be sufficient. Use specialized software to erase information. Or take the hard drive out of the computer and smash it with a sledge hammer if available.
8) Don’t give out financial or personal information online or on the phone unless you know who you are talking to.
9) Report lost or stolen cards or checks immediately.
10) Memorize personal identification numbers (PINs) and passwords. Never write them on access cards or store them where they can easily be found, such as in wallets, purses, and desks or on computers. Don’t even use a portable audio recorder to store them, as it may get stolen.
11) Destroy unnecessary credit card and bank info by using a shredder. This may include old bank statements, invoices, pre-approved credit card forms.
12) Review account statements promptly and match credit card receipts. Don’t ignore suspicious charges. If doubtful or unauthorized charges appear on your bills or statements, call immediately to resolve the discrepancy.
13) Don’t write personal information on your checks, like driver’s license or Social Security numbers. Update your drivers licence if it has your Social Security number on it.
14) Beware of incoming phone calls or e-mails from scammers that ask you to disclose information by pretending to be fraud investigators or customer service agents calling with an urgent problem about your account.
15) When in doubt as to a caller’s identity if they ask you for the three-digit code on the back of your credit card to verify the possession of your credit card.
16) Review your credit report on a regular basis. This may reveal people trying to assess your personal or financial information.
Glenn Frieboth, owner of GLC Enterprises, Inc., based in Illinois. Find more information about computer monitoring devices at http://www.spygearco.com/computer-monitoring.htm
The Truth About Dummy Security Cameras!
The argument of whether dummy security cameras are a better option than having the real thing depends on various circumstances.
One of these is a person’s budget. For as low as $15-20, you can seem to have your home protected by security camera coverage. Is this a responsible way to go? You’ve got to realize that by at least having some sort of protection is better than none.
They Look And Act Like Real Cameras
The beauty of dummy security cameras is they look and appear to be doing the job of it’s genuine cousin. The latest fake models are extremely hard to distinguish from the much higher priced real deals and come with many of the “bells and whistles” of a real camera. Except, they won’t be capturing any images.
Features such as lights which blink, stickers and even fake motion sensors which act in a similar mode to real cameras can fool even the most hardened security camera expert. But can they fool the thieves?
Fake cameras are what they are…fake. Their sole responsibility is one of deterring a potential intruder from entering and desecrating your premises. On most occasions they will perform this role admirably. But sooner or later, an intruder with a lifetime of burglary experience may discover the fact it’s not real.
Disadvantages
There are several downsides in installing dummy security cameras. One of them is there will be no alerts sent if an intruder breaks into your own. Your security company or even the police will have no idea your place is being fleeced.
Career criminals have also been known to study every aspect of a home before they break the law. This includes monitoring the home’s security devices and fake cameras present no problems for them. Even worse, if your home is broken into and your possessions are stolen then there will be no hard evidence captured on film and identifying the perpetrator is impossible.
The use of dummy security cameras is not recommended for businesses. One of the main reasons is the issue of worker safety. A business could be liable for damages if a worker is injured under the premise the workplace was adequately covered by security cameras.
In other words, the worker may have been placed under a false sense of security or protection. This is an issue you’ll need to check with your legal adviser before proceeding.
As protection for your home, they are an inexpensive alternative to image capturing models but there is still risk involved with installing them.
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