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Best Home Security Based on In-Depth Reviews


Under Home | Lifestyle

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February 23rd, 2020

A comprehensive guide to modern home security and the various options for monitoring, installation, and technology integration available today.

Our Top Picks : Home Security Reviews

According to the FBI’s Crime in the United States statistics, property crimes in 2017 caused approximately $15.3 billion in losses nationwide. Burglary accounted for 18.2% of those crimes, with two-thirds of those burglaries occurring in residential properties. Each burglary caused, on average, $2,416 in losses.

Many sources, including a five-year study conducted by Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice, support that having a home security system can help reduce the chance of someone entering your home and taking your belongings, since most burglars avoid properties with alarm systems.

However, there are a lot of home security systems out there these days. How do you choose the one that’s right for you?

While there isn’t a single method for choosing a home security system, your lifestyle, the type of property you own, your location, your budget, and how comfortable you are with technology factor in. The most important thing is to look for a company with an excellent track record that can meet the unique needs of your property.

The providers we’ve chosen all have great reputations, but each excels in its own particular area. We’ve pointed out the best professional installation, best DIY installation, best for customization options, and best for energy efficiency so you can decide on the perfect system for your situation.

Helpful Information About Home Security

The primary benefit of a home security system is to protect your family, home, and valuables when you’re away at work, on vacation, or asleep. As we’ve seen, there are numerous options for equipment, monitoring, and installation at various price points. But unless you have a self-monitored system, all home security packages will alert the proper authorities when a valid alarm is triggered. Therefore, the speed with which this occurs is a major point of concern.

Alerting First Responders

Our team interviewed Michael Henry, former Sheriff of Hillsborough County, Florida, who explained the chain of events after being contacted by a home security monitoring service.

According to Henry, monitoring services typically contact the sheriff’s department directly. Patrol cars are then alerted to a potential home security breach. The average response time is 2 to 3 minutes.

“Believe it or not, most of the time it’s a false alarm,” says Henry. “But we always had to treat them as if they’re real, because you never know.”

False alarms are the main reason monitored systems attempt immediately to validate the alarm by contacting the customer by phone or other method. This can establish whether or not the customer, family member, or pet set off the alarm accidentally. If the customer doesn’t respond, or responds by indicating they are not in the house, the police are notified.

Types of Equipment

Home security companies offer a wide range of equipment options, from mounted control panel installations to fully automated systems controlled by smartphones or tablets. Some companies manufacture and sell their own proprietary equipment, while others rely on third-party products. Certain home security systems require professional installation. Newer, user-friendly systems have do-it-yourself setup options, which come in handy when moving to a new home.

Before purchasing an alarm system, it’s important to identify your family’s needs. Older or disabled homeowners may feel more comfortable with systems that offer medical alerts or panic buttons. Homeowners with small children or who spend a lot of time away from home might prefer multiple surveillance options throughout the property that provide live video feeds. Once you’ve determined the needs of your household, you’ll be in a good position to choose among the different types of equipment offered.

Sensors

Sensors are detectors built into the alarm system that transmit signals to the control panel. Common home security sensors include those designed for walls, doors, windows, and garages. Some window sensors now include glass break detection. Many security systems have crash-and-smash sensors, which sound an alarm when someone (such as an intruder) attempts to tamper with or destroy the control panel.

Various companies also have systems that include environmental safeguards. These include smoke and carbon monoxide sensors that immediately alert emergency personnel

Surveillance Cameras

Security cameras provide surveillance throughout the home and around the property. This includes indoor and outdoor cameras, doorbell built-in cameras, and wireless cameras, also known as ‘tilt and pan’ cameras, which can send live video and photo feeds to a connected device. Cameras can be mounted and configured in multiple ways to best fit the style of the home.

Video surveillance can be a useful feature for homeowners who have elderly or disabled family members, children, or other visitors like babysitters, housekeepers, or maintenance personnel. Surveillance equipment gives homeowners the ability to monitor their home and families themselves, especially while on the go.

Control Panels

All sensors and detectors communicate with a control panel. These are available in two forms: they can be a physical panel that’s installed within the home on a wall, or a virtual panel that’s accessible and controlled via smartphone or tablet.

While in-home mounted panels are most common, virtual control panels work remotely, providing homeowners with full control of the home security system while away. In situations where a relative, friend, or worker needs to enter the home, the homeowner can disarm the system from their wireless device.

Vulnerability to Hacking

All wireless home security systems are vulnerable to hacking to some degree. Hackers can target many components of home security systems, including video surveillance systems, control panels, and sensors—especially those of unsecured smart home systems. The likelihood of such a thing happening, however, is quite low.

According to former FBI security specialist R. L. Walters, home security hacking is not as big an issue as some publications would lead you to believe.

“The technology is out there but there’s not as many people as you would think that would know how to use it,” says Walters.

The 2019 Avast Smart Home Security Report reported that “two out of five (40.8%) digital homes worldwide contain at least one device that is vulnerable to cyber-attacks.” A single vulnerable device can endanger someone’s entire home, and over 69% of these devices are at risk due to default or weak access credentials.

Although this is a worrisome number—and companies selling home automation products should do their part to improve security overall—do keep in mind that being vulnerable does not suddenly make you a target for a horde of hackers. For now, Walters states that “I think there is a very limited amount of people that have those skills.”

For those who are still worried about their security system being hacked into, there are steps that can be taken to minimize the risk. The first of them is to secure the system. Set up firewalls, check for firmware updates, use a strong password, regularly change old passwords, and get devices that support two-factor authentication. Make sure to keep a check on your camera logs and avoid accessing your security system from a public WiFi network. If the threat of being hacked is still a significant concern, consider that wired systems are much less vulnerable to hacking.

Tips for Shopping for A Security System

The first thing that someone who is buying a home security system should do is know their home. Different types of homes benefit from specific types of security systems and monitoring. Securing a house is different from securing an apartment; securing a home is different from securing a business.

Condominium associations may forbid residents from drilling holes in exterior walls. Residents of these dwellings may be much better off using a wireless security system. Wireless alarms are also ideal for renters, as they can take the system with them when they move. Homeowners, on the other hand, have a much greater degree of choice. They can opt for wired or wireless systems without much hassle.

Although wireless systems are now the industry standard, homeowners may get a better deal if they use the preexisting framework of a wired security system installed by previous owners. Likewise, businesses operating on premises where the necessary wiring has already been installed may prefer to go with a wired system.

Once the type of security system has been decided, it’s time to start shopping. Here are some tips to make the process smoother :

• Do the research. Make an effort to really understand what you’re purchasing. Look at the types of equipment home security companies offer and weigh the pros and cons of DIY installation. Understand what automation is and how it works. Figure out how much each system costs. Knowledge equals the power to make good decisions.

• Know the company’s products. Certain types of equipment are common across home security systems, such as cameras and sensors. Other products vary in functionality from one company to another. By becoming better acquainted with a company’s products and services before contacting them, you’ll be in a better position to reach a deal once the conversation starts.

• Only get the extras you need. If you’re going to buy something on top of a company’s basic home security packages, be absolutely sure you can afford it. Don’t opt for nonessential equipment or services that you’ll have to struggle to pay for just for the sake of having the most “comprehensive” protection. Remember, the goal is to protect your assets, not spend them.

• Have essential information at hand before you call. Don’t call any company without having critical information about their products and your home or business. Agents will often ask questions about the latter in order to properly quote the equipment, prepare for installation, and suggest add-on products. Make sure to have questions about the company’s products and services jotted down beforehand. This will make the conversation more productive and will help you avoid upselling tactics.

• Be ready to confront upselling. Many of us have struggled at some point or another with salespeople who just wouldn’t stop offering add-ons and “special offers” on top of what you actually want to buy. A common tactic for agents who are trying to upsell consumers is to introduce them to a higher-end product or to an upgrade of the product they were in the process of purchasing. Respond to this approach by clearly stating what it is you are looking for and what you are willing to pay. By doing so, you are showing that you’ve done your homework. Don’t succumb to pressure to buy what you don’t want or need.

• Get as many quotes as you can. One or two isn’t enough; try to request quotes for professional installation, equipment, and monitoring services from as many home security companies in your area as you can. Get quotes from a variety of companies old and new, large, and small.

For a comprehensive guide to modern home security and the various options for monitoring, installation, and technology integration available today, check out Consumers Advocate report.

Best Home Security Based on In-Depth Reviews by Consumers Advocate

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