Top Ten Tips for Home Security – compiled by the staff at SECOM
- Have a working, monitored alarm system and use it. Make sure your security window stickers are clearly visible.
- Install good quality locks (deadlocks if possible) and window catches. Secure all doors and windows when you go out – even just for a short while. Keep your front door locked even when you are at home and especially when you are not likely to hear the front door eg out the back of your house, watching TV, listening to music or in the garage. Lock the home before going to sleep. Make it a habit.
- Get a dog. Dogs are a great deterrent and even a small dog can be a great noise maker and attract attention if unfamiliar people approach the house.
- Get to know your neighbors. Exchange phone numbers and let them know if you go away. Arrange to have your mailbox cleared if you are on holiday. Even if there’s no mail, just taking the cobwebs off the mailbox door helps dispel the idea that your property is unattended. If you are away for a long period, consider a house sitter and make arrangements to have your lawn mowed. Contracted lawn mowing services are great for this if you don’t have a friend or family member willing to do it.
- Use lighting automation around your home. Create the appearance of an occupied home when you are away. Simple timer switches are widely available nowadays.
- Install security lighting all around your house perimeter. Sensor lights are cheap and a good way to deter would-be thieves.
- Keep trees and shrubs around your home trimmed away from the house. They provide cover for burglars wanting to avoid detection.
- Don’t leave ladders or anything else that might assist a burglar in gaining entry to your home unsecured in your property.
- Don’t leave a key hidden outside. If you must have a key available then use a good quality combination key lock box and have that located well away from the door – out of sight.
- Be discreet with your valuable possessions. Avoid leaving desirable items in easy view of windows. Window coverings like blinds or net curtains will help with this. Remember to close your curtains at night to prevent people from looking in. Got all your toys in the garage? Best you close the door and not display them to passers-by. Just bought a new TV? Avoid leaving the box on your roadside for recycling. Break it down with markings hidden.
Smart house
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Helix IGM
Helix is the brain of your smart home.
Offering both latest technology security and the ability to connect other devices via the on board z-wave module such as lights, appliances, air-con, doors and locks.
Using Cloud hosting and communicating via IP (your home internet connection) and having 3G backup means this system is built for today's online world.
Smart and secure; Helix is connect to life - not the wall.
Intruder Alarm
A large range of intruder detection devices are available.
Helix uses Cryptix encoded wireless technology which provides around twice the range of regular wireless security devices.
You can also connect your existing hard-wired sensors to your new system for an instant upgrade of an old alarm.
Garage door control
You can add the garage door interface to your existing automated door.
Add the garage door to your connected home for easy programming of 'scenes'. For example you could open the garage, turn on the lights and disarm the alarm all with one click of a key fob or via your smartphone.
Scenes are easy to program and can trigger from user command, a set time or an alarm event.
Thermostat Control
Add a thermostat control interface to your Helix to include your air conditioning in your connected home.
Pre-warm your house before you get home right from your smart phone via the Helix system.
Lock control
Install a z-wave compatible lock like the Yale Assure range and you can control locking via the Helix.
Lighting control
There are various ways to control the lights in and around your home via the Helix.
Light control can give the illusion of an occupied house when you are away - a powerful deterrent to a would be burglar. Use the Helix to either manually control the lighting or program a set schedule.
Either ask Secom to install an in-wall lighting circuit z-wave switch or self-install a z-wave LED bulb or for the simplest option plug a lamp into the z-wave smart switch which plugs right in to your wall socket.
Cameras
A range of indoor, outdoor and PTZ cameras are available from Secom. You can check what triggerd an alarm, look in on your loved ones (and even talk to them with two-way voice available) or find out what the family pet is up to!
- Connected via your home wifi
- View images on your smartphone or PC
- Record events to your secure cloud account.
- Link your cameras to events from your Helix alarm, for example door opening might trigger a recording.
With no more expensive cabling or recording equipment required - CCTV for home just got affordable for everyone.
Securely hosted in the Cloud
Helix works via a secure cloud hosting service - the fee for that service is included in your monthly monitoring cost from SECOM.