Tips How To Burglar-Proof Home Windows

To help protect your family and home possessions, you may have invested in a Home Security System.  That is an investment that, with proper use, will provide you long term security and peace of mind.  Also, there are basic every day home security tips that you can do on your own with little investment other than your time.  However there is still more to be done to protect your home.
You are probably aware that the primary entry points of a burglar into a home are either there doors or windows.  Assuming that you have invested in solid doors, door frames and door locks, your home´s windows are the weak link and most overlooked risk of forced entry.  They can be broken, pried apart or literally removed from their support tracks.
Listed below are some tips to help burglar-proof your home´s windows.
1.         Reinforced Glass – The basic idea here is to strengthen your windows to make it more difficult for a burglar to break them.  One option, and least expensive is to use tempered glass, which is more durable and stronger than traditional window pane glass.  A more expensive option is to use laminated (safety) glass which consists of a layer of transparent vinyl between two sheets of regular window glass.  Laminate glass requires multiple blows in the same spot to break, resulting in more noise and effort for a potential burglar.  Other, more expensive options include wire mesh or shatter-resistant glass.
2.         Plexiglas and Polycarbonate Windows – Plexiglas (Acrylic) plastic windows are an economical alternative to traditional window glass and are roughly ten times stronger.  Polycarbonate windows are more expensive than Plexiglas, but ten times stronger and 250 times stronger than window glass.  Either solution makes a burglar entry much more difficult.
3.         Window Types and Securing
Casement windows are the most secure style since they are hinged on one side and open outward like a door using a crank gear system located from the inside.  Often the crank has provision for a key lock.  As long as the windows are closed and locked they are very difficult to open from the outside.  (In case of a fire emergency the crank key should be readily accessible and the same for all the windows.)
Vertical sliding windows, single or double hung are most popular in homes and consist of  a cam style lock that holds the top and bottom sash (the frame where the glass is mounted) together so that neither one can move. The cam lock is the primary weakness of this type of window since it can be opened with a knife from the outside when slipped between the two sashes.  To improve the security, a window pin type lock can be added to the top sash or an extendable small metal horizontal tab that restricts the movement of the bottom sash.  With the metal tab positioned in, the bottom sash freely moves, when positioned out, the bottom sash will not move and the window is closed.

       

Horizontal sliding windows move inside of a track, similar to patio doors by sliding one window panel to the left or right.  Depending upon the window design the security can be good or poor. If a poor design, the windows can be removed from the track from the outside.  Most designs provide a cam action lock similar to vertical sliding windows, with the same security weaknesses.  To improve the security, you can place a reinforced horizontal bar in the track that will prevent the sash from being moved when closed.  Additionally you can add a spring loaded burglar bar that fits between the window frame and the sliding sash to prevent prying movement side to side.  To prevent prying the moving sash out of the track, you can install metal screws on the top part of the frame such that they just touch the moving sash.
Other window openings if not need for ventilation or exit, should be sealed and nailed shut.  For windows with air conditioners, the unit should be bolted to the wall studs and the upper window sash should be pinned with a lock or blocked to prevent movement.
4.         Window Bars – Iron bars on the outside of your windows will make your home very burglar resistant.  It is expensive, but a permanent addition to the house.  While a burglar may break the window glass, the iron bars physically prevent entry.  Burglars will generally look for an easier target and not bother.  There a variety of decorative designs available depending upon the style of the house.
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5.         Window Sensors – Depending upon your home security system, you will likely have Window Sensors to indicate when a window contact is open or closed.   Also there are window glass break sensors to indicate when a window has been broken.  Finally there are infrared motion detectors with optional video to signal an alert, sounding the alarm and automatically notifying the central monitoring center and authorities.

Window Sensors	Glass Break Detector	Infrared Motion Detector

Improving the security of your home windows will motivate the average burglar to look for a much easier target to deal with and will help you protect your loved ones and possessions.
For more information, please visit:  http://www.NexusHomeSecurity24.com/

Senior Lifestyle and Home Security

At any age, as you progress through life, your health, lifestyle and security needs change.  For seniors, whether living independently, with family or under supervised care, the quality of life reflects a variety of decisions they have made in the past (health, finance, family relationships, etc.) as well those in the future.   NEXUS Home Security suggests that you consider investing in a home security system to improve your personal safety and quality of life.  Your investment will provide you peace-of-mind, increased independence and confidence, while being easy-to-use, economical, reliable and fitting your life style.  Coupled with 24 hour monitoring response services for burglary, fire and medical emergency response, your home security system provides you with the flexibility to live life as you desire, wherever you happen to be.
If you live alone or do any type of traveling, then a home security system is a must as part of a personal safety plan.  You want to be able to access the home security system from wherever you are, at any moment in time.  With this in mind, it is time to get yourself a smart-phone if you don´t already have one.  Think of the smart-phone as a “personal safety control device”, rather than as a fancy telephone.  Why?  With your smart-phone you will be able to control your home security system with just the touch of a button, wherever you and your smart-phone happen to be at any moment.
Let´s use some examples of how you can control your home security system from your personal safety control device (smart-phone).  With the touch of a button you can:

• Turn on (arm) and turn off (disarm) your home security system
• Receive an alert text of a sensor being activated (door, window, cabinet)
• Receive a text alert of a fire/CO emission and monitoring response center
• Receive an alert text of a video motion sensor being activated
• Review video of what generated the alert text (pet, housekeeper)
• Review video from your security cameras in real-time
• Open and close the electronic door locks to let someone in
• Adjust the home electronic thermostat and lighting
• Send an emergency call to the monitoring response center
• Receive an alert text of a severe weather warning

Since your personal safety control device (smart-phone) goes wherever you go, you have control of your home security system while:

• in bed
• sitting in living room
• driving the car
• shopping at the supermarket
• waiting at the doctor´s office
• going for a bike ride
• relaxing on a vacation trip
• visiting the grandchildren
• doing whatever you want to do

Are you computer “challenged” and are wary of being able to control your home security system?  Don´t be.  If you can use a microwave to heat up a cup of coffee, you´re set.  Whether using the two-button central control panel or via the smart-phone, the security system is designed to be easy to use.  For the smart-phone you can have someone help you download the free application software from the Internet and give you a basic tutorial, which is primarily point and click the screen.
To complement the home security system is the medical alert component. The Senior Medical Alert System provides a water proof pendant that can be worn on the wrist or around the neck.  Any sort of medical emergency that might prevent you from getting to the central control panel or your smart-phone can still be handled by activating the pendant.  This results in the monitoring response center notifying emergency first responders.
For all of us, getting older is a part of life. And with age comes personal safety and security issues that affect that life.  NEXUS Home Security views this as a combination of prevention and response.  Your personal safety and quality of life will be enhanced if you take steps to prevent those safety threats that are preventable and invest in a home security system to enable rapid response when needed.  Use your years of acquired wisdom to be safe and secure in your home and wherever you happen to be.
For other senior safety and security related topics, please review other published articles in this forum.


For more information, please visit:  http://www.NexusHomeSecurity24.com/

Home Security And The Babysitter

Mom and Dad sometimes need their get-away time from the kids.  You can call it a mental rest break.  If there are young children, it implies that someone will need to supervise them while you are out.  Whether it’s a grandparent, in-law, adult neighbor or the teenage babysitter, if you have a home security system, the person left in charge will need to know how to operate it in your absence.  NEXUS Home Security offers some tips on how to make your night out a relaxing and pleasant time for both you and the babysitter.
Babysitter Guidelines – Before leaving to go out you will need to provide basic information to the babysitter to avoid “surprises”.  This should be well organized to handle most anything. This includes:

• A list of contacts and telephone numbers, including the doctor.
• A list of emergency service numbers:  police, fire, poison control.
• Location of the first aid kit with children´s allergies and medical information.
• Guidelines for children´s normal routine, bedtime, TV, etc.
• Basic guide on how to use the home security system:  arm/disarm, call for help, etc.
• Permission.  When in doubt, the babysitter should call you.

Home Alarm System Guidelines – For additional security of your children, your babysitter should know the basic operation of your home alarm system.  Depending upon the type and features of alarm system will determine the level of information provided.

• Know how to arm and disarm the home security system. If your home security system permits, assign an alternative (or temporary) rather than the master access code.   Explain and show how to enter the access code in the alarm system control panel.  Then have the babysitter arm and disarm the system to ensure that the procedure is understood.
• Explain the procedure to cancel an emergency request to the monitoring center in case the alarm system triggers by accident. This may include the need to respond to an identification “challenge” by the monitoring center personnel via telephone or the touch-screen control panel with intercom.
• In the event of smoke or CO detection, the alarm system will automatically advise the monitoring center of a potential emergency. The monitoring center will then attempt to contact the babysitter.  The babysitter will need to know how to respond to the contact.
• If the babysitter will be leaving the house with the children, there will be the need to arm the security system from outside. Normally this would be by simply pushing the on/off button of a remote keyfob device.  This can also be done with a smart-phone and software application, if the home alarm system offers this function.

Home Alarm Video Surveillance – If you have a wireless home security system with WiFi video cameras, then your alarm system will allow you to remotely view video images from your Internet enabled device (smart-phone, tablet or computer) whenever you desire.  If your alarm system includes motion detectors, you will be alerted when an event has occur allowing you to remotely access the system as well.  If your home security system includes intelligent access control devices (wireless door locks and lighting), you will receive an alert when a door has opened or closed that might require your attention.  Advising the babysitter that you can “visually check-in” remotely at any time should provide a higher level of security in case something unexpected happens.

For more information, please visit:  http://www.NexusHomeSecurity24.com/

Security Resources Hotline

NEXUS Home Security introduces its Security Resources Hotline, available 24 hours per day, every day.  These free prerecorded education-based safety audio reports have been developed to help our current and new clients protect their homes and families from a variety of home safety and security threats.

Listed below is a summary of the contents of the Security Resources Hotline prerecorded safety audio reports:

1. How to Get the Right Home Security System – Press 1
2.  How To Deter Burglars While You Are On Vacation – Press 2
3.   Inside Information On Where Burglars Enter Your Home – Press 3
4.   21 Ways To Burglar Proof Your Home – Press 4
5.  How To Ensure A Safe And Sound Holiday Season – Press 5
6.  How To Prevent Identity Theft – Press 6

To access to the Security Resources Hotline, call toll-free 844-217-7410 24 hours per day, every day.

To speak with a NEXUS Home Security expert, call toll-free 888-213-8313 FREE during business hours.



For more information, please visit:  http://www.NexusHomeSecurity24.com/

Home Security And Guns – A Contradiction?

According to www.gallup.com, forty-two percent of Americans report having a gun in their home.  There are estimated to be more than 310 million firearms, approximately 90 per 100 people.  USA Today conducted a poll asking why people purchase firearms. According to USA Today, “48% said they own them for protection, while 32% said they own a firearm mainly for hunting purposes.”  While many of these firearms were bought with home security in mind, does the research indicate that this is the best choice?
Unfortunately you and your family are likely to be at greater risk of a shooting, by a family member rather than during a home invasion.  Smartgunlaws.org indicates that a national study of those who died from accidental shootings showed that victims were more than three times more likely to have had a gun in their home as those in the control group.  The danger of unintentional shootings is especially acute for homes with children as 89% of unintentional shooting deaths of children occur in the home when their parents are away.
Having firearms in the home also plays a role in an individual’s risk of suicide and domestic violence. One study found that homes in which a suicide had occurred were 4.8 times more likely to contain a firearm than similarly situated neighborhood homes that had not experienced a suicide.  Women in the United States are murdered by intimate or former partners approximately nine times more often than they are murdered by strangers.  Domestic violence incidents involving firearms are twelve times more likely to result in a death compared to non-firearm abuse incidents, according to www.smartgunlaws.org.
Arthur Kellerman, founder of Emory University’s Department of Emergency Medicine, who spent years as an emergency room doctor, remarked, “Believe me when I tell you this. The victims are not the bad guys. It’s usually someone that the owner of the gun cares about,” he said. “My research showed that a gun owner was 43 times more likely to shoot and kill a family member than that he’d shoot and kill anybody else.”  (www.safety.com).

Guns – Personal and Home Security

As mentioned, almost half of gun owners are motivated to have a firearm for protection.  The belief being that having a gun provides a fighting chance in the event that a burglar or invader enters the home.  How often does this occur?  The frequency of defensive use of a firearm is estimated to range from 55,000 to two million per year.  It is also estimated that a house is broken into every 14.6 seconds in the US with an average lost of more than $2,000 in possessions.
Surveys of home burglars indicate that the majority (75%) avoid targeting a home when the homeowners are present.  Given the high likelihood that the homeowner also owns a firearm, it just makes sense given they don’t like finding themselves staring down the barrel of a gun.  The threat of being shot is sufficient motivation to dissuade burglars from targeting certain homes.

Guns – Living Life More Dangerously

Guns are inert machines incapable of causing harm on their own.  Unfortunately, guns do not discriminate between home invaders and innocent bystanders.  A gun owner is more likely to shoot someone by accident (or be shot) than shooting a home invader. This is regardless of the type of firearm owned, how it is stored it, or the number of firearms in the household.
Then there are the family children and their safety.  Despite the efforts of parents and their precautions to keep firearms away from their children, children often (22%) handle the firearms without their parents´ knowledge, often with fatal consequences (72% of gun related deaths are due to the family firearm).  (http://www.dshs.wa.gov).

Guns – What To Do?

For those homeowners who have firearms because of the need for personal and home protection, NEXUS Home Security recommends the installation of a home security system, since this will reduce the need to fire their weapon at all.  According to a survey of convicted burglars by the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association, 9 out of 10 said they would avoid homes with an alarm system installed.  So, if you own a firearm for protection purposes, consider complementing it with a quality home alarm system.  It is a first line of defense against home invasions that can drastically reduce the likelihood of a tragedy.  Remember, it is better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.


For more information, please visit:  http://www.NexusHomeSecurity24.com/

Wired Versus Wireless Home Security Systems

NEXUS Home Security offers homeowners a choice between wired and wireless home alarm systems.  Each type of home security system has their advantages and disadvantages.  The homeowner should consider a variety of factors in selecting the type of home security system including:  cost, maintenance, lifestyle changes and others as presented below.
Reliability – Whether a wired or wireless home security system, it must be reliable enough to detect an intrusion (burglary) or emergency event (fire, CO, medical, etc.) and alert the monitoring center and response personnel in time.  Previously wireless alarm systems were more likely to generate false alarms versus a wired system.  However, with the maturity of the technology, wireless home security systems now offer comparable reliability in the transmission between the control panel and security devices.  (Advantage:  Neutral).
Cost – A wired home security system and their security devices will generally cost less than a wireless version, excluding installation costs and subsequent changes.   Wired home alarm systems are basically maintenance free.  In contrast a wireless home security system and security devices will be more expense plus have the added expense of periodic battery replacement.  (Advantage:  Wired).
Installation – The installation of a wired home security system is time consuming since the technician must drill and run wire through walls and tap into the telephone and electrical systems.  There may be physical limitations in the house design that will adversely affect the performance of the wired security system.  In contrast the installation of a wireless home security system is simpler with no need for drilling and running wires.  The area of home security protection is not limited by the physical design of the house but rather by the range of the wireless signal from the control panel.  (Advantage:  Wireless)
Future Changes – A wired home alarm system is relatively static in nature.  Once installed, changes or expansion (if possible) are expense, limiting the homeowner.  A wireless home security system is inherently designed for change and expansion by adding or upgrading plug-and-play wireless components.  These may be wireless video surveillance, electronic door locks, lighting, thermostat control and other devices in development.  An example would be a garage addition, where the homeowner simply upgrades the existing wireless home alarm system with a wireless video camera, smoke detector and garage door lock control.  If the homeowner decides to move in the future, a wireless home security system is easy to disconnect and reinstall in the new home. (Advantage:  Wireless) 
Disabling System – A wired home security system is at risk of being disabled by having its power and telephone lines cut by a home burglar.  In the case of a power outage (for example a severe storm), the wired home security system will be disabled.  A wireless home security system normally has a battery backup of 24 hours and communicates through a private cellular radio network (not the Internet).  In the event that the wireless home system control panel is “smashed” by a home burglar, the absence of a signal to the remote monitoring center will automatically call home, triggering an event which results in the dispatching of emergency personnel.  (Advantage:  Wireless)
Troubleshooting – A fault or failure in a wired home security system requires trial and error to determine the problem.  This is time consuming and expense.  In contrast a wireless home security system is easier to isolate the error or failed component.  (Advantage:  Wireless)
Home Automation – A wireless home security system is the platform for affordable home automation and video surveillance with remote connectivity via intelligent Internet enabled devices like smart-phones and tablets.  Using standard wireless broadcast services like Alarm.com and Zwave.com the homeowner has a wide choice of devices including:  electronic door locks, thermostat control, lighting and appliance control and others in development.  NEXUS Home Security offers a wireless home security control system as a platform for home automation. The homeowner is limited only by his or her budget, time and imagination.  (Advantage:  Wireless)
The selection of the type of home security system should reflect the homeowner´s budget, present life style and future expectation for growth and change.

For more information, please visit:  http://www.NexusHomeSecurity24.com/

Home Security Versus Social Media

If your family is like many others, there is likely some level of participation in Internet social media sites.  They provide a rapid, easy and engaging means of communicating with your extended family and friends, all at the push of a simple button.  While there once was the simple concern of answering your Email, not noticing that you were “copying” everyone with your response, social media sites take personal information risk to an entirely new level.  Social media sites are designed to send information in a viral like fashion, expanding the readership as broad as possible in the least amount of steps.  You send a message to someone in your social network, they send a variation of the same message to their social network and with only a two step progression, your message is now known by unknowns.  One or more of these “unknowns” may be an information thief or home burglar who is always looking for a new target of opportunity.  You have now become the unintended and unexpected next target of opportunity if your message contained sensitive information a thief or burglar can act on.  You also have NO KNOWLEDGE that this has occurred.
The Information Thief – Social media sites, because of the sharing of personal information, pose a risk to sensitive online information such as Email accounts, bank and credit card accounts.  In general these providers of online services provide the user a “security challenge question” option that allows retrieving or changing of passwords, particularly when forgotten.  Answering the security question correctly allows the user access to the account again; this is the door that the information thief is looking to open.  Once open, what was yours is now his.  The security challenge question generally relies on a personal response to a question that is known only to the user.  Examples include:  Mother´s maiden name, type of first car, name of favorite pet, city you were married, name of first child, etc.  For an information thief, these personal responses are the keys which he can find by reviewing your personal information on the social media sites you “share” your life with your network world.  In particular, if your Email account is breached, generally there is much personal information about other areas of your life that opens the security breach further. In a very short span of time, the information thief is accessing your credit cards, funds are being moved, and purchases being made in your name.
Listed below are some recommendations to minimize your risk of personal security loss:

1. Minimize the amount of personal information you share on social media sites and assume that what you “share” will be “shared” with others that you do not know.  Whatever you share will be visible to a world you do not know.
2. The answers you provide to security challenge questions, should be FALSE, known only to you. For example, if your first car was a Mustang, your false answer could be Chevy.
3. Don´t use the same password for multiple online accounts and change them with some frequency.
4. Don´t provide your personal information to ANY Email soliciting it, regardless of level of confidence of the source. Call instead.

The Home Burglar Opportunity – Like most professionals a home burglar trades in information to identify a business opportunity.  The opportunity in this case is an unoccupied house with valuable items to move to a secondary market.  A home burglar needs only two (2) minutes to enter an unoccupied house, day or night.  He normally spends less than 15 minutes in the house, and then is gone with the items of value.  He simply needs to know where and when the house will be unoccupied.
Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are designed to facilitate the sharing of personal information with extended family and friends.  This process of sharing is viral in nature.  Those that receive this personal information can then “re-share” with their extended world of contacts, expanding the distribution network with a few simple step progressions.  Information thieves and home burglars use social media sites as a means to gain personal information.  They are part of this “extended” world of contacts that you will never be aware of.  For the home burglar, he is looking for information that will identify home targets, that is when they will be empty.  If someone posts their business or vacation travel plans or posts a photo while on vacation, the home burglar can likely anticipate when the house will be empty.  Locating the house is simply a matter of checking online public records or cross-referencing with your telephone, whether public or private.  The next step is a personal visit to “check out” the target.  Most likely the home burglar has already set up a schedule of visits to different targets during the course of a business day.  Remember time is money in business.
It is important to note that “privacy” is not a popular topic (i.e., liked) in social media sites due to the business model of personal profile sharing to their advertisers and business partners.  Remember that’s where the money is!  A review of Facebook´s terms and conditions clearly states that the user of their social media services essentially has FOREVER waived all rights to the privacy of ANY INFORMATION the user provides to the site, including HOW they use the social media site.   Basically if you want privacy, don´t use a social media site.
Social Media Sharing Tips – Listed below are some recommendations as to how to minimize your risk using social media:

1.  Minimize posting personal information.
2. Assume whatever you post will be visible to the world. Remember there is no privacy using a social media site, as your information will be available to an advertiser, the government or home burglar.
3. Post information about vacation and travel plans after you return home.
4. Post pictures from social events after you get home, not during them.
5. If you have a smart-phone, turn off the GPS function when you post, since there are apps that automatically will identify your location. (Remember that a smart-phone is really a personal tracking device that also allows you to make telephone calls.)

If you use social media sites, you knowingly open yourself to personal and home security risks.  Use common sense and limit your personal information and activities of what you publish (post) to the online and real world

For more information, please visit:  http://www.NexusHomeSecurity24.com/