--- title: "Four Ways to Increase Your Home's Security and Keep Criminals Away" description: "Here are tips to keep up with your technology security and keep you and your family save" author: "Kevin Gardner" published: 2018-12-12 updated: 2018-12-13 canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/articles/23489/four-ways-to-increase-your-home-s-security-and-keep-criminals-away category: "technology" tags: ["security", "technology"] reading_time: 4 minutes --- # Four Ways to Increase Your Home's Security and Keep Criminals Away As a homeowner, you have many responsibilities. Of those responsibilities, perhaps the most important of all is taking steps to [ensure that your](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/23198/3-steps-to-ensure-that-your-client-portal-is-impeccable) family remains [safe and secure](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/93397/are-my-personal-details-at-mindstick-profile-safe-and-secure) while at home. Sadly, this isn’t always the case. According to the FBI, there are about 1.5 million burglaries a year. It’s not only property that is at risk either. If there is anyone home, a burglary can easily turn deadly. \ Overall, maintaining your home’s security is paramount. Thankfully, doing so is becoming easier than ever before thanks to new technology. Below are a few different ways you can up your home security game and protect your family from harm. **Switch to a [Smart Home Security](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/101903/what-s-the-purpose-of-a-smart-home-security-system) System** One thing you should be aware of is that home security is not the same as it was only several years ago. If you haven’t updated your home security in five years or more, now may be the best time to do so. One of the reasons why is because the same technology used in your smartphone has been used to give home [security systems](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/112595/how-do-i-integrate-facial-recognition-technology-into-smart-home-security-systems-for-access-control) a serious upgrade. \ A smart home security system relies on wireless internet connections to help improve the capabilities, effectiveness and convenience of that security system. Most of these security systems come with smart phone apps. This can allow you to view your home security camera feed from anywhere even overseas. You’ll also be able to take advantage of the [home automation](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/114503/in-what-ways-do-smart-devices-and-iot-reshape-modern-living-and-improve-home-automation-now) features of such a system. You’ll be able to remotely lock doors, set off alarms and contact the authorities with a few taps on the screen of your mobile device. ## Put Up Warnings Typically, criminals don’t limit their options to a single home to burglarize. This is especially the case if you live in a neighborhood in which you are surrounded by other homes. In most cases, criminals will only choose homes to burglarize that look like an easy target. \ One way you can ensure that your home will not be targeted is to announce to prospective crooks that your home is indeed protected by a security system. It’s not hard to do this. Simply put up some signs in your yard and decals on your windows that announce the fact that your home is surveilled for [security threats](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/111696/what-are-the-main-security-threats-in-programming-and-how-can-i-protect-against-them). Placing a security camera in an obvious location can also help. ## Install Light Sensors If you want to scare off intruders, there’s nothing that can do that quite like a sudden flash of bright light. Consider installing light sensors around different entrances to your home. The flood lights will switch on if there is any movement detected near them after hours. \ Most burglaries occur between 10 AM and 3 PM. This is because the veil of darkness allows them to go undetected. Removing this cover for criminals is a great [security measure](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/97144/which-is-the-better-security-measure-https-or-ssl). **Install [Smart Door Locks](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/112591/how-do-i-incorporate-biometric-authentication-into-smart-door-locks-for-enhanced-security)** Most home break-ins are done through the front door. Door locks are something that should certainly be integrated into a smart home security system. There are now many different options for smart door locks on the market. Many of these have high [tech](https://www.mindstick.com/services/technologies) features that can protect your family in ways that were impossible a decade ago. \ Certain smart door locks can’t be opened with a key at all. Instead, you have to implement a smart phone to do so. This can either be done through an app or by tapping the lock with the screen itself. Smart door locks can also be programmed by the owner to lock automatically at certain times. For example, if the door remains unlocked for 10 minutes, it can be programmed to lock automatically after that time. It can also be programmed to lock at a certain time every day. \ As a homeowner, keeping your home safe and secure should be your top priority. If you want to protect your family, home security is not something you should ignore. Thankfully, home security systems are more [technologically advanced](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/32390/which-is-more-technologically-advanced-japan-or-the-us) and effective than ever before. \ \ --- Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/articles/23489/four-ways-to-increase-your-home-s-security-and-keep-criminals-away Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. Ltd. This Markdown version is provided for developers, AI systems, and offline reading.