Our home security is important to us all and becomes even more important during the winter months when the dark evenings are upon us, giving thieves more opportunities to hide in the shadows and take their chances when they can. The following tips on home security were published on safelocaltrades.com and gives five great suggestions to help protect your home, and family, safe and secure this winter.

1. Check the doors
You may be surprised to learn that some burglars gain access to a property via the front door. If your door frames aren’t strong and your hinges aren’t protected, this makes your home a really easy target. If you are moving into a pre-owned property – don’t forget to change the locks by a professional. You can never be 100% certain whether previous owners have a key to your property, so changing the locks will put your mind at ease.

2. Get the cameras rolling
More and more homeowners are turning to CCTV as protection – we’ve all seen the real-life TV crime shows where footage has helped catch the criminal. Thanks to technology, you can purchase cameras that provide crystal-clear footage (including new tech wireless ones), meaning should a burglar strike, you will have sufficient evidence that can be handed over to the police.
What’s more, when a criminal spots a security camera, they’re more likely to abort their burglary attempt. However, never rely on a dummy camera – thieves can spot them a mile off. Should you fall victim to a burglary and have possessions stolen, your security camera footage may be the answer in capturing the individual responsible.

3. Let there be light
Understandably, no burglar wants to be seen in the spotlight when they’re up to no good. To add more protection to your home, consider investing in outdoor lighting. Installing lights around your front and back garden will create more visibility when night falls, helping to reduce the risk of burglaries.
To make your outdoor lights more effective, you should consider purchasing motion-activated lights. Many of us associate illumination with safety, so the more lighting you have, the better.
Interior lighting, used together with timer switches, motion sensors or with a Smart App, can help protect your home whilst you are not there.

4. Safeguard Your Wi-Fi
You may not realise it, but your home’s wireless network is a pathway to your financial and personal data. Many homeowners invest in top-of-the-range gadgets for their home, but should your Wi-Fi network be connected, this can give burglars direct access to your property.
You can help to protect yourself with a range of measures including; securing your wireless router, hiding and renaming your home network, as well as using a firewall. You can go one step further and purchase anti-malware and antivirus protection too. Criminals are using all kinds of tactics to gain entry to homes, so you need to monitor who has access to your Wi-Fi network.

5. Don’t offer a hiding place
We talk a lot about our homes having kerb appeal – while some lovely trees and shrubs can provide privacy and a pretty vista, these areas can also act as the perfect place for camera-shy burglars to hide out of view of the CCTV gaze.
Make sure you trim plants and trees close to your property. Lock the garage and shed – along with ladders or stools that could be used by a burglar to gain entry to your property.

You can read the full article on safelocaltrades.com.

At Ultimate Fire & Security, we are specialists in providing you with the right fire and security systems to protect your home and business premises. We can design, install and maintain a CCTV system at your property to help deter any would-be intruders. Our electronic, aluminium gates can also add a further safety feature at your home. Contact us today to find out more.