The Importance of Vigilance in Securing Your Business

Every once in a while, alarms get tripped accidentally and authorities rush to act. Such incidents, when they become regular occurrences, may cause owners and police to be less attentive and this can result in complacency. What happens then, when everyone doesn't pay attention due to a perceived false alarm, but in reality, a real robbery is actually taking place?

In a commercial setup, this is something that can occur far more often because more people are going in and out of the area. One thing you can do to limit false alarms is to teach employees about the systems in place and place clear warning signs for customers so that they are aware of off-limits areas. To prevent inside jobs and to increase overall security, give the passcodes or access cards only to specific, trusted personnel and always keep tabs on everyone's activities by installing surveillance cameras in the vicinity.

When your business is about to close down for the day, make a security check by ensuring that all doors and windows are firmly shut and verifying that nobody is left behind. An alarm monitoring system is also important so that authorities can respond quickly while avoiding false alarms.

Why an SIA-Certified Operator Matters

The Security Industry Association (SIA) advocates the growth of its related services and industries for both residential or commercial use. Its activities include certification of personnel who provide quality service for customers. Hiring an SIA-certified operator is extremely important for clients since getting this title isn't a small achievement and it requires a significant amount of training and effort.

Security providers would need to undergo the association's Certified Security Project Manager (CSPM) program. This is a complete course about the security industry with training and exams and not everyone is allowed to take it. Only those who have been on the job for a long time can apply for this certification, which includes training by industry experts through classroom instruction and hands-on activities.

To further emphasize the difficulty of acquiring one, this certification doesn't last forever; SIA-certified personnel have to apply for recertification every three years to maintain their status. In other words, operators need to continue to develop their skills to make sure they stay up to date about the latest advances in the industry. Thus, if you're looking for someone to install security measures in your home or business, it's very important to hire someone who is SIA-certified to guarantee quality and expertise.

Landlines Give Way to a Wireless Future

The Center for Disease Control's 2012 National Health Interview Survey uncovered an unexpected tidbit about telecommunication. The survey reveals that in the first half of the year, more than a third of American adults had a mobile phone but no landline. On the flip side, less than a tenth relied solely on landlines for telecommunication.

The rise of the mobile phone is hardly surprising. It has, for the better part of two decades, revolutionized communication by allowing people to stay in touch with one another without being leashed to a telephone cord. The mobile future was taken to new heights when smartphones, the Swiss knife of cellphones, entered the market.

The steady decline of landlines and the shift to wireless communication is forcing some industries to adapt too. For example, home alarm systems are usually tied to landline connections, using them to send alarm signals in the event of a break in. However, as more households choose to cut the cord, cellular alarm monitoring systems have become a viable alternative for home protection.

Landlines, like paper, is said to be on the way out. No one knows when the last phone call using this technology will be placed, but its decline has opened a world of possibilities for newer and more convenient alternatives. 

Burglaries and Break-Ins: What You Need To Know

According to the FBI, a home is broken into every 14.6 seconds. Contrary to popular belief, most break-ins don't occur at night – they actually occur during the day, in broad daylight, when homeowners are in school or at work and the house is left unattended. Furthermore, the FBI reveals that most intruders use the front door of a house as their entry and exit point, as many homeowners tend to leave their doors unlocked while out of the house.

Once inside the house, a burglar's first destination is the master bedroom, where most of a homeowner's prized possessions and valuables are kept; jewelry, tools, electronics, and clothing are among a burglar's top choices of items to steal. Furthermore, the FBI discloses that social media also plays a role in theft. It was found that most burglars browse the social networking accounts of homeowners to find out who is away on vacation, as most people, particularly those in the 18-34 age group, tend to post vacation photos and updates while still out of town.

According to the FBI, burglars tend to veer away from homes that have security systems, so it is highly recommended that you protect your home with a system that works around the clock. Although it may be a bit costly, a good alarm system as well as other security measures (like putting deadlocks on doors) can ensure the safety of not only your assets but also of your entire family.

Be Better off Having Someone to Watch Your Back

As crimes become more common and frequent these days, some people think that they're not as safe as they were in the past. Detroit, for instance, unfortunately remains as one of the most crime-ridden cities in the country. Many homeowners are taking matters into their own hands by installing better security devices in their homes, especially those that come from alarm monitoring companies.

These devices are often touted as being better than traditional ones for a variety of reasons. Their primary advantage is that they can notify both the police and the homeowner of any intrusion or attack in the property no matter where they are. The response is very fast, thanks to the advanced transmission protocols used by monitoring companies. At the same time, the devices themselves are also tamper-proof, which means that they'll sound the alarm if someone tries to remove or disable them.

However, these machines have other practical uses that further add to their appeal. Monitored alarms can also be used to warn the homeowner about fire or if a baby is left unattended. Some high-security facilities like laboratories and research centers use monitored CCTV cameras to help in personnel authentication, preventing unauthorized access to people who manage to bypass security checkpoints.

Alarmed and Ready: On Monitored Security Systems

Alarms are great ways to deter criminals from committing trespassing and theft, and nothing makes a crook think really hard like a warning label that says “Protected by security cameras and alarms.” By making loud, blaring drones, alarms can call attention to themselves to call people from the vicinity to help deal with the situation. However, sound alone simply isn’t enough; they should be equipped as warning devices that reach out to authorities.

This is where a home security monitoring service comes into the picture. A monitoring service basically watches over the alarm system of a home remotely. The moment it is tripped, the monitoring service gets notified and sends a warning to both the owner of the property and the police. Time is of the essence, and the faster an alarm can reach out to officers, the quicker the situation can be resolved.

To enjoy the coverage of a monitoring service, customers will have to pay a monthly fee to a company that specializes in it. Some might complain about the additional expenses, but it's a small price to pay to ensure a property's safety. After all, it's certainly better to pay for protection than to lose cash from theft.

Keeping Close Tabs on the Security of Your Vacation Home

Vacation homes provide you with a place that you can claim as your very own slice of paradise. When they are located in idyllic locales, they can even work better than resorts in helping you relax and just wind down. There's one catch with these homes though in that they are not always secure since you have to leave them unattended for long periods of time. It's a problem that can be addressed by signing up for what's known as the cellular alarm monitoring feature that security companies provide.

Since you can't spend 365 days in your vacation home and it could be expensive to hire a steward, the next best thing is to have something in place that can tell you right away if your property is at risk. Alarm monitoring services can alert you to anything unforeseen as well as potential criminal events around your property.

The best part of this security feature is that you don't need any special equipment or software to get updates. Once you sign up for this feature, the company itself will notify you through your cellphone. Make sure to apply only with reliable security groups, because there may be thieves out there who may want to use this idea to get information on your home and potentially infiltrate it.