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Category: Home Security

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Pros and Cons of Hidden Surveillance Cameras

Hidden surveillance cameras are more common around the world than most of us realize. They can be found in bus stops, convenience stores, fast food restaurants, homes, and ATM machines on almost every continent. These cameras are often fed into video recording devices though on occasion they are monitored by real life security personnel in order to deter crimes and rapidly identify offenders. Chances are fairly certain that if you’ve been in any casino in the modern world that you have been carefully scrutinized on camera. Actually, chances are that if you’ve been almost anywhere in America your image has been captured by a hidden surveillance camera somewhere along the way.

Among the reasons for the extreme popularity and wide use of these cameras for both home and business security purposes are the facts that they are small, they do not take up a lot of real estate, they are not obvious, and they are quite affordable when compared to other security methods. However monitored surveillance methods are more costly, for those who would require this type of monitoring it is well worth the price. These cameras are as effective in small ‘mom and pop’ type stores and restaurants around the country as they are in identifying those who break into homes that have these cameras.

There are however, a few drawbacks that should be addressed when considering a small, hidden, surveillance camera as part of a home or business security plan. One of the drawbacks to these types of cameras is that they offer a very narrow or limited view. If these cameras are being used to identify perpetrators in a court of law reasonable doubt could easily be established unless the perpetrator in question happens to be well within the field of vision for the camera. Another drawback is that these devices are very small and do not necessarily offer the best quality and highest resolution when it comes to photographs. Read more »

categories Home Security

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Security Measures for Small Businesses

Small businesses are often overlooked in the grand scheme of things when it comes to implementing security measures. These businesses are not on the scale of larger businesses and have more specialized security needs than the average home will need. This means that security for small businesses has often in the past been either insufficient (more along the lines of what is appropriate for home security) or overpriced along the lines of what is appropriate for larger businesses.

The good news is that many of the leading names when it comes to security are beginning to understand the specialized needs of smaller businesses and design security measures that address those specific needs rather than adjusting larger or smaller scaled measures in order to fit into the very targeted needs for security in smaller businesses. The good news is that smaller businesses often do not experience quite the high volume of staff turnover that larger businesses experience. This means the risks of theft by the hands of employees is significantly slimmer than in larger businesses or those with high volume turnover (such as fast food restaurants and mid-sized retail establishments). It does not however eliminate the risks all together.

Small businesses do have the typical security needs that all homes and businesses have. You need to eliminate blind spots on the exterior of the building in order to avoid giving intruders a safe place to hide while breaking in. You also need to leave some lights on inside the building so that police and passersby may notice anything out of the ordinary as far as movement within the building or pay special attention on nights when the lights aren’t on when no one should be ‘home’ so to speak.

You should also trim back any bushes, shrubs, or small trees near possible entry points as they also provide the cover of darkness for those who have bad intentions. Enabling coded entry methods that are individual to each employee is another way in which employees can be easily identified as the one entering or exiting the building after hours should anything go wrong with no witnesses. This doesn’t imply that these cards will eliminate employees as suspects or even identify an employee as a suspect but it may identify who was in the building that may have witnessed something that he or she isn’t even aware is important.

Exterior lighting is another important safety and security feature for small businesses. Not only do you want to protect employees that may be leaving after hours but you should also do so for the protection of customers or patrons who may be on the business property after hours. They can create their own unique liability issue that also happens to threaten the security of your company on a financial level. Insurance is another protection in this instance as well as the right policy can help insure that you are not personally targeted if someone is injured on your business property.

Have an assessment of your businesses security needs performed by a professional security expert in order to discover specific needs that you may encounter in light of your special small business security needs. There is rarely a thing called too much security though there are often instances where security can be more than you can reasonably afford-of course there are some forms of security you simply cannot afford to be without. An expert will help you identify your specific needs and create a plan that works within the limits of your budget.

categories Home Security

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Safes Add Another Layer of Security to Homes and Businesses

We live in a day and age, sadly, when information is probably one of the most precious commodities on the planet. More specifically, personal information, such as social security numbers and tax identification numbers are worth their weights in gold in some instances and should be highly guarded, prized, and valued. This information in the wrong hands can lead to financial and personal nightmares the likes of which few are every truly prepared to experience.

There are many businesses, particularly those that experience high and brief employee turnover rates that are often targeted specifically for the employee information more than the money that may be hidden away in the companies cash drawers or the merchandise that may be contained inside. The information in the right hands is worth far more than the merchandise and much more difficult to trace when all is said and done.

Many companies that keep this information on their computer systems are also targeted. However, the targeting of this specific information is what is prompting many companies to closely safeguard this information, for the protection of present and past employees including current management. One way in which they are doing this is by purchasing large safes in which to store the information. Many businesses are going one step further however and purchasing hidden safes that aren’t immediately recognizable for what they are. This adds yet another layer of protection and security to employees that may otherwise feel vulnerable to identity theft.

When it comes to security for homes rather than businesses safes provide a great way to protect not only important documents but also jewelry, letters, gold, virtually anything of value that will fit into the safe. Another great thing about safes in order to protect valuables in the home is that most safes are also virtually fire proof. This means that the valuables held in the safe are likely to survive in the event that a fire ravages your home. Not only will a safe offer the security of “safe guarding” your possessions but also your piece of mind by allowing you to know that the important documents and information (including insurance papers) are kept safe from prying eyes and those with evil intentions.

There are many companies that specialize in making safes inconspicuous so that the casual observer wouldn’t even realize it was in your home. In fact, a dedicated professional can make them almost completely undetectable when combined with the efforts of a skilled carpenter and they can fit in amazing spaces if secrecy is of utmost importance for the safe keeping of your documents and information. Even those who live and work along side you every day can be oblivious to the existence of the safe if that is your wish and you are willing to pay the price of having a hidden safe installed.

Other safes that offer security to your home and/or business (depending on what kind of business you are in, of course) are gun safes. Quite frankly, in the world in which we live the idea of having guns out in the open and freely available to anyone who walks in the door is not only irresponsible but in some cases criminal. It is wise, for those who own guns to have a gun safe in which to store those weapons, keep it locked, and store ammunition elsewhere. Guns do not provide adequate defense for homes or business and this should be kept in mind when it comes to security. In many cases each year those who attempt to use their guns for home security only manage to provide another weapon to the intruder rather than managing to secure their belongings or protect their families.

Safes can provide great protection and security for homes and businesses when properly used and guarded. Safes offer little protection however if everyone and their brother knows the location and/or the combination to the safe. You should keep that information closely guarded in order to receive the maximum security that owning a safe can provide.

categories Home Security

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Technology Adds Security to Home and Business Door Locks

There are many technological wonders in the world today. Not the least among these wonders is the new technologies that exist in order to allow families and employees to feel a little bit safer within the confines of their homes and workplaces. One way this is accomplished is through a new technology that allows people to unlock a door by entering a key. Well, this is not exactly new technology though it is newly implemented in the average market. For perhaps the first time, this is an affordable option for use as another home or business security measure even for the smallest of businesses.

More than offering another layer of security for keeping intruders out, there is an added layer of security for allowing family members and/or employees in quickly even when keys are not easily found. Parents will never need to worry about teens forgetting their keys and being locked out. More importantly, families will no longer need to implement a hiding place for keys in this unfortunate event. Cold weather, rain, and panic (because of noises in the night) will no longer mitigate the ability to find keys in the bottoms of purses, handbags, and backpacks-a simple key code is all that will be needed in order to gain entry.

In addition to this benefit however is the added benefit that many of these interesting door locks also have the technology to read a card in order to unlock as well as a device attached to key fobs. You can also avoid fumbling around in the dark trying to force the key to actually fit into the lock. This will be taken care of automatically. No more lost time, broken nails, or dropped groceries in an effort to gain entry into the home. This home and/or business security feature can eliminate these issues all together.

For employers who own businesses, this adds another layer of security, as it can be a requirement for entry into the building. Pass out cards to all employees with a unique identifying number and at any given time there should be a clear record of who was in the building after hours or who gained early entry into the building. If anything is amiss there is a record of who came and went when (of course this isn’t infallible but it will help if ever there is a need for this information). Read more »

categories Home Security

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