Home Security

An empty house looks empty in small ways: mail piling up, dark windows every night, a car that has not moved. A burglar who notices will move to an easy target. This checklist shows what police departments and consumer groups recommend before you travel, ordered by when to do each step. It is part of our room-by-room home security tips . A week before Ask for a vacation watch. Many police departments will check your home while you are away. The Itasca, Illinois, police and the City of Westfield, Indiana, publish requests and ask for your contact details. Call yours to see if they offer it. Line up a neighbour. Someone who can collect mail and packages and vary which lights are on. The Kansas Attorney General's office advises asking a trusted neighbour to collect mail and papers if you do not hold them. Test your system. Piedmont police remind residents to check that the security system is working before leaving. See alarm systems and professional monitoring . Remove hidd...

Some of the most useful security measures are almost invisible: a clear film on a window, a thorny shrub, a screw that is three inches longer than the one that came in the box. They do not look like security, which is the point. This guide collects low-profile ideas backed by police guidance. It is part of our room-by-room home security tips . Eight low-profile ideas Idea Why it helps Read more Clear security film on glass Holds glass together when struck, which slows entry Windows and sliding doors Thorny shrubs below windows The Palm Beach County Sheriff's handout recommends prickly shrubs where a burglar might hide Gate and perimeter security 3-inch strike plate and hinge screws Anchors the door into the framing, not the soft jamb Front door security Zip-tied garage release cord Stops a thief hooking it with a wire; you can break it in an emergency Garage and gym doors Light timers and a TV on a smart plug Makes the house look occupied, as Piedmont police suggest Vacati...

Home security is mostly about burglars, but the same planning covers fires, storms and power cuts. A house that is secure but dark, cut off and unprepared is not safe. This guide follows the three-step approach promoted by the Ready campaign: make a kit, make a plan and stay informed. It then shows how your security equipment fits in. It is part of our room-by-room home security tips . Step 1: Build a basic kit State and city emergency offices summarising Ready.gov advice recommend enough supplies to last at least three days. Typical items: Item Guidance Water One gallon per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation Food At least a three-day supply of non-perishable food, plus a manual can opener if it includes cans Light and radio Flashlight, extra batteries, and a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, ideally a NOAA weather radio Health First aid kit, medicines, and supplies for pets and infants Power Phone chargers and a backup battery Water that...

A motion sensor is one of the most useful parts of an alarm system, and one of the most common causes of false alarms in homes with pets. The fix is not to skip motion detection. It is to understand how pet-immune sensors work, choose one rated for your animals and place it carefully. This guide explains how. How pet-immune motion sensors work Most motion sensors are passive infrared (PIR) detectors that react to body heat moving across their field of view. Alarm Grid explains that a pet-immune sensor only "looks" at the zones where a person would walk upright, not at the area close to the floor where a pet moves. Some models are dual technology, combining PIR with a microwave sensor so that both must see the movement pattern before the alarm triggers. Manufacturers rate these sensors by animal weight, but weight is only a guideline for choosing a model. Published limits vary a lot: one ELK wireless sensor is listed up to 40 pounds, Ritter describes pets under 80 pounds, ...

For older adults, home security is as much about doorstep and phone scams as it is about burglary. Age UK notes that older people are often the target of doorstep scammers, and police guidance for older people covers bogus callers as well as burglary. The good news is that the most effective protections are simple, cheap and easy to live with. This guide covers them in order of priority, from the front door to alarms, smart devices and the people around you. 1. Make the front door work harder Start with how you answer the door. Fit a door viewer (peephole) or use a window so you can see who is outside before you open it, and use a door chain or limiter so you can talk without opening the door fully. Never open the door to someone you cannot identify, and do not leave a stranger unattended at the door. Irish police advise locking the back door before you answer the front, because some callers keep you talking while an accomplice slips in another way. Check the hardware too: a deadbo...

Outdoor lighting is one of the cheapest ways to make a home harder to approach unseen. A well-lit entry gives an intruder fewer places to hide, helps your neighbors notice unusual activity, and gives your cameras a clearer picture at night. This guide explains which lights to use, how motion sensors work, where to put them and how to keep the energy bill low. Why lighting belongs in every security plan Lighting works with the rest of your security, not instead of it. Cameras record better when the scene is lit, and a light that snaps on when someone steps onto the driveway tells a visitor they have been noticed. If you are building a layered setup, start with lighting and door hardware, then add cameras and sensors. Our home security camera guide and night vision camera guide explain how light affects footage. Types of security lights Motion-activated floodlights. Bright lights that switch on when movement is detected. Best for driveways, garages and side yards. Porch and ent...

Burglar alarms get the attention, but fire is the bigger danger to most households. Roughly three of every five home fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or none that work, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) as quoted by fire departments. This guide covers where to put smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms, how to maintain them and how they connect to a security system. It is part of our complete guide to home security alarm systems . Where to install smoke alarms Inside every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement, according to NFPA guidance published by fire departments. On the ceiling or high on a wall. Not in kitchens or bathrooms. NFPA advises keeping them at least 10 feet from the stove to reduce false alarms. Interconnected, so when one sounds they all sound. The Red Cross notes that for new homes, the National Fire Alarm Code (NFPA 72) requires hard-wired, interconnected ...

"Wireless" on an alarm box can mean two different things, and mixing them up is how people end up with a system that goes silent in an outage. This guide separates how sensors talk to the hub from how the hub reaches the outside world, then covers range, batteries, jamming and what to check before you buy. It is part of our complete guide to home security alarm systems . Two meanings of "wireless" BestReviews explains that wireless usually describes how sensors communicate with the hub inside your home, while cellular describes how the hub sends emergency alerts outside it. Alarm retailer Frontpoint adds that a 100 percent wireless system also reaches the monitoring station over a cellular network, which replaces the old landline connection. Wi-Fi, cellular or both Connection Strength Weakness Wi-Fi (internet) Fast and good for app features Fails if the router or broadband fails, and a signal can be jammed Cellular Does not depend on your router; Alarm Grid ...

A renter-friendly home security system is one you can install without drilling and remove without damage. Renting makes home security harder in three ways: your landlord may not allow drilling or new locks, a long contract does not fit a short lease, and anything you install has to come with you when you leave. The good news is that modern wireless systems are built for exactly this. This guide covers what makes a system renter-friendly, how to handle your lease, which systems experts recommend and how to move your setup without losing your deposit. It is part of our guide to choosing a home security system . Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. What makes a system renter-friendly? No drilling. Sensors that stick on with adhesive and a hub you plug in. Wireless. No wires through walls and nothing hardwired. Portable. It packs into a box and goes with you. No long contract. Month-t...

The first practical question when buying a home security system is who installs it. Do-it-yourself (DIY) kits arrive in a box, use wireless sensors and take an hour or two to set up. Professional installation means a technician comes to your home, places and tests the equipment and usually sells you a monitoring contract. This guide compares the two on cost, effort, reliability and flexibility so you can choose. It is part of our guide to choosing a home security system . What people choose Security.org surveyed 1,380 U.S. shoppers who were in the market for a system in 2026. A majority said they prefer DIY, and lower cost was by a wide margin the most common reason (70 percent of those who preferred DIY). Installation flexibility mattered nearly as much. Security.org adds that professional installation typically costs $100 to $200 as a one-time fee, and the monitoring plans that come with professionally installed systems tend to be more expensive. DIY vs professional at a glance ...

Updated October 29, 2026. This guide replaces an earlier version that recommended Nest Secure and ADT Pulse. Neither is in the lineup below: Google has ended support for Nest Secure, and ADT replaced Pulse with newer platforms. The best smart home security system depends on three choices: whether you want to install it yourself, whether you want a company to monitor it around the clock, and how much smart-home integration you need. This roundup compares four systems that keep coming up in recent expert testing: SimpliSafe, Ring Alarm, Vivint and ADT. For the bigger picture of how these devices fit together, see our guide to smart home security: devices, apps and automation . How this list was built We did not run lab tests. This is a summary of published testing and pricing from Security.org, NerdWallet and Consumer Reports, cross-checked against company plans where we could. Prices change often, and SimpliSafe has raised its Standard and Core monitoring plans, so confirm the numbe...