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Garage Door Security Tips to Prevent Break-ins

Secure Garage Doors

Garage doors are one of the known weak points of any home security system, and what’s worse, most burglars are well aware of that shortcoming, and often seek to exploit it as a primary means of gaining access to your home and its valuables. As a matter of fact, there could hardly be a more ideal break-in situation for a burglar than using your garage, because once inside, the garage can also serve as a shelter to hide criminal activity, and provide a base for any forays into the interior.

Despite this inherent security weakness, any garage and garage door can be made more secure by taking some simple precautions.

  • Out-of-town measures – When you’re on vacation or otherwise out-of-town, make sure to padlock the throw latch on the garage door, and if you don’t have a manual lock already, you can apply a C-clamp to either side of the door, so that’s effectively locked down.
  • Install a peephole – By installing a wide-angle peephole in the door between the garage and your house, you’ll be able to see what’s happening in the garage. While that won’t prevent a security breach, you will at least be aware of what’s happening out there, so that you can quickly call for help, and prepare yourself as best you can.
  • Opaque garage windows – Don’t allow criminals visibility into your garage so they can see when your car is gone, and when your residence is ripe for the picking. Either frost the windows so they’re opaque, or better yet, have the windows removed entirely.
  • Close the garage door – Don’t get into the habit of leaving your garage door open all the time, because any criminal can drive by and notice that fact. Even if you live in a nice neighborhood, you can have not-so-nice visitors from outside that neighborhood.
  • Secure your garage doors – The door between the garage and your home should be just as secure as the front door to your house, and it should be just as solidly built, so as to discourage access to the interior of your home.
  • Garage door remote – It might be convenient to have the garage door remote in your car, so you can open it easily when you come home, but once you park the car and leave the remote in the car, any burglar has easy access to your house. Instead, invest in a keychain remote garage door opener that you can leave on a keychain, so the remote can’t be picked up by anyone who shouldn’t have it.
  • Emergency release – Make sure that your garage door emergency release is secured, even if you have to use some plain old zip ties for the purpose.

Garage door security devices and recommendations

For all your security product needs, and for additional recommendations on how to make your home more secure against criminal penetration, contact your local residential locksmith, and discuss any issues you may have.

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Five Most Common Points of Entry into Your Home

breaking in window

Over the years, statistical information has borne out the fact that there are several points of entry into your home which are universally favored by burglars. In some cases, it’s because of the ease or convenience, and in other cases, it’s due to the privacy afforded by a particular entry point. In any case, by shoring up security measures for the following five most commonly used entry points, you’ll be going a long way toward making your home a bit more secure against burglar attacks.

Front door

You wouldn’t think that a burglar would be so bold as to walk right in the front door of your house, but statistically, the front door is by far the leading entry point for burglaries. More than 34% of the time, burglars can make their way into the front door by discovering where you hid your ‘secret’ key, and in some cases, they don’t even bother trying to find your keys. If they have enough time, the hinges can be removed from your door, and they can walk right in. 

Back door/sliding doors

Sliding glass doors are usually located in the back of your house, and back doors are especially appealing to burglars because they provide a level of privacy for criminal activity. Many times sliding doors aren’t even latched or locked, and an experienced burglar can even lift them right out of their tracks to gain access to the interior. Needless to say, be sure that all doors in the rear are securely locked before going to bed.

Garage

Roughly 10% of all burglaries are carried out via entry through the garage, and this is made possible by the fact that many homeowners leave garage doors open all the time. In some cases, homeowners also leave the door between the garage and the home unlocked as well, providing an open invitation to burglary. The chances of this kind of burglary taking place can be significantly reduced simply by securing both doors for the evening.

First-floor windows

Windows don’t usually get as much consideration from homeowners as doors do, so nearly 1/4 of all burglaries take place after criminal entry through first-floor windows. Since windows are not always latched and are almost never locked, they can potentially provide one of the easiest points of entry into the home. There are several things you can do to lower your vulnerability from windows, such as installing window bars, using Plexiglas windows or reinforced glass, and installing a deadbolt system on your first-floor windows.

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What Are the Advantages of Having a CCTV Installation for Your Business?

CCTV Camera

While running a business never underestimate the importance of a Video Surveillance System or CCTV. These systems use modern-day technology and provide high-quality monitoring. CCTV can also help in significantly reducing the cost of protecting your business.

What is CCTV?

CCTV stands for Closed Circuit Television. The signal that transmits from a CCTV isn’t open like broadcast television. It transmits the signal on a limited set of monitors for your viewing and provides continuous monitoring of your business. Images picked up via CCTV are sent to the recording device, which is then sent to different monitors.

The Benefits of CCTV For Your Business

Increased Employee Productivity

Employees tend to be more productive when they believe they’re being recorded on camera, whether or not you’re there. This will ensure they stay focused throughout the workday instead of wasting time.

Reduction in Costs = Increased Profits

Closed Circuit Television Systems can help your business save money in the long run. They help decrease payroll expenses by removing the need for security personnel, by a little or all together.

It’s also a very scalable solution. As your business grows, integrating more surveillance cameras will be a piece of cake.

Business Compliance

Some industries require video surveillance to stay compliant with HIPPA or SEC regulations. Sometimes internal corporate policies come into play as well. Either way, CCTV systems are mandatory in both cases.

Prevent Theft, Vandalism & Burglary

CCTV systems are serious crime deterrents. Criminals will think twice about breaking into your business or stealing from your retail store when they notice cameras are protecting your premises.

The U.S Small Business Administration states that one incident of vandalism typically results in $3,370 worth of damage. If this can be avoided, why not take action?

Real-Time Surveillance

Real-time surveillance refers to being able to view activity that’s occurring on your business premises 24/7. Some systems only record and allow you to view footage later. With CCTV, you’re able to use your mobile device to see what’s happening right now!

Record Keeping

For keeping track of when your employees clock in and leave work, you need accurate records! If you ever need video evidence to prove a point to an employee during a review, this is how you do it.

You may also need it to keep tabs on when deliveries are being made or even when visitors are entering and leaving.

Peace of Mind

The most important part of all, peace of mind. Being a business owner, you always worry about the well-being of your business when you’re not there to monitor it. A CCTV installation will help ease most, if not all of your worries by providing 24/7 access to your business.

Already Have a CCTV Installation?

Fine! We can easily make repairs and additions as your business expands.

The Big Picture

The point is CCTV systems are crucial for business success and safety. Criminals are getting smarter and faster when planning to break into or vandalize your business. Stay ahead of the game with one of Quick Keys installations.

How Can We Help?

Here at Quick Key, we offer a variety of solutions for CCTV installation and repair. Ask us about our fisheye cameras, which offer a wider field of view, or ask us about our general commercial and residential wireless security cameras. We have your back!

 

Learn more by contacting us or viewing the CCTV services that we offer.

 

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What Does a Home Security System Cost?

security system equipmnet

What Does a Home Security System Cost?

Are you thinking about having a security system installed in your residence? Maybe it’s to give you peace of mind as well as to help protect your family and your possessions? If so, you may be wondering how much a home security system would cost.

The shortest answer is: the price differs depending on the company, the monitoring service package, and the equipment that comes with it. For instance, with some monitoring, you can select from several monitoring services with additional add-on equipment.

For answers to some basic home security questions, continue on:

Why Should I Purchase a Home Security System?

The cost of a home security system is fairly small when you consider the possible costs of property loss or damage from a break-in. A home security system not only offers peace of mind and a sense of safety but also helps to frighten off would-be invaders. Another study directed by leading University reports monitored alarm systems make a home three times less expected to be robbed than a house without an alarm system.

What are the differences between a professionally monitored and a not monitored security system? 

While researching online you might have learned that you can select from a professionally monitored or unmonitored home security system. Professionally monitored security systems are inclined to be much more expensive than an unmonitored security system, but many homeowners appreciate knowing someone is monitoring their home 24/7. Monitored systems are typically connected to a phone LAN line, so when a sensor is activated, the monitoring company is notified and contacts the appropriate authorities.

Un-monitored systems often have the same sensors contained within monitored systems; however, when the inside alarm sounds, no reports will be sent out to the authorities. Instead, the alarm just warns homeowners and neighbors of a problem, but if you’re not at home, you must depend on your neighbors to contact emergency or police services.

How Much Does a Home Security System Cost? 

By now you are probably unsure how to define your average monthly cost for home security. The best way to find this out is to talk to a home security expert to determine which monitoring package and equipment is best for you and your home or office.

Quick Key security specialists will gladly give you a free quote. To customize your plan, they may ask you a few of the below questions to determine which monitoring package is best for you:

  1. How big is your home or office?
  2. How many entryways need to be watched?
  3. Do you want to control your system by remote?
  4. Do you have a landline phone in your home?
  5. Do you want to include video surveillance?

For answers to all your home security questions, check out our services at quick-key.net  or give us a call at 1-855-220-6124.

 

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5 Things Burglars Look For In a Home Before They Break In

Burglary Breakin

Thieves don’t usually choose their houses randomly. The threat of being caught is simply too great to go into a home with a tough alarm system and guard dog. Burglars look for weak properties. Defending your home from thieves means getting into the mind of an intruder, so you know what to elude. Here are five things that a burglar will look for in an easier target:

#1 Easy Entry

Struggling with tough locks and dodging motion sensor alarms is much more work than walking through an unlocked back door. Install a DIY security system. Making your house look harder to get into could direct a thief elsewhere.

#2 A Hidden Entry Point

A window opportunely masked by trees and shrubs gives a criminal time to get inside without possibly being seen by neighbors. Cut back the shrubs and tree branches near your property year-round. Motion triggered floodlights also make it harder for them.

#4 Signs of an Empty Home

One of the best home security advice is to make it look like people are in the house as often as possible. If you go away on vacation, have a neighbor get your newspaper and have the post office hold all of your mail. Unkempt grass and a dark house at night are other ways you can unintentionally show a burglar that the home is empty and easy pick ins.

#5 Window Air Conditioners

Window air conditioners on lower level floors also leave an inadvertent opening for an intruder. If you have to use an AC on a ground floor window, strengthen your home with motion-activated audible alarms and other preventative measures.

The moral is that if you make a burglar question whether they’ll be caught, you highly increase the likelihood they will not choose your home. Check out our outdoor security cameras for sale and motion-activated lights to get started. If you still have questions, call Quick Key and we’ll be glad to help you.

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Ways to Burglar-Proof Your Home Affordably

Night Time Burglary

Everyone would probably agree that burglar-proofing your home is a great idea because it can protect family members, all of the valuables inside, and even the home itself against damage or theft. But while everyone agrees it’s a great idea, not everyone can afford to implement some of the measures which provide the best protection against unwanted entry, for instance, an expensive home security system. The ideas discussed below are some which are affordable for almost every budget, and some combination of these safeguards can provide a collectively strong deterrent to home burglaries.

Put in an alarm system

While alarms certainly won’t prevent a determined criminal from getting in, they will certainly alert you to the fact that someone was trying to. It’s also a rare thief who will trigger a home alarm system and still remain cool enough to carry out an intended burglary – the sound alone is usually enough to send a would-be criminal scurrying off to safety.

Deadbolt the doors

More than a third of all burglaries are executed after the perpetrator gained entry through the front door, and nearly a quarter of all thefts are committed after entry through the back door. This should make it clear that your doors receive special attention from the criminal-minded, usually because they provide the easiest access. Installing a deadbolt on your front and back doors can be a very cost-effective measure to deter criminal entry, and only a highly skilled burglar is capable of circumventing the security provided by doors that have deadbolt locks installed.

Close the curtains

Being neighborly and having curtains drawn back all the time can be problematic, in that it can provide any burglar a solid glimpse into the interior of your home. That can help with the decision on whether or not there are valuables inside worth stealing. By keeping curtains closed, especially when no one is home, you’ll be depriving criminals of needed information.

Trim the shrubs

Don’t let shrubbery become overgrown and provide an effective hiding spot for burglars because they can use this to ‘case the joint’, and to provide a base for their criminal operations. Trees can provide this same kind of protection, as can large flower beds or particularly overgrown varieties of flowers and grasses.

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Top Reasons to Consider License Plate Cameras

safety cameras

Modern technology is making it possible to fight crime in more ways than ever before, which is a very good thing since criminals are finding more clever methods of perpetrating crimes all the time as well. To keep up with the ever-changing world of criminal methods, crime-fighting tools are being invented and refined at a rapid pace. One such tool is the License Plate Recognition (LPR) system, which uses cameras to track the activities of potential criminals, and then records the information in a database for later use. Here are some of the most useful benefits provided by license plate recognition systems.

Deterrent to the commission of crimes

It’s much better if law enforcement agencies can be proactive rather than reactive in crime-fighting since the damage is already done after crimes have been committed. By the mere fact of having LPR’s in place, and with high visibility in a given location, many crimes can be prevented simply because potential perpetrators recognize their presence and don’t want to be recorded. Police cars cruising through neighborhoods with this kind of equipment can be very effective as a deterrent to the commission of crimes.

Avoiding danger

There are many times in law enforcement when dangerous individuals must be confronted and possibly even arrested. Situations like this can be fraught with danger since a trapped criminal can be extremely unpredictable and dangerous. One way that an LPR can help lessen the potential danger of situations like these is by reading the license plate of the car belonging to a suspect and informing the officer about any kind of dangerous background associated with the vehicle owner. In the case of a person known to be violent, or in possession of firearms, backup can be called for and extreme caution can be exercised.

Data collection

Every time an LPR is in use, it is collecting data and adding that information into a database. As this pool of information grows over time, much more information becomes available about suspects in general, and that kind of information can be important in knowing how officers should proceed. The more information which is available to be drawn upon, the more effective police practices can become, and the safer it will be for all individuals associated with law enforcement.

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An In-depth Look at Video Intercoms

Video Intercom System

With a growing emphasis on home security and protection of people and valuable assets in residences, it’s only natural that the technology for this kind of security need would be advancing to a very high state. These days, a good many options are available for the implementation of electronic security, and one of the best of these is the video intercom system. The great thing about a video intercom system is that it allows you to see any visitors and even talk to them, before granting access to your residence.

If you feel confident that your visitor is safe, or that it’s someone you recognize and have confidence in, you can allow them entry to your home by simply pressing a button on the control panel, which you manage personally. In addition to the security benefits provided by a system like this, it can also be a boon to people who are physically disabled in some way, because it allows them to open doors remotely, without having to get up and actually greet the visitor at the door.

How video intercom systems work

There are two major components to any video intercom system, one of which will be a camera system attached to the exterior of your home, and the other being a control panel which you operate from the interior. The camera system can be completely hidden if need be, but obviously it has to be placed in a position where it has a full line of sight to the entrance to your home.

It will capture video and audio from any visitors at the door, and transmit that information to the control unit inside. The interior equipment includes a monitor on which you can see the video portion of your camera transmission, as well as a speaker that allows two-way communication with whoever is visiting. The control panel will also have a button that transmits a signal that opens your front door electronically, granting access to the caller. The video intercom system can either be hard-wired or completely wireless, depending on a homeowner’s preference.

Benefits of the video intercom system

As mentioned above, a system like this can be a big help to the physically disabled, and of course, the security advantages are obvious – but there are other advantages to having a video intercom system installed at your residence. For instance, an infra-red camera system is capable of identifying visitors even in the dark of night, which is when an extra level of security might be desirable.

In addition, you needn’t even be home to know who has called at your residence, because you can review the videotapes provided by your camera system, which means you’ll always know who you missed in your absence. If you have children in the home, this kind of system will also prevent an accidental opening of the door by a young child, as well as running outside into possible danger.

In terms of access control, video intercoms are one of the safest security systems you can install at your home to keep both occupants and valuables safe from harm.

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The Convenience of Having an Automatic Garage Door

automatic garage doors

If you don’t happen to have an automatic garage door yourself, you probably know someone who does, and if you’ve ever discussed it with them, chances are, you’ve heard some pretty favorable reviews about their unit. Automatic garage door openers have been around for nearly a century now, and in that time, they’ve found high favor with practically everyone who has bothered to have one installed, because they require little garage door repair or maintenance, and they are highly reliable.

Here are some of the advantages of having an automatic garage door opener implemented at your home.

Greater security

Most people can guess the first big advantage – security. The most advanced models now incorporate usage of rolling codes that only you would have possession of, and which prevents access by anyone else. Also in the way of security, many models automatically close after you’ve left the garage, so if you happen to be the forgetful type, your garage door won’t stay open all day, as an invitation to intruders who might want to ‘borrow’ your garage goods.

Weather convenience

How often do you arrive or depart from home while it’s raining or snowing? When you have an automatic garage door, it won’t matter anymore, because you’ll never have to walk out into that weather in order to get to or from your vehicle to open or close the garage door. If you had a manual locking mechanism on your garage door, that might provide a measure of security, but you would probably get wet at least several times each year, opening or locking it.

Vacation mode

Modern automatic garage doors often have a ‘vacation mode’ which you can invoke from a control panel, which makes your home safer in the event that you will be gone for an extended period, such as when you’re on vacation. Some basic functions are completely disabled in vacation mode so that any kind of clever remote that an intruder might have would be rendered helpless. The vacation mode itself would then be disabled at the control panel when you return from vacation and are ready to restore normal functionality.

Technology advances

The advances in modern technology have proven to be beneficial for automatic garage doors, which can now be controlled from smartphones after being integrated by a qualified service professional. There are also a great many more bells and whistles available on today’s automatic garage doors than ever before, including greater efficiency of energy usage, and built-in lighting, which provides convenient illumination for the garage itself, or for the pathway which leads to the garage. At night, this can be not only very handy but also a nice safety feature.

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Setting Up Vandal-Proof Cameras

CCTV Quick Key

The importance of setting up vandal-proof cameras can hardly be overstated since any would-be burglar will be on the lookout for security cameras as a tip-off to a home that has at least some level of protection. While easily deterred burglars might run at the first sign of a security camera, the more determined types might decide to disable the camera itself as a preliminary to vandalizing the home and plundering any valuables inside.

Any CCTV system or simple security camera which isn’t made vandal-proof should be considered vulnerable to attack and has the potential to be rendered useless. Your local residential locksmith can implement some precautionary measures with your access control system so that it can be made virtually invulnerable to attack from even skilled and persistent intruders. If you happen to be the do-it-yourself type, you may want to try a few of these ideas yourself, otherwise – don’t hesitate to leave it to the experts.

Vandal-proofing your security setup

The primary focus of vandal-proofing needs to be the camera itself. If it’s hidden from view, that can go a long way toward avoiding attention from a burglar, although it must be kept in a good line of sight from your entrance. Next, the camera itself should have tamper-proof construction, which means all screws should be recessed, so as to be unreachable with any standard screwdriver or hex wrench – only you would have the appropriate tool to reach those screws.

The camera should also be made impervious to powerful impacts, such as from a hammer or a rock. When you check out security cameras in a store, or at your local commercial locksmith, be sure to check out the impact rating it has. There’s a whole international standard that has been established, and camera manufacturers build their products to specifications that correspond to the various impact levels identified in the international standard.

Finally, one of the most obvious ways to disable a security camera system would be to cut any cables running from the camera to the home’s interior, presumably to the control panel, where information is transmitted. The solution to this glaring vulnerability is to conceal all cabling from view, so it doesn’t attract the attention of your burglar. A surface-mounted dome camera would have its cable exiting the back of the unit, directly into the home’s interior, so it literally could not be clipped with wire cutters.

A secondary method of protecting the cable is by housing it in a mounting bracket which might look something like a square pipe, and which carries the cable inside it, safe from harm by the criminal-minded, and then enters the building within a few feet of the camera itself. A camera cable conduit has a similar strategy, in that it has the cable inside it, protecting it from damage. This looks more like a long, round pipe, and it is used in situations where there is no convenient entry into the building, anywhere close to where the camera itself is located.