Travel Safety During the Holidays

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Travel Safety During the HolidaysFor many of us, the holidays often mean traveling to visit family and friends in other cities, states, and even across the country.

If you’re planning a family trip this year, these holiday travel tips will help you arrive at your destination safely.

However, before you set off for [insert name of your relative/family friend here]’s house, you should ensure that your home security system is working properly. Test all your burglar and fire devices as well as cameras. Let your alarm company know that you’ll be doing this and that you’ll be traveling so they know how to respond to signals when you’re gone.

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Personal Safety: Tips and Tools For The Holidays

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Personal Safety Tips and Tools For The HolidaysThe holidays are upon us and that means big business for shopping malls and retail outlets. It also presents a wealth of opportunities for criminals looking to cash in and grab cash, credit cards, or gifts—either from your vehicle or by lifting it when you’re not looking. Here are some essential tips to help keep your personal property safe this holiday season.

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4 Holiday Retail Loss Prevention Tips

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

4 Holiday Retail Loss Prevention TipsThe holiday season is the busiest and most profitable time of the year for retailers. It’s also a busy and profitable time for criminals.

Shoppers are flooding the malls, big box stores, and smaller neighborhood shops looking for just the right gifts for family and friends. With all the extra foot traffic, businesses must be extra vigilant, paying particular attention to thwarting shoplifters, which may include employees.

Here are four holidays loss prevention tips to help you protect your bottom line:

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Tips from Law Enforcement to Keep the Real-Life Grinches Away

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Tips from Law Enforcement to Keep the Real-Life Grinches AwayAh, it’s that most wonderful time of the year again. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Bad guys waiting for you to let your guard down so they can ruin your plans for a festive season.

With the holidays right around the corner, we reached out to local Massachusetts police departments to ask what you can do to protect your packages as well as your homes from those real-life greedy grinches.

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4 Ways Employees Can Compromise Your Network Security

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

4 Ways Employees Can Compromise Your Network SecurityIf you ask CIOs and business owners what keeps them up at night one of the answers you’ll hear most often is securing their corporate networks and their sensitive data.

However, the risks don’t just come from bad guys outside an organization; rather some of the greatest threats to an enterprise’s data security often come from the very people entrusted with protecting it–its employees.

Of course, that doesn’t mean workers intentionally compromise their companies’ networks and data. What it may mean, though, is that they haven’t received the proper security training, or the security policies of the business aren’t being properly enforced.

Here are four ways employees can compromise your network security–and what you can do to prevent it:

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When You Should Change Your Door Locks

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

When You Should Change Your Door LocksAlthough the best way to protect your family and your valuables is by installing a home security system, changing the locks on your doors is also an important safety measure that you shouldn’t overlook.

If you’re like most people, you probably haven’t given much thought to getting new or at least re-keying the existing locks.

That doesn’t mean you have to change your door locks on a regular basis the way you have to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. Rather, there are certain times when you should consider replacing or re-keying the locks on your doors, including:

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How to Save Money on Turkey Day

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Serving-Thanksgiving-Turkey-000076223297_Large (2)If you have ever hosted a Thanksgiving meal, you know how pricey it can be. Between buying food and decorating your home, the bill can add up quickly. So this Thanksgiving, don’t spend more money than you have to on your energy bill. Follow these five tips to make your Thanksgiving both fun and frugal!

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Wearable Safety Devices for Kids

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Wearable Safety Devices for KidsAs a parent, the most important job you have is keeping your child or children safe. Installing a home security system can help protect them when they’re at home, but how do you keep an eye on them when they’re not?

Well, the answer might be found in new lightweight, wearable location devices designed specifically for kids that come in a number of designs—including a smartwatch that’s also a smartphone. Here are four wearable safety devices for you to check out:

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The 6 Worst Places To Hide Your Valuables

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

The 6 Worst Places To Hide Your ValuablesContrary to popular opinion, hiding your family jewels or other valuables in unusual places won’t keep the bad guys from stealing them—but it might make it a little more difficult.

You can be sure if a burglar breaks into your home, he’s going to tear it apart trying to find all your valuable items. However, he’s probably not too keen on spending a whole lot of time ransacking the place.

The longer it takes, the greater the chance he’s going to be caught. So don’t make it easy by hiding your money or your expensive items in the spots where he’ll look first.

Here are the six worst places to hide your valuables:

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The Downside of DIY: Why You Shouldn’t Self Monitor

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Man-doing-Home-Improvements-with-a-power-drill-000017272876_MediumAt first, a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) security system can seem like an efficient and inexpensive way to protect your home. Customers considering home security are intrigued by promises of easy installation and low or no monthly-monitoring fees.

However, after making their purchase, many have found DIY to be more difficult than they expected. While many consumers have technical skills, few have in-depth data networking expertise, knowledge in optics and lighting, or familiarity with local building and fire codes, as examples. Further, the unexpected time required to troubleshoot can be frustrating, thereby causing the project to be put on hold, sometimes indefinitely, leaving you and your family unprotected.  There are times when you simply need a professional to “get it done.”  Remote telephone or chat-room support has its place.  But even at its best, it can’t compare to a licensed seasoned professional onsite to help you.

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