Home Security Is Only as Effective as Your Ability to Use It

I recently read a post from a company that provides security doors and windows in major U.S. cities. The headline of the post implied that security cameras and alarm systems don’t make homeowners safer. However, that is not really what the post was about. It was more about describing some of the weaknesses of electronic home security. One such weakness relates to the user.

Simply put, home security is only as effective as a homeowner’s ability to use it. The post in question referenced homeowners who don’t use their systems to the fullest extent because they simply don’t know how.

It could be the result of a system being too complicated to understand. It could also be because a homeowner just doesn’t have the time to invest in learning. Either way, a home security system is not going to keep the homeowner as safe as it could if it is not being used properly.

It’s Like Not Locking the Door

Not using a home security system properly is a lot like not locking your door. You could invest in an expensive, high quality, ballistic security door and still be victimized by a burglar because you left home and failed to lock the door behind you. Likewise, forgetting to arm your system when you leave home renders it useless.

Though I cannot prove it, my guess is that homeowners with DIY systems are more susceptible to making mistakes. The point is well made with security cameras.

Did you know that the preferred entry points for burglars are front doors and first floor windows? Knowing that, the first place a homeowner should install a video camera is in a location that gives a full view of the front door. Next in line would be a rear door. After that there would be locations that show side views, including windows.

Investing in four or five cameras and not using any of them to monitor the front door is a mistake. It amounts to not using those cameras to their fullest potential.

Home Security and Automation

To the point of home security possibly being too confusing, adding automation to the mix certainly ups the ante. My home security system allows me to create all sorts of automations from programming my lights to locking and unlocking the door. I can even create an automation that arms and disarms the system based on predetermined criteria.

All those features make my home security system more effective than a mere alarm. But if I never learned how to create automations, the features would be useless to me. My system would be nothing more than an alarm, an alarm that doesn’t utilize each of my devices to its fullest extent.

The Benefit of Professionally Installed Home Security

Although I was able to build my own home security system from scratch, the complexity of adding automation to electronic security demonstrates one of the benefits of professionally installed equipment: being taught how to use it.

For example, imagine you chose a home security system from Vivint Home Security. Not only would Vivint send professionals to your home to complete the installation, but those same professionals would also teach you how to use your equipment before they left. The Vivint staff is always available by phone if you have questions later on.

Home security is like anything else. Maximizing its capabilities requires knowing how it works. If you have a system that you don’t know how to use, it’s probably not helping you as much as it could. Invest time in learning the system. You’ll be better off for it.