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Stay safe at home in Chicago by avoiding these home security mistakes

October 23, 2023
Placing house keys under a welcome mat

Are you using your pet’s name in your wireless password? Putting a key in a mailbox or under a mat for a neighbor or relative? Unfortunately, individuals put their homes and loved ones in danger each day by being slack or forgetful about security. Don’t be one of them. Alternatively, stay safe at home in Chicago by staying away from these common home security mistakes.

Mistake No. 1: Not locking doors and windows

Don’t you enjoy the time of year when you can open windows and doors to invite in a soothing, cool breeze? Just remember to shut and secure them when you leave! You might be astonished by the amount of residents who are careless about locking these critical entry points, the most common places for burglars to come in.

Do you ever forget to secure the door? What if you could use your smart home to secure your entrys for you? You can do exactly that. You’ll stay safe at home in Chicago when you program your smart locks to secure automatically at particular times of the day or after they’ve been engaged. If you prefer not to program them, you can still control your locks from any location with your convenient home security app.

Mistake No. 2: Relying on self-monitoring in Chicago

Urgent situations frequently occur at the most inconvenient times. Envision being on a family vacation and splashing around in the lake when an entry point sensor goes off. Or, what if there’s a crisis when your smartphone is not accessible during a doctor’s appointment. When it comes to home security, you need a backup. A respected monitoring service will never miss an alarm and responds quickly to get help for all sorts of situations. Monitoring yourself can lead to trouble since you can’t be available at all times. Get the assistance and assurance you deserve with well-trained monitoring representatives.

Mistake No. 3: Packages piling up on your Chicago front porch

Letting packages pile up on your front porch is an enticement to prospective thieves. Don’t encourage them. Instead, retrieve your orders the moment they get there with the aid of your home’s security. The latest doorbell cameras will transmit updates via your smartphone app whenever an item is dropped off and can even recognize the difference between packages, people, cars, and animals. This feature is valuable in preventing unnecessary alerts.

Mistake No. 4: Insufficient wireless network security

Wireless smart homes have ushered in a new standard of remote access. You can examine live video, engage locks, and even manipulate your thermostat from anywhere. But you have to ensure your network is secured. Negligent network security is one of the most common mistakes residents make. You can avoid this with the following:

  • Create strong passwords and always change the default password on devices like routers.
  • Use the most up-to-date Wi-Fi security practices.
  • Place home security components on a different network, instead of using the guest network that provides internet access to family and friends.
  • Make sure you run firmware or software updates available for your router and security components.

Avoid security mistakes that put your Chicago home at risk

One of the smartest ways to avoid common home security mistakes in Chicago is by installing a full-featured smart home from Vivint. Features like remote access, smart locks, and 24-7 monitoring will help shield your property day and night. Neglect to secure your main entry or overlook a pressing message? No problem! Your smart home and its trained monitoring specialists will be there to back you up. Call (312) 626-4802 today to get started.