Home And Contents Security and Privacy Tips

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the thought of securing your property and contents? You’re in good company. We all worry about how we have to secure our homes when we leave for extended periods. Plus, it’s not only when we are not at home that we feel less safe.

Your home should be a safe retreat. It should be where you feel most comfortable being yourself and where you can feel completely relaxed. Instead, you may be wondering if someone is looking at you while you go about your evening preparation.

Keeping the curtains and blinds permanently closed is one way to get privacy. However, more effective solutions are available so you can feel less stressed and anxious.

Security Needs A Three-Pronged Approach

Today you need to apply sound thinking around what’s involved in protecting your home. Consider home security as a three-pronged approach to cover all weaknesses.

Technology

The first prong is the technology which includes video, devices, software, and so on.

Physical Hardware

Next, there is physical hardware like bolts, locks, fences, and gates. Finally, the third prong is insurance, and there are many different insurance policies for buildings and contents to give you peace of mind.

Insurance

While insurance may not seem like a security measure, it is. With insurance, you secure your right to have your home, contents or replacements. You’re not planning on being robbed, but if everything you’ve done to secure your home and contents is not enough, at the very least, you’re insured for anything stolen, including your data!

Securing Personal Data

Before we get to the more traditional ways to secure your home, let’s consider the issue of stolen personal data. We all spend so much time online; our lives are on our computers or via our devices, but they are accessible online. Plus, with the advent of hybrid working, we’re not always in the workplace but at in our home office for part of the week.

Today keeping your home secure is not just about physically keeping burglars out. It’s also about stopping cybercriminals from accessing our home networks and computers and stealing our personal data.

With hackers keen to infiltrate systems from anywhere, the home network and personal devices are weaknesses. You can make sure your devices are protected with strong passwords using MFA and anti-virus software. Always keep your computers and IoT devices software up to date.

Compensation

Still, with all the best intentions, there is only so much we can do to protect our data at home; hence there are ways to seek compensation. While it won’t be as easy as claiming insurance, if you do lose personal data, you might be eligible for compensation. Look into GDPR data breach claims, and discuss your situation with a solicitor. They should be able to assist you through the entire process, ensuring that you receive the maximum compensation befitting your case’s particularities.

You can now worry less about your personal data and focus on our recommendations for keeping your home and other belongings out of the wrong hands.

Quick Tips To Secure Your Home

Lock Doors and Windows

Keep doors and windows locked at all times, even at home. While it may seem excessive, there are intentional break-ins even when people are at home! Use deadbolts on all exterior doors.

Security Systems

Install a security system with cameras and motion sensors. Ensure you have secured the video so the footage is not available to the wrong people. Back it up to the cloud and have a strong password to access it.

Out of sight

Keep valuables out of sight, especially away from windows. It’s always a good idea to err on caution when you’re not exactly sure how well you should protect your belongings.

Generally, avoiding valuable objects in the open for too long is best. This includes garden furniture, patio ornaments and any other precious things that could attract unwanted attention. While you’re naturally not to blame for the malicious actions of others, it’s essential to keep yourself as safe as possible and take all the necessary measures to achieve this.

Light sensors

Use timers to turn lights on and off while you’re away.

Trim trees and bushes near windows to reduce hiding places for burglars. Intruders tend to operate in the darkness, as it provides a natural cover and helps conceal their identities. It’s not difficult to thwart their plans. All you need to do is illuminate your garden. Believe it or not, this is generally enough to deter most of them. The added benefit is that it makes your garden easier to navigate after dark. If you enjoy entertaining guests at dinner parties, outdoor lighting is a must.

However, you might be concerned about the associated costs. This is a legitimate worry; normally, your electricity bill will spike if you leave the lights on all night. During the winter months, when daylight hours are significantly shorter, the resulting expenses may climb to an uncomfortable amount.

Keep active use when necessary by using motion-activated security lights at the front and the back of your home. The best part about them is that the sensors allow the lights to come on only when movement is detected. This helps you reduce costs and discourage thieves from attacking your home simultaneously.

Contents inventory

Keep an inventory of valuable items and take photos or videos of them for insurance purposes.

Consider getting a safe to store important documents and valuables.

How well do you know your neighbors?

Please get to know your neighbors and ask them to keep an eye on your property.

Who comes into your home?

Be mindful of who you let into your home, like repairmen and delivery workers, and ask for identification if necessary.

Storing of keys

It’s prevalent among homeowners to leave spare keys under a flowerpot somewhere in the garden. This practice is so well-known that even if you haven’t done it yourself, you’ve probably seen it in a movie or series at some point. However, this method doesn’t provide you with all the security requirements your home needs to be kept safe.

Instead, keep the spare keys in a key safe placed in a discreet location. Most of these devices are reinforced materials resistant to hammering or sawing. All you need to do to gain access to the keys is use the combination code.

Safety is a priority for everyone. And keeping your household safe from intrusions comes top of the list.

Summing Up

Your home is your castle, and you want to protect it and all who reside within it, including its contents. Use technology and premium quality hardware for doors, gates, fences, and locks. Apply the same discerning approach to keeping your data safe too, ensuring you use strong passwords and MFA.

Even if your device is stolen from your home, your data may still be out of reach of hackers.