Security tips, from us to you

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Here at Wise,  a dedicated security solutions company, we’ve accumulated a wealth of knowledge over the years. Today, we’re excited to share some invaluable insights with you, designed to better your home security. Let’s delve into a couple of key things that we, as experts, believe every homeowner should know.

At the core of a secure home is the proactive approach to security. Rather than merely reacting to potential threats, consider implementing preventive measures. This could include installing robust doors and windows, enhancing outdoor lighting, and investing in modern security systems. A proactive stance sets the foundation for a safer living environment.

Tech and Tailoring

In today’s tech-savvy world, leveraging smart home technology can be a game-changer. From smart doorbells with built-in cameras to remotely monitored security systems, integrating these technologies provides real-time insights and control. Security is not a one-size-fits-all concept. Every home has unique requirements, and tailoring security solutions to meet these needs is paramount. A personalized approach ensures that you’re not only securing your property effectively but also optimizing your investment in security measures.

Community Engagement for Enhanced Safety

Our experience has shown that strong community bonds contribute significantly to overall safety. Establishing connections with your neighbors, participating in neighborhood watch programs, and fostering a sense of collective responsibility can create a powerful network that deters potential threats.

Educating Yourself About Cybersecurity

As our lives become increasingly digital, home security extends beyond physical measures. Cybersecurity is a crucial aspect of overall safety. Safeguard your home network, regularly update passwords, and educate yourself on the latest online threats. A well-rounded security strategy encompasses both the physical and digital realms.

As a security solutions company, our mission is not just to sell products but to empower you with the knowledge needed to fortify your home. By implementing these insights, you’re not just enhancing your security; you’re taking a proactive step towards creating a safer haven for yourself and your loved ones. Stay safe!

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Use detection in your defense

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In the ever-evolving landscape of home security, simplicity and efficiency are essential. Enter our latest offering: motion sensors, the seamless solution to bolstering security coverage throughout your home without the need for complex equipment.

Specs: 

  • 30 ft. by 50 ft. Detection Range: A wide monitoring scope ensures comprehensive coverage for your home.
  • Pet Immune Feature: Customizable to accommodate pets weighing between 33 to 55 lbs, preventing false alarms.
  • Tamper Protected: Your security system remains intact and effective, deterring any attempts at interference.
  • Lithium Battery: Ensures long-lasting and reliable performance, giving you peace of mind.

Why not get into it then? These compact wireless sensors effortlessly communicate with your control panel, providing you with instant notifications in the event of any unexpected movement. What’s more, our motion detectors are intelligently designed with your fluffy friends in mind, as long as they weigh between 33 to 55 lbs. Ensuring that your pets won’t trigger false alarms. With an impressive 30 ft. by 50 ft. monitoring range, your entire home is effectively covered, leaving no blind spots.

Designed with your convenience in mind, these motion sensors utilize infrared technology for accurate and reliable detection. Easily wall-mounted and featuring wide-angle coverage, these sensors seamlessly integrate with your existing security system, sending timely notifications to both your control panel and phone whenever activated.

If you think you might want to upgrade in the future our hassle-free upgrade option allows you to expand your security network at any time throughout the duration of your contract. Now, you have the flexibility to enhance your home’s security with additional coverage whenever you need it! Incorporate our Motion Sensors into your security plan and experience the freedom of a safer, more secure home. With the perfect blend of technology and simplicity, safeguarding your space has never been this easy.

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They’re windows, not doors

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The glass break sensor is a fundamental component for your home security needs. The sensor is a sophisticated solution to help protect against potential intruders. This device is convenient and comfortable to use, offering you a heightened level of awareness and confidence in your home.

Installing these glass break sensors is a breeze, as it can be effortlessly mounted on walls or ceilings, providing coverage for multiple entry points. With an impressive 15 foot detecting radius and a 360° range. Just because they’re easy to mount doesn’t mean it’s easy to tamper with, this device has tamper-proof hardware built into it. The glass break sensor ensures through monitoring, no room in your house has any blind spots. 

Our sensor sets itself apart from others with its utilization of advanced “thump & crash” technology. This innovative approach enables the device to discern the definitive sounds associated with breaking glass, significantly reducing the occurrence of false alarms. The result is a highly reliable and efficient security solution that keeps you informed when a legitimate threat is detected. With it only catching legitimate threats, it minimizes unnecessary stress and disruptions in your daily life.

Take command of your home security by integrating additional sensors, extending coverage to virtually every window. Also check out our door sensor if you want to take that route! Both seamlessly integrate with your overall home security system. This approach guarantees monitoring of every potential point of entry, covering your weak points will give you an unmatched peace of mind. Invest in the forefront of home security technology and fortify your peace of mind with our glass break sensor. In a world where every detail matters, rest easy knowing that our sensor stands guard ready to alert you at the first sign of any threat. Your home deserves to be a safe haven and stay that way for you and your loved ones. 

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Door Locks: The First Defense

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In the realm of home security, the door lock stands as the primary guardian. As the first line of defense against intruders, door locks play a crucial role in providing peace of mind and establishing a sense of security for homeowners. When someone darkens your door, you’ll feel secure with a smart door lock.

Door locks serve as the foundation of any home security system. When it comes to safeguarding your home, investing in cutting-edge door technology is almost essential. Especially when providing you with the utmost confidence in your home’s protection. 

The Power of Smart Door Locks

Enhanced security

  • Smart door locks elevate security to new heights. Equipped with tamper alerts and notifications, these locks act as guard dogs, instantly notifying homeowners of any attempted break-ins or tampering. The knowledge that their actions are being monitored serves as a great deterrent to unwanted guests.

Keyless Entry

  • Bid farewell to the age-old risks associated with traditional keys. Smart door locks embrace keyless entry, eliminating the concerns of lost, stolen, or duplicated keys. This innovation significantly reduces the likelihood of unauthorized access through physical key manipulation.

Smart home automation

  • Integrating seamlessly with other smart home devices such as cameras and sensors, smart door locks contribute to a comprehensive security ecosystem. This interconnectedness allows for automated responses to security events, triggering lights or sounding alarms to further fortify your home.

Remote Access and Control

  • With the power of remote access, homeowners can monitor and control the lock status from anywhere using a mobile app. This feature enables immediate responses to security events, providing peace of mind by allowing users to remotely lock the door if inadvertently left unlocked.

In the new age of home security systems, smart door locks are an essential component. Lifting security to new heights, these smart locks provide homeowners with peace of mind. Rewriting the essence of a safe and secure home.

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Home Security: Let’s talk about it!

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The main benefit of having home security is to keep your property protected. That can come in a number of ways. Luckily most security systems can be customizable. Nowadays we can monitor everything from glass breaks to floods. This is accomplished by using a variety of sensors. However, today I just want to cover the basics of home security. 

 

Control Panel

Nearly all security systems come with a security panel. This panel is essentially the brain of the system. Through the panel you are able to control everything. You are able to arm and disarm the alarm. You can check who comes in and out. What was captured on the cameras. What doors were opened etc. What’s also nice is that most, if not all systems come with an app so everything you can do through the panel you can do through your phone! Check out the GC2 Security and Control Panel!

 

Doorbell Camera

These are nearly a necessity in this day and age. Most people love their doorbell camera because It’s a great visual deterrent. They also have the added benefit of being able to talk through them, check on packages, what time your kids get home, and who’s visiting. According to Amazon, you can see “a live video feed of what’s happening at your front door at any given moment.”

 

Door sensors

Door sensors are the devices that secure entry points. They help protect you from intruders getting in, as well as alert you as to when a door does open. They only set off the alarm if your system is armed. If your system isn’t armed it will let you know what door is being opened. It can let you know if anyone is sneaking in or out. Your kids won’t be a fan of this one 😉

 

There’s all sorts of devices you can add to customize your home security to the max! These are just the basics. If you have any questions or want to get started on your security system reach out to us through 844-904-9473!

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Six Things to Do After Buying a New Home

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Congratulations! It finally happened. You survived the housing market and have purchased your first home. You probably don’t need us to tell you that there are many things to do after buying a new home. Since there’s so much to do and keep track of, it can be easy to overlook things. To make it easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of home security items you won’t want to neglect to help you ensure your move is smooth and safe.

1. Social Media

What does social media have to do with home security and things to do after buying a new home, you ask? More than you might think.

It’s your first home. You’re excited, but you will want to be mindful of how you celebrate on social media. Don’t include your address in any of your posts. If you have family and friends who need your new address, send them a private message. That friend from high school who you haven’t seen in years but you’re still following because they share funny memes doesn’t need to know where you live.

Also, don’t post a picture of your key online or show it in a video. YouTuber Josh Sundquist discovered this firsthand when he challenged a locksmith to create a working key to his apartment using only an image from a video. Initially, it looked like the final key was very similar but didn’t quite work. However, a second test using a suggestion from a follower proved that the locksmith had indeed created a working copy.

Should you post a picture or video with a key, you probably won’t end up in a friendly competition with a locksmith. Still, you may be at risk of someone with malicious intentions creating a working copy. If you still feel like you need to share a picture of yourself with your key to your new house, you could use the key from before you rekey, which leads us to the next item on your home security list.

2. Rekey

Unless you purchased a brand-new house with no previous owner, you need to rekey. This is one of the most important things to do after buying a new home. You don’t know if the previous owner turned over all their keys or if other keys they gave to family and house sitters are floating about.

You may have been hoping to avoid the extra cost of rekeying since moving is already so expensive, but it’s a small cost compared to the $2600 lost in the average home robbery. While you’re at it, you will want to change the codes on any smart locks, garages, or gates.

3. Windows

Now that the main entrances are secure, you will want to check the most commonly neglected entrances: the windows. The previous owner may have forgotten to secure all of them when they moved. Perhaps windows got opened during showings. Maybe one of your movers left a window unlocked with the intent of coming back and having an easy way in later. Whatever the case, taking a few minutes to check the windows now could spare you problems later.

4. Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Test the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. The previous owner might not have maintained them. Replace any that might be missing and change out batteries as needed.

5. Home Security System

To maximize the safety of your home, you may want to consider getting a home security system. Not only can a home security system protect your belongings, but also it can protect you and your family.

6. Neighbors

Get to know your neighbors so you can better watch out for each other. Then, they can intervene if they see people moving things out of your house when you’re not there, but they know from recent conversations that you aren’t moving. Plus, crime prevention aside, it’s always nice having friends in the neighborhood.

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You Need a Smart Garage Door Controller

As you’ve been looking into smart home features you could add to your home, you’ve probably read about many of the standard products like smart lights and smart thermostats. There are numerous lesser-known smart devices you may find useful as well. For example, did you know you can make your garage smart? With a smart garage door controller, you can access your garage door remotely and control it from anywhere.

How A Smart Garage Door Controller Can Help You

Say you’re running late in the morning. Your alarm didn’t go off, and the rest of the morning has been a fiasco. The kids were fighting all through breakfast. One of them let the dog slip past on their way out the door. Thanks to the rain last night, the dog got covered in mud by the time you got to come back inside. You had to clean him up so he wouldn’t track mud all over the house all day. By the time you got that done, you had to fly out of the house so you could get to work.

When you’re partway down the street, you realize you can’t remember if you closed the garage or not. You don’t have time to turn around and check, but you have a smart garage door controller. When it’s safe to do so without breaking any road rules, you check the app. If you find it’s closed, you can go about your day without any worries. Otherwise, you can close it remotely. Then, you will have peace of mind knowing that your garage won’t be open all day and vulnerable to burglars.

How It Can Help Your Family

You’re out when you know your teenager will be leaving for an after-school event soon. She’s old enough to drive herself. However, she frequently neglects to close the garage when she pulls out, no matter how many times you remind her. With your smart garage door controller, you can know when the garage door opens. If the status doesn’t change after a few minutes to show it’s closed again, you can assume your teenager left it open. But no worries. You can close it from the app and know that your home will be secure while both of you are away.

These scenarios might not apply to run specifically, but perhaps you’ve been in similar. If so, and you would like to learn more about how a smart garage door remote can help you, feel free to contact us at 844-904-9473 or request info online.

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The Dos and Don’ts of Selecting Your Alarm PIN

Whether your alarm is wired, wireless, cellular, app-controlled, or manual only, your alarm PIN is likely your last line of defense. Maybe a hacker manages to get into the home security app with your account. Perhaps a burglar is in your house prepared to attempt shutting off the alarm with however many attempts your system allows. You will want the final roadblock to be the one they can’t get past. Yet so many people choose weak PINs.

Data Genetics completed a study that revealed just how weak people’s PINs are. They analyzed 3.4 million 4-digit passwords using data they gathered from previously-exposed databases. There are only 10,000 possible combinations, so it’s expected that there will be repeats in that large of a data set. However, the frequency of some of the combinations was statistically significant. Out of 3.4 million passwords, 11% of the people used 1234, 6% used 1111, and 2% used 0000. Nearly 27% of the passwords were among the top twenty most frequent.

What does that mean for you? If you’re among the 1.08 in 4 people who use one of these twenty most frequent combinations as your PIN, a hacker or burglar has a significantly higher chance of disabling your alarm. You can take the risk of using a weak PIN and hoping for the best, or you can optimize the security of your home. Choose a strong PIN using these dos and don’ts of selecting your alarm PIN.

Number Sequences

  • Don’t use repeated numbers (1111, 2222, etc.).

All of these appeared in the twenty most frequent PINs.

  • Don’t use sequences based on number position.

2580 may look like an odd PIN to be the 22nd most-used PIN until you look at its position on a number pad. The numbers are not a scrambled sequence but are in a line straight down the middle. Combinations using corners are also common and easy to guess.

  • Do use random number sequences.

The more random your alarm PIN, the more secure it is. For example, the least common PIN was 8068. It’s not an important date, a number pattern, nor easy to type based on position. How can you generate a random number? One way could be to look at the clock and use the current time as your PIN. You could convert it to military time for good measure since 0 and 1 are the most common numbers to act as the first digit of a PIN. If you think you’d have trouble remembering a random number, keep reading. We’ll go into some things you can do to create a safe but memorable PIN.

Dates

  • Don’t use a year in the 1900s.

Every pin that starts with 19 is in the top fifth of the most-used PINs. Suppose you use a year of birth or the year of an anniversary. That makes your alarm PIN even easier to guess, especially if the hacker or burglar knows you or has looked you up on social media.

(Note: To increase the security of your online presence, hide your birthday from your profiles wherever possible. You may even want to invent a “social media birthday.” Instead of putting your actual birthday, use something similar but not the exact date. Then, people won’t be able to use your social media information for any of the numerous confidential things that your date of birth is connected to. This is not to promote lying about your age on dating profiles or making accounts on websites before you’ve reached their minimum age requirement.)

  • Don’t use birthdays or anniversaries.

See above. In addition to the year, don’t use (MMDD), (DDMM), or (MMYY) formats, either.

  • Do use obscure dates.

If you use a year, make it something obscure, like if you’re a Les Misérables fan and you use 1832 as your alarm PIN to commemorate the June Rebellion. Even other Les Misérables fans think the book takes place during the French Revolution, despite it being several decades after. The June Rebellion was obscure enough that most non-fans probably won’t have heard of it, either.

Phone Numbers

  • Don’t use your current phone number.

Even though phone books are a relic of the past, it’s not hard to get your hands on someone’s phone number. Just ask all those people who want to talk to you about your extended car warranty. Using one’s phone number for a PIN is common enough that if the person breaking into your home has yours, they might think to use that and get access as a result.

  • Do use a childhood phone number you don’t use anymore.

If you want to use a phone number as an easy way of remembering your alarm PIN, use an old one. If it’s your home phone number from when you were growing up, it won’t be connected to your name since your parents or guardians were the account holders.

Phone Words

If numbers aren’t easy for you to remember, you could use a phone word instead. This is when you take a word and put it into numbers using the letters’ alphanumeric equivalents. (You know how the keypad on your phone has letters written under the numbers? The number a letter appears under is the alphanumeric equivalent.) Then, you can give yourself something easy for you to remember, but it’s in disguise. If you go this route, there are a few things you will want to keep in mind.

  • Don’t use words that make common number sequences.

You wouldn’t want the word you use as your alarm PIN to be something like “moon” (6666) since that would give you a repeated number sequence.

  • Do use words that give you a random sequence.

Use a four-letter word (not necessarily one of those four-letter words) and use the alphanumeric equivalents. You could use “star,” which would become 7827.

  • Do use acronyms.

You could also use an acronym. Create a four-word phrase and use the corresponding numbers of the first letters: “Turn off the Alarm” (TOTA = 8682).

  • Don’t use acronyms that make common number sequences.

Like before, you will want to avoid acronyms that create common PINs. If you used “Other Zebras Only Walk” (OZOW), you’d end up with 6969, the 10th most common PIN.

Other Tips

When you have your secure alarm PIN, you will also want to regularly clean your alarm’s control panel. This way, a burglar won’t be able to guess your PIN by looking at the dirtiest buttons or where the most fingerprints are on the touch screen. Most importantly, use different PINs for different purposes. Don’t use the same PIN for your alarm system that you use for banking or your phone passcode. Then, if someone cracks one of your PINs, your other accounts are still safe.

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You Need to Protect These Exterior Areas of Your Home

With home security, the emphasis is often placed on the inside of the home. We install smart locks to ensure the home is secure more easily, arm alarm systems to scare off intruders and notify us of break-ins, and hang cameras to help us identify the intruders. In your effort of making sure your home is safe and protected, don’t neglect the rest of the premises. Not only do outdoor security measures further deter burglars from targeting your home, but also you may have areas outside that you need to protect. Here are a few of those exterior areas and what you can do to protect them.

Driveway and Cars

As a would-be burglar comes up to your home, one of the first exterior areas they will see is your driveway. The best way to prevent them from stealing anything from your driveway is to limit what you put there. Do your kids leave their bikes and other outdoor toys out front? Help them get in the habit of storing them in the garage instead. If you don’t have a garage, they can use a bike lock to secure their bike to a post of the carport or another area.

Cars in the driveway can be a good way of signaling people are home, which can deter a burglar from attempting a break-in. However, you want to make sure your cars don’t become the new target.

1. Always lock your car.

Often, this simple deterrent is enough. It’s easy to break a window, though, so limit the reasons they might want to do this.

2. Don’t leave things in your car.

As the saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind.” If the burglar sees nothing in your car, they’ll be more likely to leave your car alone. Why bother breaking a window if they won’t get anything out of it?

3. Use a steering wheel lock

If the burglar is out to get the car itself, an empty car won’t be as much of a deterrent. By using a steering wheel lock, even if they do break your window, they won’t be able to hijack your car.
A broken window is still an annoying, expensive problem, though. What else can you do to make your car less appealing? Start by making your driveway less appealing. If a burglar sees signs of a home security system, they will be less inclined to target your home. If you have security cameras and one that has a good view of where your cars are parked, this will discourage the burglar from taking an interest in your cars.

Backyard

Perhaps a burglar isn’t interested in your driveway or cars. As a result, they may instead look for a way of getting into your backyard. You may want to consider getting your yard fully fenced if it isn’t already. An easily accessible yard is a better target. If you have a fence with a gate, keep it locked when not in use.

Patio

If the burglar does get past your fence, they might next reach the patio. As with the driveway, you will want to avoid leaving things out and have cameras with a clear view of the area. It’s probably not feasible to haul your patio furniture, grill, and fireplace in and out whenever you need to use them. You can take measures to prevent burglars from easily making off with these, though.

Get some steel cable and run it through the frames of your patio furniture. After you’ve strung it together like beads on a heavy-duty necklace, put a lock on the ends to secure it. You can put it all on one cable or spread it out over multiple cables. This way, a burglar would have to take everything on the cable at once or cut through the cable or lock. Since most burglars are out to make a quick score, they likely won’t think it’s worth the time and effort.

Shed

As with your car and gate, be sure to lock your shed. A smart lock can help you quickly check if you remembered to lock up, and you can remotely lock the shed you forgot.
Is your shed tucked away in the corner of your yard or off to the side and out of the way? Chances are, there’s an easy path a burglar could take to get to the shed and back virtually unnoticed. The edges of a yard are the most common places for flowerbeds, bushes, and trees, and these can provide cover and hiding places for burglars. That’s not to say you should tear out your plants, but you will want to ensure they aren’t overgrown and obstructing the view of your yard. If the burglar sees there’s not an easy way in and out, they will be less likely to target your shed.

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How to Change to a Different Alarm Monitoring Company

What do you do if things aren’t going as well with your current alarm monitoring company as you’d hoped? You’ve explored options and possible solutions to make things work, but you’re starting to think it’s time to change to a different alarm monitoring company. You’re in a contract, though. Where do you go from here?

1. Read Your Monitoring Agreement

When you signed the contract with your current company, you made an agreement with them, and you now have a legal obligation to that company. In some cases, you will be bound to the terms of the contract and responsible for paying the monthly rate until the contract expires. However, many companies offer early termination options. To see what options are available for getting out of the contract early, start by reading the entire contract. If you cannot find your copy of the contract, you can get one by reaching out to your monitoring company.

Things to look for:

a. When does the contract expire?

You will likely be on a contract with a set end date or a month-to-month contract. If the contract lists an end date, you will want to find if the contract says the agreement will end after that period or if it will automatically renew unless you give notice of cancellation.

b. How to Give Notice

If applicable, you will want to see what you need to do to give notice. Many companies require at least thirty days’ notice in writing, but yours may require more or less time.

c. Look for Early Termination Fees

When someone terminates a contract early, companies will usually charge an early termination fee to help them recover the resulting costs and losses. Find out what you would need to pay should you terminate your contract early.

2. Weigh Your Options

Now that you’ve reacquainted yourself with your contract, it’s time to weigh your options to determine if you really want to to change to a different alarm monitoring company. Was your primary reason for switching to a different company was to save money? You may find that once you factor in the early termination fee, you might be spending more money than you would save. You may decide it would make more sense financially to finish the last few months of your contract. Then when the time comes, you could change to a different company without paying an early termination fee. Perhaps with the circumstances of your situation, you determine paying the early termination fee is better than finishing the contract.

You will also want to consider the company you are considering switching to.

  • What can they offer that your current company can’t?

    Look over their website and get in touch with a member of the sales team to find out about the company. You will also want to look at customer reviews to ensure the company delivers what they say they will.

  • Will your current equipment be compatible with their systems, or will you need to purchase a new system?

    Purchasing a new system could make the change expensive, but it could be worth it if your current system is outdated or doesn’t do everything you need it to.

  • Will they be the best security company for you?

    Here are some tips on how to find the best home security company.

3. After You’ve Decided

If you ultimately decide to move forward with the change, you will need to contact your current monitoring company and let them know your intentions. Then, work with your new company to get things set up with them.

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