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Stay safe at home in Portland by steering clear of these home security errors

October 23, 2023
Placing house keys under a welcome mat

Are you using your children’s names as your wireless password? Putting a key in a mailbox or under a mat for a friend or neighbor? Sadly, people put their homes and family members in danger every day by being lax or neglectful about security. Don’t be one of them. Preferably, stay safe at home in Portland by steering clear of these typical home security blunders.

Mistake No. 1: Keeping access points unlocked

Isn’t it wonderful when you can open doors and crack windows to welcome in cool, fresh air? Just don’t neglect to secure them when you depart! You might be shocked by the amount of homeowners who are lax about locking these key entry points, the most common locations for burglars to enter.

Ever forget to lock the door? What if you were able to utilize your smart home to lock the doors for you? This functionality is now a possibility. You’ll stay safe at home in Portland when you schedule your smart locks to secure automatically at particular times of the day or when they’ve been opened. If you don’t wish to set them, you can still access and activate your locks remotely with your handy smartphone app.

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

Emergencies often happen at the most inconvenient times. Imagine you’re on vacation and playing with your kids in the lake when an entry point sensor is tripped. Or, what if there’s an emergency when your smartphone is off during a medical appointment. When it comes to home security, you should have a backup. A respected monitoring service won’t ever miss an alarm and works swiftly to get help for all sorts of emergencies. Self-monitoring can lead to trouble since you’re not going to be available all the time. Get the support and peace of mind you are entitled to with qualified monitoring agents.

Mistake No. 3: Letting packages gather on your Portland front porch

Leaving packages on your doorstep is a temptation to opportunistic thieves. Don’t make your home a target. As an alternative, get your orders whenever they arrive with the aid of your home security system. The latest doorbell cameras will dispatch updates via your smartphone app when an item is dropped off and can even tell the difference between packages, people, cars, and animals. This functionality is beneficial in limiting unnecessary alerts.

Mistake No. 4: Insufficient home network security

Wireless security systems have opened a new world of access and control. You can review live video, engage locks, and even manipulate your thermostat from anywhere. But you must be certain your Wi-Fi network is protected. Negligent network security is one of the most prevalent gaffes residents make. You can avoid this with the following:

  • Create strong passwords and never use the default password on devices like routers.
  • Use current Wi-Fi security practices.
  • Place home security components on a separate network, instead of using the guest network that offers internet access to family and friends.
  • Make sure you schedule software or firmware updates for your security devices and router.

Stay away from security mistakes that put your Portland home at risk

One of the easiest ways to steer clear of common home security mistakes in Portland is by ordering a modern smart home from Vivint. Tools like remote access, smart locks, and 24-7 monitoring will help safeguard your property at all times. Neglect to secure your front door or miss a critical security alert? Not a problem! Your home security and its professional monitoring representatives will be there to back you up. Reach out to (503) 213-9485 today to learn more.