How to choose the best PIN for your security alarm

Your home alarm system is a great too to have to protect you, your belongings and your house against burglary. You know that if someone were to ever try and break into your home, they’d trip a sensor and set off your alarm, alerting local authorities. But there is an extra layer of security that you can control – your PIN, or Personal Identification Number. Hopefully, you and your family are the only people who ever enter your home, but if someone ever attempts to they first thing they’ll try to do is to disarm your alarm system.

When you make your PIN complex and challenging, you are adding an extra layer of security. The big question is how exactly do you choose the best PIN.

Eliminate Common Factors – Of course, you’ll have to remember your PIN. You will have to use it every day and you need to make sure that you are one of the people who can easily turn off your alarm without any hassles (It’s not good if your forget it.) The main challenge is that many people pick things that are TOO easy to remember, you should avoid significant dates in your life. Dates are always the common choice for four digit PINs, because they are easily remember and they fit the pattern. Birthdays and anniversaries are a no-no as they may be easy to find id the person breaking in knows you. Also, most years that people use begin with either “19” or “20”; this gives the burglar a great chance of accidentally choosing the correct date.

Make sure to keep your PIN varied. It’s good to stay away from numbers in a sequence, make sure to use several numbers in your PIN. The more numbers you use, the more difficult it is to guess!

Stay Away from “Default” PINs – Often a security system will come with a default PIN. It is extremely important to change this PIN as soon as you can, this way you will know you are the only one who can arm and disarm your system. Immediately this will provide you with an extra layer of security.

Select a Better Pin – Try to choose a four digit number that means something to you, but there should be no easy or obvious record of it. Try using the last four digits of your friend’s phone number or take a four letter word and use its numeric counterpart, like on your phone. This way no one will ever know what your PIN code is.

Yes, it is very important to know and remember your PIN, but it’s also good to change it regularly. It’s also vital to have different PINs for different accounts, there’s no need to make your home security system PIN, your bank account PIN and any other PINs the same number.

Your PIN is an important layer of your home’s security. Be smart when your choose your PIN, and anyone trying to burglarize you won’t stand a chance. Your home will be safe and secure when you know you’re the only person who can access it.

For all your home security needs, contact SIS - Security & Investigation Services today! They can offer your a wide range of services, from general guarding and farm protection to CCTV off site and alarm monitoring.

Written By: Christine Romans

How to keep your kids and home safe when hiring a babysitter

Are you a parent? If so, then you’re probably going to require a babysitter once in a while. Whether it’s simply someone to watch over your kids after school or perhaps you just want a night off, the top priority is keeping your kids safe at all times. Follow these easy steps to ensure your kids are always in good hands…

Get recommendations from friend and family
There are plenty of qualified babysitters that advertise their services, but it’s always best to find a babysitter through someone that you know and trust. It will give you peace of mind and verification that this person is good at watching over children. Next time you need a reliable babysitter, ask your friends and family first.

Make sure they’re old enough
A babysitter should be mature and responsible enough to keep your children out of trouble and handle any problems that may come up. In general, I would say that your babysitter should be at least sixteen years old, if you have several children who need to be watched then it may be a good idea to get a babysitter who is a bit older than that.

Set up an interview
Always make sure to meet your future babysitter in person before you let them look after your kids. Aside from asking basic questions about their qualifications and experience, pay attention to their general nature and observe how they interact with your children. A good babysitter should be authoritative when necessary, but also very calm. The last thing you want in a babysitter is someone who always loses their temper.

Run the security cameras
Even if you trust your babysitter, it won’t hurt to have some extra assurance. Most of the security cameras that come with many alarm systems provide you with a way to review the footage. In some cases parents have caught babysitters stealing and abusing children. Get a reliable and professional security system installed from SIS – Security & Investigation Services.

Verify that they know basic first aid
Children sometimes suffer injuries around the house and in the yard, usually from falling down stairs, crashing a bike or even choking on small objects. A babysitter who is familiar with first aid is a definite must!

Familiarize them with your home security strategy
When you are gone, the babysitter is in charge of the house, so it’s important that they know your home security strategy. Ensure that they know how your alarm system works, where the motion lights are located and how to contact emergency personnel. The services from SIS – Security & Investigation Services would be a perfect choice.

Check in periodically
You may have found a trustworthy, responsible babysitter, but it’s still always a good idea to check in on things at the house. Call or SMS the babysitter whenever you need to check up, if you don’t get a reply, call a trusted neighbour or friend and get them to see if everything is alright.

You can never be too careful when choosing a babysitter, after all, the safety of your children will depend on this person’s competence. These tips will help you find a reliable babysitter who can protect your kids.

Written By: Christine Romans

How to teach your kids about home security

If you have a child it is your responsibility to keep them safe, it is also your job to teach them how to follow the proper course of action if they are ever in a dangerous situation. Your children may have never thought about home security because they have never been faced with any potential threats; here is how to teach your kids about home security…

Small Children
It is never too early to teach your child about home security. It is especially important to teach them at a young age if they are often left alone with older siblings or babysitters. Make sure your child knows all these precautions:

       -          Never open the door for someone when an adult is not there.

       -          Refrain from answering the phone when a parent is not home.

       -          Know how to lock all the doors properly in order to keep the home secure.

       -          Know the plan for evacuating the house in the event of a fire or related emergency.

Tweens
Kids these days seem to be using technology at a younger and younger age, this can threaten their security without them even realising. If your child is often active on social media sites, ensure they follow these rules:

      -          Do not post information about where you live or your physical address.

      -          Do not post on Facebook or Twitter or any other social media network that you are home alone.

You should also always show your tween exactly how to use your home security system, make sure they know the code and how to activate and deactivate it.

Adolescents
If you have older children you probably know that they can be very unpredictable and irresponsible, you have to ensure that they know exactly how to use the home security and access control systems. If you want to get them more involved, have them teach their younger siblings about home security and how to use the home security system.

      -          If you have a smartphone and an advanced home security system, learn how to use it with apps.

      -          If you are installing a new home security system, involve your teens son they can understand how everything works.

      -          Make sure they know all the codes and how to activate and deactivate the security system.

If you would like further guidance in teaching your kids about home security, contact SIS –Security & Investigation Services today. They also offer you a wide variety of services from general guarding and farm protection to CCTV off site and alarm monitoring.

Written By: Christine Romans

How to Choose a Good Alarm System

There is always a wide selection of different security systems to choose from, each have features unlike their competitors, so when you’re choosing an alarm system here are a few steps to follow:

• Think long and hard about what kind of alarm system you need, you need to consider what your lifestyle is like and what you can afford.  Also think carefully about whether to get a wired or wireless system, there are many pros and cons to examine.

• Decide if you want a company to monitor your system or if you want to monitor the system yourself. Choosing to have a company monitor your system could be very beneficial to you, because if there is a problem the central system monitoring automatically notifies the alarm company, this ensures the reaction time is quick and other emergency personnel can be notified.

• Do your research and find out from family and friends which alarm system they would recommend. Asking questions and getting advice from actual customers is the best way to find out the good and the bad about the alarm systems.

• Lastly, once you have decided on an alarm system make sure to talk to a security specialist about installing the system. Someone who is a specialist can suggest other recommendations for you and teach you and your family how to operate the system efficiently.

It’s always worth it in the end to take time to contemplate and think carefully about what alarm system to choose, you need to know you have a good system protecting you and your loved ones.


Written By: Christine Romans