By Janet Miller, Yoga Instructor, Nutritionist, and Work at Home Mom
EDITOR: Janet wrote the following article for Huffington Post (see original), presented here with my additional insights and recommendations.
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7 Ways Technology is Changing Home Security
Technology has radically changed the way we protect our homes. What was previously only possible in Sci-Fi movies is now gradually becoming reality. The digital revolution has made its way into our homes.
1. Remote Monitoring: Remote monitoring is a great way to keep an eye on the home when you are at school or work, or on your second home. Even if you are vacationing on a beach miles away, you can still receive real time videos and photos of what is going on at home. Some of the features monitoring systems now provide include the ability to arm and disarm security systems, send fire or intrusion alerts, and stream security camera feeds.
2. Smart Door Locks: Perhaps one of the best new features in home security tech is the advent of the smart lock. These locks can detect your presence automatically using Bluetooth in your smartphone or keyfob and unlock the door for you. The best digital door locks will also connect to your home automation system and inform other devices such as the smart thermostat that you are away and to enter into energy-saving mode. While Bluetooth locks are more secure, they have fewer features. Wi-Fi locks on the other hand have more functionality, such as the ability to see if the door is locked in real-time. However, the connection to the Internet also makes Wi-Fi locks more vulnerable to online security breaches.
3. Home Sensors: There are numerous premium home security kits available now that will be able to sense your presence and open or close the door automatically. Home sensors can be installed on doors and windows and use motion detection, winks, and waves to determine your identity. They can be controlled from a smart phone or tablet easily. Additionally, home sensor kits detect movement in hallways and rooms. When armed, motion triggers will be sent to your smart device by text or email. This way, if anyone attempts to break in, you will be alerted right away. Many home sensors also feature indoor sirens that provide visual and audio warnings when a triggering event occurs.
4. Smart Garage systems: Controlling your garage is easier than ever with smart garage systems. They work by plugging a network adapter into your home router, and then registering the unit with a provider. Then, you can use the app to control the garage door with your iOS or Android device, allowing people to get in and out of the garage when you are not at home. This means you don’t have to hide the key under a rock anymore. These systems will also let you know how long the garage door has been open, and come with motion sensors to protect young children and pets who might be crossing in or out of the garage while the door is being closed.
5. Fingerprint scanners: Once a futuristic fantasy for sci-fi lovers, fingerprint scanning is now becoming available to anyone of any socioeconomic background, as long as you have a smart phone or tablet. While the technology is still nascent, fingerprint scanning devices are quickly gaining momentum. Fingerprint door locksare also becoming increasingly widely used, and could be good alternative to the aforementioned WIFI or bluetooth door locks.
6. Smart cameras: Home security cameras are cheaper, easier to install, and smarter than ever. Now that modern smart cameras come with Wi-Fi connectivity, you can stream live feeds of what is going on at home easily. You can also save these feeds to the cloud so you can review them later on should there be a need to.
7. Complete home automation systems: There are also complete home automation systems that allow you to control locks, lights, thermostats and security cameras all from your smartphone or tablet. The best thing is that you don’t even have to be at home to do so.
About the Author
Janet Miller was a previous senior project manager at a Fortune 100 company. She is also a certified yoga instructor, nutritionist and seasoned work at home mom. She volunteers with a number of non-profits and enjoys helping others discover the simple joys in life. You can read more of her writings here.
Editor’s Perspective
I was impressed with Janet’s article and offer my own advice here. One of the readers commented with some fairly harsh criticism, I agreed in some ways but disagreed in others.
Mike said electricity is a problem. Improved battery technologies and networks make much less so. ZigBee, Z-Wave and Bluetooth LE, for example, are wireless standards designed to operate for years on a small hearing aid battery. They’re perfect for use where there’s no power, such as door locks, window treatments, and installing new security systems. Unlike PC apps that need Wi-Fi or Ethernet connections, most home security apps only send a few bytes of data when an event happens, and that enables very long battery life. Video surveillance is an exception. It uses more bandwidth and generally needs more battery power, but even than nothing is sent until an event is sensed, such as movement in the room. Convert that old an unused iPhone into a temporary surveillance camera by installing a free app and put it anyway without wiring. It does, however, eventually need charging.
Mike also quipped that he can open the door himself and use an iron bar to secure a steel door. I see his point and agree that sometimes technology is overkill or not as secure as his iron bar example. That’s especially true in a small home or apartment with sliding glass doors to a patio, but things are different for larger homes with more valuables that make it a target.
First, there is no such thing as making your home 100% secure. That’s because there’s always a way for a determined criminal to break in, even if that’s going through the brick wall or roof, which by the way can bypass a perimeter detection system. So, some of the technologies Janet mentions make sense, like motion sensors and surveillance cameras. Others offer convenience but may actually make the home less secure, like remote access to door locks.
My advice: Know the threats and risks and spend accordingly. It’s important to understand potential security threats, what might be lost, and the chances of that loss. It’s also important to know the motives of different criminals, amateurs & professionals alike, because they too are making Risk v. Reward decisions and may easily be scared off if they think your house poses more risk than a neighbor’s. Craft your security deterrents accordingly.
Read more in Be Secure Again with Home Security and Automation.
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