You've worked hard and you deserve a relaxing, worry-free getaway. Make sure to follow these tips to ensure that you and your home are secure while you’re away.
Home Security It may be tempting to brag to your social network about your vacation, but resist the urge to post your plans on social media. This calls attention to the fact that you’re leaving your home unattended and burglars have begun to use Facebook and Twitter to target vacant homes during the holidays. Additionally, remove your spare key— that plastic rock isn’t fooling anyone. If a thief suspects you aren’t home, they’ll likely search around for your spare.
Ask a Friend A simple way to ease your mind while you’re away is to ask a neighbor or friend to keep an eye on your home. Don’t forget to let them know if anyone will be visiting your home while you’re gone, and leave your contact information and itinerary so that they know how to contact you if need be. Additionally, ask a neighbor to collect your mail or go to the USPS website and place a stop order on mail. If you’re leaving for longer than a week, notify your local police department.
Curtains– Open or Closed? Before you leave, you may think to close your curtains so that burglars can’t check whether or not you’re there. However, this also prevents those trying to help from being able to keep tabs on your home. Noticeable changes are a sign that you’ve left town, so leave your curtains as they are and move valuables out of sight.
Lights On, Lights Off To throw off burglars watching your home, invest in light switch timers. These are much more believable and also more affordable and eco-friendly than leaving your lights on during your whole trip.
Identity Theft Watch where you connect to Wi-Fi and avoid unsecured wireless connections and untrusted computers in hotels or cyber cafes. These can make you vulnerable to data-stealing of your logins, emails and messages.
Devices If possible, leave your valuable devices at home or at least lock them in a safe while you’re not in the room. Otherwise, keep your devices on you at all times. Before you travel, back up all of your devices and configure password protection and locating applications. Don’t wait until you’ve realized that you left your phone in a taxi! For advice and tools to secure your home, contact the professionals at All Secured Security Services today.