AL: 001484, 001504 Complaints may be directed to the Alabama Electronic Security Board of Licensure, 7956 Vaughn Road, PMB 392 Montgomery, AL 36116, (334) 264-9388; AR: 12-030 Regulated by the Department of Arkansas State Police, 1 State Police Plaza Drive Little Rock, Arkansas 72209, (501) 618-8600; AZ: ROC 280515, BTR 18287-0; CA: CSLB 974291, ACO 7118 Licensed and regulated by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, Department of Consumer Affairs, Sacramento, CA, 95814; CT: ELC 0189754-C5; DE: FAL-0299, FAC-0293, SSPS 11-123; FL: EF0000921, EF20001002, EF0001095; GA: LVU406303, LVU406264, LVU406190; LVU406354; IL: PACA 127-001503; LA: F1691; MA: SS-001968; MD: 107-1776; ME: LM50017039; MI: 3601206217; MN: TS674412; MS: 15018010; NC: 2335-CSA; NJ: Burglar and Fire Alarm Business Lic. # 34BF00047700; NM: 373379; NY: licensed by the N.Y.S. Department of State 12000305421; OH: LIC# 53-89-1732; OR: CCB 192945; SC: BAC-13497, FAC-13440; TN: ACL 1597, ACL 1604; TX: ACR-1672104,-1818, B16922, B02571 Licensed by the Texas Department of Public Safety Private Security Board, P.O. Box 4087, Austin, TX 78773, (512) 424-7293; UT: 8226921-6501; VA: 2705145289, DCJS 11-7361; VT: ES-02366; WA: COMCABS892DS; WASHINGTON, DC: ECS 902687, BBL 602512000005; WV: WV049211. Valid 4/19/17. See http://www.xfinity.com/home-security for current list.

XFINITY HOME Refund Policy for Pre-Payments: If you make a pre-payment prior to installation of your XFINITY Home service, such pre-payment will be applied as a credit to charges due on the following months bill from Comcast. In the event you cancel your XFINITY Home service, your pre-payment will be applied instead to any other charges due on your bill for Comcast services. You will not receive a cash or credit card refund of your pre-payment. However, if all of your services from Comcast are disconnected, or if Comcast is otherwise required under applicable law to refund the pre-payment, Comcast will, within forty-five (45) days or as otherwise specified by applicable law, return a sum equal to the pre-payments your made (without interest unless otherwise required by law) minus any amounts due on your account (including, without limitation, any amounts owed for any services or for any equipment that is damaged, altered or not returned).

For Prince Georges, Maryland Customers: If we disconnect your service(s) or are otherwise required under applicable law to refund the pre-payment, we shall within thirty (30) days or your next billing cycle, whichever is earlier, return a sum equal to the pre-payments(s) you paid (without interest unless otherwise required by law) minus any amounts due on your account (including without limitation, any amounts owed for the service(s) or for any equipment that is damaged, altered, or not returned). Remote access not available with all smartphones. Standard data charges apply to text alerts. Check with your carrier. Any other equipment not included in offer and taxes extra.

System Takeover is not available in all areas and use of existing equipment is subject to condition and type, as determined by the Technician. Actual energy savings may vary based on usage and other factors. Visit http://energy.gov/energysaver/energy-saver for details.

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XFINITY Home Security Systems, Alarm Systems from Comcast

Welcome to Home Security Guide, a site devoted to helping you make the right home security system choice for your family. Early on we realized that all home security systems arent created with the same set of needs in mind. Some are created as a full service, well do it all for you type of setup. These setups are great for people that dont mind paying a bit more so they dont ever have to tinker with or build their own home security system.

Other systems are tailored to the DIYer at heart. These systems will have an immense number of options, from different camera types all the way to which specific sensors you want in your home. They can be as cheap or as expensive as you can dream up, and as such are incredibly modular.

The fact remains that every household is different, therefore you need the home security solution that will fit your lifestyle the best.

We created Home Security Guide to illuminate the path to a happy home security decision. We regularly review the best home security options specific to cities around the United States. We then go deeper into why we believe certain options are the best for that given location.

At the heart of what we do, we want to help you answer the question Which home security system is best for me?

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Home - Home Security Guide

The City of Alexandria, VAAlexandria, Virginia, located in Alexandria County, has a population of 138,999. The population has increased 8 percent since 2000. The average temperature in January is 34 and 79 in July. The population is made up of 69,101 households, with an average household size of 1 person. Alexandria households include around 66,974 men and 72,023 women. In Alexandria, 32 percent of its citizens are married and of the 69,101 households, 45 percent are families with two or more people living in the home. Approximately 19 percent of homes have one or more children living at home. The median age of Alexandria residents is 35 years. The region is home to manyWashington Nationalssport fans. With a carbon monoxide index of 89, amidst growing concerns about health, we highly suggest protecting your life with a carbon monoxide sensor.Crime in Alexandria, VirginiaThe local Alexandria, Virginia crime index is 108, compared to the national crime index risk score of 100. Scores are based on demographic and geographic analyses crime over seven years. Every half hour 21 robberies, 42 vehicle thefts, 44 assaults, 128 burglaries and 352 thefts occur in the United States. On average homes are three times less likely to be broken into when there's an alarm system installed. Having a home security system is essential for residents living in and around Alexandria. One in four Alexandria homes may be burglarized in a year's time with an average loss of more than $1,700. This could be higher in some areas of Virginiahome security systems save money and lives.Security Risks for People Living in Alexandria, VAWith a higher threat of crime in Alexandria, we strongly recommend a Protection 1 security system for your home or business. Call 1 (866) 234-9412 to speak with a Security Solution Specialist and to arrange your FREE home security evaluation.In addition to securing your home from intruders, a security system also provides the option to add 24-hour monitored smoke and fire detection, which works even when your system is disarmed. This not only saves lives and properties from damage, but typically provides potential discounts on homeowners insurance. Protection 1 Security in Alexandria Our house alarm systems include constantly monitored home alarms, fire alarms and considerably more. Numbering over 20,000, our team of security professionals includes professional installers, experienced service technicians and knowledgeable customer service representatives providing first class home security and business security services for you every day.As the largest security company serving Alexandria, we offer the best local home security that Alexandriaresidents rely on every day. A home security system is only as good as the people who monitor your security system. Be sure to do your research and check with the local BBB before picking a home security company for your Alexandria home security needs.We maintain an A+ BBB rating; are accredited by the BBB and more than 8 million customers trust us to protect their homes and businesses through the U.S. and Canada.

Our customer support is available 24/7 by Phone, Email and Live Chat.

County: Alexandria

Median Age: 35 Years

Median Commute: 28 Min

Educational Climate: 5*

Recycling Likelihood: 132**

Sales Tax: 5%

Closest Airport: Ronald Reagan Washington National

Closest College: Devry University

Closest Jr. College: Tesst College Of Technology

Population: 138,999

Population Density: 9,136 Persons Per Square Mile

Population Change Since 2000: 8%

Median Household Income: $81,149

Annual Residential Turnover: 30%

Median Years in Residence: 2 Years

Median Home Sales Price: $314,000

Change Avg. Household Income Since 2000: 43%

*Scale from 1-5 **Index where 100 is the national average

The following data includes the local score compared to the national average of 100.

Legend

Severe

Elevated

Low

Local home security and home automation systems, professional installation, 24-hour alarm monitoring of your Alexandria, Virginia home security system.

Protection 1 Home Security

National Office

800 E Waterman

https://www.protection1.com/local/images/logo.png

24 Hour Customer Service

Phone: (877) 776-1911

Open 24 hours

Local Contact Information

Local: (316) 854-1190

Fax: (800) 937-3354

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Home Security in Alexandria, Alexandria, Virginia

Dear EICAR Member,

As decided at last year's Members Meeting there will be no classical EICAR Conference held in 2017. However, EICAR has booked a conference room for the 12th October 2017 at the ITSa in Nrnber and we will hold our Members Meeting there on 12th October, commencing at 15:00.The Board will give you an update on the current situation of EICAR and our understanding on the way ahead for the near future.We will put all efforts into the "Trustworthiness Strategy", which will require some changes in our current fee structure for corporate members which require the approval of the members.lt is therefore of utmost important that as many members as possible will join us at the meeting in Nuernberg.

Invitation Membersmeeting 2017

Agenda Membersmeeting 2017

Registration for EICAR Meeting 2017

The next WG2 meeting is scheduled for Sep. 28th 2017 in Bonn, Germany.Presentations will be held in German.

Das nchste WG2-Treffen ist fr read more >>

The presentations from EICAR Conference 2016 held on October 17th and 18th in Nuremberg, Germany,are online.

We had to inform you, that the test file downloads from our new server are not correct until now.

The correct EICAR test file string was not included in these files.

Today we moved the EICAR web sites to a new server location.

We hope nothing is wrong. If you find an error please send us an email.

read more >>

news archive >>

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Home EICAR - European Expert Group for IT-Security

DIY installations can also be simpleif you know what youre doing. The two biggest drawbacks that you might run into are the lack of professional help and second-guessing yourself. But beyond that, DIY installations give you a lot more control because you can decide where to place your devices and sensors. And if you encounter any issues or feel stuck, you can always call and have a professional help you over the phone. That being said, depending on the security system, it can take you longer to set up and get everything running. But with a DIY installation, not only do you have a sense of pride in your accomplishment, you also save money because most DIY installations are free.

If you find you need help, you usually have one of two support options: electronic prompts or verbal walk-throughs.

Electronic Prompts: With electronic prompts, your security system company will give you verbal guidance (in the form of a computerized voice) as you set up your system. It will also let you know how to ensure that all your sensors are connected and working.

Verbal Walk-Through: In contrast, with a verbal walk-through, you'll call an installation professional who will guide you through the process over the phone and make sure your equipment works properly.

Continued here:
5 Best Home Security & Alarm Systems of 2017 - SafeWise Reviews

Who wants to live in a slammer? Home security has never been an artful enterprise few choices exist outside jailhouse grills that seem to incarcerate homeowners rather than block intruders.

Enter sculptor David Hollen, who creates nature-inspired gate and window screen designs that may have thieves snapping photos instead of latches. Built primarily from three-sixteenths-inch plate steel, the structures riff on nature found in homeowners own backyards.

Hollen works from his HollenArt Studio in downtown Los Angeles and has built nearly a dozen security projects, priced from $2,000 for small window screens to more than $12,000 for larger gates, not including outsourced installation costs.

Pasadena homeowner Doug Hammett has commissioned six projects. The most striking is a side tree gate topped with a tumble of sharply pointed maple leaves that are both beautiful and dangerous.

There had been some theft in the neighborhood, and instead of just getting a gate from Home Depot, I thought, how can I do this aesthetically? said Hammett, 53, an artist.

David Hollen

Sharp-edged steel maple leaves top a steel gate.

Sharp-edged steel maple leaves top a steel gate. (David Hollen)

Hollen designed the $5,000 gate 15 years ago and recently added the steely maple leaves on top ($1,800) and along an adjacent fence ($3,500) which reference Hammetts backyard Chinese maples.

I got the idea by looking at dried fallen leaves and the tips that get rather pointy, said Hollen, 56, whos also working on an oak leaf design.

He designed a variety of leaf shapes and sizes and welded them onto the gate and onto a metal strip bolted to the side fence. The artist primes and then paints his work with the industrial finish architectural bronze, a warmer alternative to stark black.

A water theme permeates other works in Hammetts home: a $5,000 wave gate references artist Katsushika Hokusais turbulent wave motifs, and a $7,000 Dutch door pays homage to another Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama, and her passion for polka dots, circles and bubble-like forms.

A slim 7-foot-tall window screen resembles a rippled pond struck with pebbles ($3,500). Monkey silhouettes play among concentric whirls on two kitchen window grates ($3,500 total). The overlapping rings are designed to prevent hands from reaching through the screens.

The bane of this kind of work are 5-year-olds who jump up and climb on it, said Hollen, whos also designing back-patio features for Union Stations Traxx restaurant. A gate has to bear weight and stay within code so kids cant stick their heads through and get stuck.

David Hollen

A silhouetted monkey plays among concentric steel rings.

A silhouetted monkey plays among concentric steel rings. (David Hollen)

Other work is more decoratively functional: A $12,500 gate resembles a tree flanked by meadow grasses and flowers. The structure hems in a West Hollywood couples front-entrance patio (it keeps their cat inside).

Hollen hand-draws his designs in a raster program, converting them to a vector, a kind of blueprint read by an outsourced laser cutter that cuts the patterns. Both the design work and its execution are exacting.

Im working within intolerances of 5,000ths of an inch, about the thickness of a piece of paper, he said.

hotproperty@latimes.com

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Home security gets arty with nature-inspired gate and window designs - Los Angeles Times

A new home security survey by Schlage found that three out of four Americans have doubted whether they locked their door.

CARMEL, Ind. Schlage, an Allegion brand ofadvanced lock products, has released a nationwide home security survey revealing that the majority of Americans have doubted whether they locked their door.

Released in tandem with Wakefield Research, the survey of an estimated 1,000 U.S. adults 18 and older showed 75% of Americans have felt uncertain about whether or not they locked their doors.

That statistic jumpsto nearly 83% among millennials and 81% among parents.

The survey also revealed that 43% of consumers have experienced or know someone who has experienced a break-in when they were not home.

As technology evolves, locking devices will continue to advance and offer additional capabilities, saysAnn Matheis, marketing director at Allegion.

Security dealers and integrators should take heed of this new information. As the popularity of smart home devices continues to increase, there are a number of solutions available to ease end users fears.

Solutions like the August Smart Lock Pro and Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt allow end users to control and check the status of their locks from anywhere with their mobile devices.

Smart home technologies like the Schlage Sense can help put renters and homeowners minds at ease, knowing that no matter where they are they can check on the security of their single-family home through a simple app, says Matheis.

READ NEXT: Electronic Locks Market on Pace to Grow 13.9% Annually, Report Says

Steven A. Karantzoulidis is the Web Editor for Security Sales & Integration. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in Communication and has a background in Film, A/V and Social Media.

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Top Home Security Concern Is Second-Guessing if Door Is Locked ... - Security Sales & Integration

Ive never understood the fascination with connected home cameras, such as Canary, the Nest Cam, and others. Theyve always been a gimmick in my experience: not reliable enough for a proper security system, not practical enough to be a baby monitor. But a lot of people really like them, so I spent the last week with the new Nest Cam IQ to see if it could change my opinion.

The $299 Nest Cam IQs big pitch is intelligence. It has a higher-resolution camera than prior Nest Cam models, but it doesnt use that to output a larger video feed. Instead, it combines that high resolution with smart people tracking to automatically zoom in on a subject when it sees a person in the frame and still maintain good image quality. It can see friendly faces that you identify in the Nest app, and it can alert you when it sees a person that it doesnt recognize.

To make this work, you need to subscribe to the Nest Aware service, which is available with 10 days of rolling backups for $10 per month or $100 per year, or 30 days of rolling backups for $30 per month or $300 per year. Adding a camera to the 10-day plan is $5 per month; additional cameras on the 30-day plan are $15 each per month. Without the subscription service, the Cam IQ will still provide push alerts to your phone for motion, sound, and people, but its Familiar Faces feature will not work and it will only be able to rewind the last three hours of footage.

Between the cost of the camera itself and the fees for its service, the Cam IQs intelligence has a lot to prove.

Nest advertises the Cam IQ as a security device, so I set it up in my front window, pointed toward my front door. (Note that this is inside the house: the Cam IQ is not designed to be used outdoors.) I thought it would be able to alert me to visitors and delivery people like a doorbell, in effect which it did do. But it also alerted me whenever one of my neighbors was walking their dog on my street, which grew tiresome quickly.

The Nest Cam IQ also had both false positives (alerting me to something when there was nothing) and false negatives (failing to alert me when someone was actually there), which make me really hesitant to rely on it for any actual security needs. Combined with the fact that the only thing the Cam IQ can do when it detects an intruder is send my phone a push notification (which I may or may not see immediately), it doesnt seem like a great solution if you really want to secure your home. It cant call authorities or ask for help the way a proper home security system can.

Video captured by the Cam IQ is saved in 1080p resolution instead of the 4K that the sensor is capable of. Image quality is fine, but its nothing compared to a high-end smartphone. There are also three microphones and a speaker on the Cam IQ, so if you have it set up in the right place, you can talk to a person through it. Or yell at your kid when they are refusing to go to sleep.

Supersight is a very cool feature, but only visible within the Nest app

The Supersight feature, which zooms in on a person it detects in frame, is very cool to see in action. The camera will automatically zoom in the image and pan it to track the person while they move in frame, ostensibly so you can identify them easier. But the only way to view the Supersight feature is within the apps timeline mode, and shared or saved video clips will only show the full wide view of the camera.

Still, after having the Nest Cam IQ in my front window for a week, I started to understand a little bit why people like these things in their homes. They may not be great security systems, but they are good at capturing serendipitous moments throughout the day. That might be my two-year-old walking her play lawnmower around the yard or my father-in-law finding yet another thing to fix on the front of the house when he comes to visit.

Some people like to use these cameras as baby monitors, but Ive found them to be too slow and not immediate enough for that. A push notification isnt going to wake me up, but a proper baby monitor will. My colleague Ben Popper uses a similar camera in his boys bedroom to monitor them when its time for bed, but even he said that the cost of the Nest Cams service would not be worth it.

And thats the real issue: the Nest Cam IQ is basically an expensive toy. Even with its people-tracking intelligence and high-resolution image quality, Im not convinced its worth the price.

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Nest's new home camera is an interesting toy - The Verge - The Verge

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CRN - Technology News For Solution Providers And The IT ...

Home Security Systems Review Why Install a Home Security System?

Editor's note: On May 2, 2016, ADT announced the completion of a merger with Protection 1. Although the two companies currently operate independently, both will eventually operate exclusively under the ADT brand. When ADT and Protection 1 complete this brand integration, we will update our home security reviews to reflect that information.

The top performers in our review are LiveWatch, the Gold Award winner; Monitronics, the Silver Award winner; and Frontpoint, the Bronze Award winner. Here is more on choosing a system to meet your needs, along with detail on how we arrived at our ranking of 15 systems.

Whether you are away for 15 minutes or two weeks, you need to know that your family and valuables are safe at home. If you have one of the best home security systems, it can notify you when things happen in your home, such as when your children come home from school. It can also protect you from risks of fire, flood, carbon monoxide and natural gas leaks, which pose very real threats.

The best security systems can also protect against the insidious and terrifying dangers of break-ins by criminals, which in some respects can be even worse than other threats. The very idea of a human intruder creeping through the house and pawing through possessions is enough to make adults feel violated. If you are at home at the time, the risk is even higher.

Even if no one is at home when a burglar breaks in, children can suffer from the mere idea that a stranger was in the place where they deserve to feel safest. Some mental health experts have found that break-ins can traumatize children to such a degree that youngsters are plagued by nightmares, experience a profound decrease in confidence, start to do poorly in school and obsess about somebody breaking in again. But let's face it once your house has been broken into, every family member is going to feel a little less safe, and who knows how long it will take a sensitive person, young or old, to get over that troubling sense of uneasiness?

Taking concrete steps to prevent something like this from happening can go a long way toward making you and your loved ones feel secure and comfortable in their own home. Installing the best home security system for your budget and overall needs can offer peace of mind to the whole family.

Installing one of the top home security systems can be a significant financial investment for the equipment, possible labor installation costs and monthly fees. On the bright side, it can lower your home insurance costs. If a security system can protect your family and your irreplaceable belongings when disaster strikes, these costs will probably seem irrelevant.

In addition to paying for the services of home security companies, there are a number of inexpensive ways to enhance the safety of your home with some systems that you can install yourself. Along with that, you can undertake a few simple and common sense measures to ward off would-be burglars. For additional information, read our articles on the best home alarm systems. If you prefer a hands-on, no-contract approach, check out our DIY home security review.

Top Ten Reviews seeks, whenever possible, to evaluate all products and services in hands-on tests that simulate as closely as possible the experiences of a typical consumer. The manufacturers had no input or influence over our test methodology, nor was the methodology provided to any of them in more detail than is available through reading our reviews. Results of our evaluations were not provided to the companies in advance of publication.

All home security firms give you a basic amount of coverage, but the best home security system companies offer extra options as well. The best home security systems help you effectively protect your home by offering a variety of alerts and monitoring services, a large assortment of security devices, and strong customer support services. In trying to provide the best security system reviews, we examined many factors including such diverse topics as fees, equipment selection, customer service and more.

When you are looking for the best home security plan for your situation, consider the things you want to protect, for example, children, pets and valuables. To start, information is one of the most important tools you have for keeping your home safe.

Home surveillance systems can alert you in the event of various emergencies, and these alerts can arrive as a text, email, phone call or an alert from a mobile app. You can typically receive alerts for such things as intrusion, fire, carbon monoxide, and broken window or door glass. Many companies also provide additional alerts that address child safety, medical emergencies, temperature changes, flooding, power failure and natural gas line breaks.

The best home burglar alarm systems offer a speedy response time that automatically notifies the right party within seconds of an event, which means you can take steps to stop or modify any risks to you, your family and your valuable possessions.

In our exploration of firms to find the top home security systems, we checked prices since there are costs involved for professional monitoring of your property and, in many cases, expenses for professional equipment installation.

Not only do you need to know what you must pay monthly for the service, but it is also important to find out whether there are installation or activation fees. Some home security systems offer equipment that is easy to install so you don't have to wait for a company crew to arrive and do it for you.

Naturally, no one can put a price tag on security. When it comes to your beloved family members, housemates, pets and cherished personal belongings, there is a deep-seated sense that one's home should be a sanctuary free from the dangers of the outside world. However, it is wise to be a shrewd consumer when it comes to signing up for a home security system since it is extremely easy for a savvy salesperson to talk (or even guilt-trip) you into paying for upgrades you do not really need, all in the name of safety.

Aside from finding a home security system that fits your budget, it is important to get a plan that includes the equipment, services and customer responsiveness that suits the unique needs of your home and your loved ones. If you live with someone who is elderly or who has mobility problems, a medic alert necklace can be a lifesaver. However, if no one in your home needs that, there is no sense paying for it.

It is best to really evaluate your home and decide what level of protection will make you most comfortable. The cheapest plan might be easy on your wallet, but it might not offer what you need. The most expensive package, despite its high price tag, might be lacking in some area that is important to you. Shopping around can yield great results.

Aside from monthly monitoring fees and starting costs, another thing to keep in mind is the duration of your contract. Most security systems for homes have one- to three-year contracts, but some residential security alarm systems can extend as long as five years. It is important to know how much it will cost if you decide to opt out of a particular company's service before the contract ends since some firms require you to pay the full remaining amount while others might have a prorated sum or no fee at all.

The top home security systems we examined all offer wireless plans, which means you do not have the nuisance of wires snaking all through the house. You also get considerable flexibility as far as which devices you want to connect to and where you want things placed. You can connect the best systems to multiple sensors and cameras within and outside your house and link them with smartphones or other mobile devices.

Among other things, you undoubtedly want a home alarm system that protects every entrance and exit with a variety of door and window sensors, as well as recessed door sensors and garage door sensors. These will alert you if someone is trying to break or sneak into your home, and motion detectors in rooms can sense if someone is creeping through your house. You can even place a sensor on a medicine cabinet in the event someone is snooping around with the intention of swiping prescription drugs.

If you have pets, you may want to consider pet-immune sensors to reduce false alarms so your dogs or cats are not setting off motion detector devices all the time. You can get other false-alarm prevention sensors as well, such as glass-break sensors. These are designed to react to the sound of breaking glass in such things as windows or sliding glass doors, but they will not kick in if you accidentally drop a coffee mug and it shatters on the kitchen floor.

If your company includes a panic button in its equipment package, this allows you to activate a silent alarm that alerts the security company if something goes wrong. In addition, you can get a system that uses environmental sensors as well as sirens that frighten burglars and sound an SOS to neighbors. These extra devices can enable the system to detect a greater variety of threats for heightened security.

The best security systems are compatible with security cameras that you can access remotely using a smartphone or laptop. You can find systems that use top quality cameras that can be installed indoors and outdoors so you can see what is happening both inside and out. These not only let you see what is going on, but can be extremely helpful later for identification and prosecution purposes if police catch a burglar who was inside your house and/or an accomplice who was waiting outside.

Home security monitoring services can alert local emergency responders when a threat appears, which helps keep an eye on your home when you are away. You probably benefit most from alarm companies that offer 24-hour monitoring since that ensures your home is protected at all times.

Cellular and internet monitoring tools let you remotely see when your children get home or check on pets during the day. These are reassuring services for parents and pet owners who worry about their two-legged and four-legged loved ones when they are not home to make sure everything is safe.

Many home security companies also offer home automation, which allows you to lock doors and adjust your thermostat remotely. Follow-up notifications and two-way intercoms give the security service a way to contact you after or during an emergency to see if you need further assistance.

If you have the misfortune to experience a home emergency, it is crucial to be able to contact home security personnel quickly and easily. All services in our product lineup have a telephone service and email contact, and many have live chat available to answer questions about the system.

In addition, such things as online tutorials, FAQs and alarm history reports can help you set it up or learn how the system works. You will also want to learn about the kind of warranty a company offers. It is especially important to know how far a warranty goes toward protecting your security system's equipment from manufacturer defects and other problems. Some companies offer installation and relocation services if you require assistance with system setup.

You can get sophisticated equipment and monitoring systems from professionalcompanies, but do not lose sight of the fact that most career criminals are essentially stupid, but they are sneaky and sly enough to want to avoid prison. A few common sense actions on your part can help considerably to thwart them.

Light up: If you plan to be away for any length of time, keep lights on in rooms where they would logically be on and consider buying inexpensive timer devices that you can set to turn lights on and off automatically.

Appearances count: Enlist a friend or neighbor, or pay someone, to collect any mail, print newspapers or flyers you might receive and attend to trash pickup. In addition, make sure your lawn gets mowed, snow gets shoveled and the house looks like someone is present.

Tighten up: Be sure to lock doors and windows and always close your garage door when you leave home. And do not make the mistake of hiding your house key under the porch mat or potted plant.

Clear the view: Tall shrubbery can look attractive, but also can obscure what is happening near your home. Keep hedges trimmed so your neighbors and passing squad cars can see what is up.

Stash valuables: Buy a small safe for jewelry and important papers, and hide cash and other precious items in unlikely places. While you are at it, be discreet when talking about valuable new possessions. No sense spreading the word you got diamond earrings for your birthday or a new iPod.

Sign of the times: Consider a window decal and possibly a yard sign indicating your home is protected by a security system, but avoid including too many details to deter some thief who thinks he can dismantle a particular brand.

Resist a Hard Sell If you are meeting with a sales person, insist on getting identification from that individual and do not take no for an answer. You should be able to write down the person's name, contact information, the name of the company and anything else that seems pertinent to ensure that this is a valid company representative.

Legitimate sales people are not afraid to let you know who they are and what company they represent. No matter how personable the sales representative is, do not tolerate non-identification or delaying tactics such as the sales person asking for a glass of water or use of the restroom before talking your ear off about a bewildering assortment of plans and costs. This is a business deal, so insist on professional behavior. If you do not get it, ask the person to leave.

Get Paper Documents In an era when so much information is online, paper documents seem outdated to many people. However, it is always helpful to get written estimates and then do some comparison shopping with other companies and get written estimates from them as well. You are doing due diligence for an important investment and you deserve to have a clear idea of exactly what services are offered, what equipment is available, what costs are involved, how and when you will be billed, and more.

Ask About Cancellation Policies and Auto Renewals One of the most heatedly criticized areas in the home security industry is the matter of automatic contract renewals. You should get written information either in the estimate or the contract while still unsigned regarding how you are notified about any renewal, what steps you need to take if you do not want the renewal to go through and what the procedure is for cancelling service before the contract ends if you are unhappy with it.

In some cases, you cannot cancel the contract or, if you do, you must pay a fee. In a situation like that, find out well before you even sign up for the service what the fee is, when you must notify the company and other details, and get this information in writing.

Demand More Time When you sign up for what you expect will be the best security system for your house, you are signing a legal document promising to pay monthly for the assistance you get from the company. However, there is more at stake than mere money since this business deal involves the physical safety of you, your loved ones and your home.

Take the time to call your city hall or the non-emergency number for law enforcement in your area to find out whether you have to register your system and whether there are any policies regarding false alarms and potential fines if they occur. Above all, read the contract very carefully and pay close attention to the details. Make a copy and keep it with your records.

Sign Nothing If You Suspect a Scam Unfortunately for the reputable home security companies, there are scam artists who pose as sales people with bogus home security plans. There is no rush, so do not sign anything until you have done some comparison shopping, checked with the local Better Business Bureau, and asked friends and relatives to see if they have had any experience with a particular company. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

LiveWatch, our Gold Award winner, provides you with a wide array of equipment so you can customize the level of security you want for your home. This firm offers a self-installation program as well as an alert system that can go to several sources simultaneously so there is no delay as with some companies that painstakingly go down a list of emergency contacts. You also have options for equipment upgrades. You can also get emergency key fobs and necklace-style pendants for elderly or less mobile family members to use for medical emergencies.

Our Silver Award winner, Monitronics, gives you a choice of three home protection plans and around-the-clock home security monitoring. You, your loved ones and your property will be in good hands since the monitoring is handled by operators who have undergone 96 hours of classroom training and eight weeks of personal mentoring, along with routine quality assurance checking.

Frontpoint, our Bronze Award winner, provides three home monitoring plans and home security equipment you can install on your own. Its Interactive plan lets you control your system with a smartphone.

When choosing a home security system, always keep in mind the needs of your house and family. An effective system protects everything you hold dear, helps you feel safe and offers peace of mind. Strong support features and effortless interaction with the security company are surefire ways to help you feel a greater sense of security at home and while you are away.

Contributing Reviewer: Linda Thomson

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The Best Home Security Systems of 2016 | Top Ten Reviews