In January of every year I write an article to help you think about you Home, Electronic and Personal Security. In 2017 Assistants like Alexa and Siri have become “smarter” and claim to help us more in our everyday lives.
Home and Lock Security:
Look at your locks and your doors. Are your locks operating smoothly are they at least a class 2 lock? Do all your outside doors have deadbolt locks installed? Can you account for all your keys? If not, either replace the lock or have it re-keyed. Try Lockable Key Rings to keep control of your keys.
Is your alarm system working properly? In 2017 the biggest change from 2016 to 2017 is most alarm systems now can be controlled by smart phone apps. Maybe its time for you to upgrade to a modern alarm system that can be controlled by your smart phone. It should communicate with the central station via cell service instead of a landline.
Computer Security:
In 2017 our computers, tablets and smart phones have become smarter. They are also more open with extensive Wi-Fi connections. These connections should be secured by some type of internet security that has built in Wi-Fi security. Make sure that you are using the most up to date Wi-Fi security. We are using Home Automation more and this opens us up to additional security problems. Be careful how you use Alexa, Siri, Cortana and Google Assistant.
If at all possible, use credit cards instead of debit cards. Credit cards give you more security and you are using their money for 30 days. Just make sure to pay your bills in full every month.
Personal Security:
When driving or walking be aware of your surroundings, know where you are at all time. If you “Gut” tells you to leave an area, listen and move away. Park your vehicle in a well-lit area and do not leave any thing visible such as you GPS, laptop, etc. When arriving home park your vehicle in your garage and close the door before you get out. If it's dark try using light on a timer inside your house, so that there is a light(s) on when you arrive home. It's always better to walk into a lighted house.
All of the above items are common sense, everyone has different security needs, so this article is written to help you think about your own personal security situation.
