Christmas time is a very special time of the year for many people, but it can also be a worry when it comes to security. Often during the build up to Christmas, lots of people buy presents and store them in their home. Criminals know this and so often target homes around this time of year. If you do fall victim to this type of crime it can ruin your Christmas so people up and down the country are stepping up their security.

There are a number on ways in which you can increase your security, one of them is CCTV. CCTV systems are very easy to get your hands on and you can pay anywhere from around £30 for a basic camera upwards of £3000 for a full 8 camera system. Which system you choose very much depends on the level of security you need and the budget you have available. If you just want to see one area on the camera, eg. Your driveway and front door then one camera may be enough, if however you have multiple entrance points in to the property then you may need to opt for a bigger system to cover it.

Whenever you create an online account, you will find that you need to choose a password. Most sites have a rating system where it will tell you if the password you have chosen is weak, moderate or strong. Ideally, you always want your password to be strong as this will provide you with the most protection.

Most people seem to think they should have the same password for every website, possibly with slight changes, for example, different capital letters, numbers or punctuation. But this is not the best thing you can do. Ideally, you want to have different passwords everywhere, this way if someone does happen to find your email and password combination for one site, they will find this does not work on any other site, as you have been security aware.

It is also a great idea to update and change your passwords every so often. This way it is less likely for hackers to discover your password and gain access to your account this way.

In order to protect yourself and your family from cyber crime it is vital that you acknowledge that you are probably a target and that you act accordingly. Some people believe it will never happen to them and are not vigilant enough to prevent themselves from being scammed. So, here are some tips to up your internet security.

At a minimum you need to run security software on every device you use to access sensitive information. If your devices are sometimes left unattended, configure them to auto-lock, and to require a strong password to unlock them. Only install software from reputable sources, such as official app stores and official vendor and reseller websites as some sites may contain viruses and tracking software that will be downloaded without you realising it. It is important to keep your computer or phone software up to date so that the latest security features are enabled.

Never access sensitive information over free public Wi-Fi and consider avoiding using such internet access altogether, especially from any device on which you perform sensitive activities or access sensitive information. The connection provided by your cellular service is likely far more secure than any public Wi-Fi.

The common cyber scams targeting online shoppers are receiving communication from a retailer, shipper, or any other party related to an online shopping order that is not a genuine communication. To check any communication, open a web browser, go to the website of the relevant “sender,” locate its contact information, and contact it directly to ask about the message you received.

At this time of the year when many people leave their homes to go on holiday thoughts turn to home security and whether the property is secure and as protected as much as possible from burglars. As well as the more obvious things to check such as making sure that all the doors and windows in the home and outbuildings are locked with superior quality locking systems, installing a CCTV system is one way that people try to protect their unoccupied homes. This can be a valuable addition to home security as it is a good way to discourage thieves as the sight of the cameras may act as a deterrent. It is vital that the CCTV cameras are sited in the correct places so that the majority of the property is covered by the footage. If at all possible, the wiring for the cameras should be hidden and not easily accessible to prevent them becoming damaged by an intruder.

Doorbell cameras which allow homeowners to see any visitors to the property whilst they are away can give an added level of security and some models allow the homeowner to speak to the visitor. These cameras can be linked to a mobile phone so that the footage can be viewed even when abroad and any suspicious activity can then be reported to the police if appropriate or a neighbour can be alerted to investigate.

Having a CCTV system monitoring a business premises is now regarded as an essential security feature along with an alarm system and high quality doors and locks but how good is the footage from that CCTV system and can it actually identify thieves and be used in evidence in court?

The old adage, “You get what you pay for” is certainly true for security systems and when you are trying to prevent possibly thousands of pounds of goods being stolen from the premises buying a superior CCTV set up is vital. The quality of the footage on a cheap system can be grainy and unclear which renders it useless when the police look at it to try to determine the culprits. Good quality cameras will provide much clearer video and images which may show not only faces but other distinguishing marks such as tattoos.

A superior quality security system may also have much more robust cameras which are harder to disable and damage, and hidden protected cabling preventing the thieves from cutting them. Footage from the cameras can often be viewed remotely allowing the business owner to act quickly and alert the police if a break-in is detected possibly catching the thieves red-handed.

When you think about the senior people in our lives, your first thought does not turn to them being highly skilled in the world of mobile phones. So, why would mobile compatible alarms be good for seniors?

Well, this isn’t when you want to think directly about the age of the person who is going to be in the home. You want to think of who is going to be helping them. Issues with alarms do occur, so having the ability for other family members to have virtual control of the alarm, will help the senior to feel more protected. If they are confused, they can ask these family members for help.

If the family have worries about their elderly relative, it will put their mind at ease with them being able to have some control over their alarm system. So yes, mobile compatible alarms are good for senior homes.

As the population ages there are now more elderly people living alone in the UK than ever before. Sometimes their family do not live locally and so are worried about their loved one’s safety and security whilst at home so what are the best ways to keep the elderly or vulnerable safe in their own homes?

Having the essential good quality locks on windows and doors and a chain on the front door is a basic requirement and should you need a carer or relative to access the property a door safe or keypad is a worthwhile consideration. It is always a temptation to hide a key under a pot or a mat, but this is not advisable as should someone gain access to the property in this way it could invalidate the home insurance should it be necessary to make a claim on the policy. A doorbell camera is a good way of being able to see who is at the door without opening it and some come with a feature that allows the occupant to speak to the caller. 

If there is a danger that the person could have a fall in the home then a panic alarm which can be worn around the neck or around the wrist as a watch can bring great peace of mind to family members who may be worried about the person living alone.

More and more people are opting to use a mobile app to do their day to day banking but worryingly the incidence of online fraud through these apps is also on the rise. Is it a secure way of dealing with our finances then or should we be logging back onto our laptops and computers or even visiting our local branch in person?

It seems as if the current trend in banks is to close lots of their branches especially in smaller towns, so people are being forced into conducting their banking online. For people who are not online or not very tech savvy this can cause problems. Some banks have support people online to help those who are unfamiliar with online banking apps and sometimes a phone call to the bank is all that is needed to talk customers through issues.

Keeping security details secret and not easily guessed is vital to the mobile banking app’s security. It is a good idea to regularly change your password and not to have the same password for multiple accounts. Some banks give customers the facility to suspend remote purchases for an account therefore, if a hacker gets your details they are not able to go on a spending spree at your expense.

When you decide to install a home security alarm, there are a few aspects that you need to learn about. One of these is the reasons why your alarm may sound.

Commonly, the alarm will sound when someone breaks into your home. This is to alert the people that are around you that your home is in danger and they should do something to protect it. But what about when you are home, why is your alarm sounding when you are home?

One reason why your alarm may be sounding why you are home is simple, you may have forgotten to turn it off. If you did forget to turn it off, this will be an easy fix by simply turning it off and letting it know that you are back home.

Another reason why your alarm may be sounding why you are home is a fault. If there is a fault in the system it may cause your alarm to sound. This can be something simple from a low battery that simply needs changing.

So many of us get annoyed with our computers, phones and even watches telling us that we need to do updates. It is very easy to simply press dismiss and be done with it but this is actually opening yourself up to security breaches and something you should be taking seriously.

Often the majority of updates that are rolled out to our devices are actually based on security and not necessarily functionality. This may mean that you do not notice any difference but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do them. It may be that recent vulnerability has come to light that requires immediate attention to avoid anyone being able to hack into your device. As soon as the company has been made aware of this, they will usually create a fix that needs to be updated on your device to patch the vulnerability. Unless you install this security update you will not be protected and could still fall victim to this. Ideally schedule a time to do all your updates, often overnight is a good idea. Be sure to make sure that your device is plugged in or has enough battery as it can cause issues if it runs out of power half way through.