How to avoid driveway hijacking

 

How to avoid driveway hijacking

 

 

 

Modus Operandi used by the hijackers:

• Most hijackings take place in the driveways of residential areas. These hijackers prefer areas with accessible escape routes.

If we understand and keep this modus operandi in mind, we can also change our driving behaviour to avoid becoming an easy target. We would like to discuss three of the situations where vehicle owners can act with increased caution.

How to avoid a hijacking situation:

Approaching and entering your driveway:

• 2km from your house strategy. Be extra alert. Switch off the car radio and concentrate on your surroundings. If you have noticed any vehicle behind you, use the techniques you have learned during the hijack prevention & survival course to determine whether you are being followed.
• Remember to stop your vehicle just on the inside of the gate and select reverse whilst waiting for the gate to close. This creates confusion and may buy you a few seconds for the gate to close completely behind you.
• Check your driveway and street before you leave or enter your premises.
• Make sure your driveway is well lit and clear from shrubbery where perpetrators can hide.
• Be aware of unknown pedestrians close to your residential address – do not turn into your driveway – pass and go back later.
• Liaise with your neighbours – know them.
• Be aware of vehicles parked close to your address with occupants inside. It might be perpetrators observing the area.
• Be alert if your animals do not greet you at the gate as usual. It might be that the perpetrators over-powered them.
• Phone your home and ask for someone to make sure your driveway is safe and to open and close the gate for you.
• When returning home after dark, ensure that an outside light is on, or have someone meet you at the gate. Check with your armed response company if they are rendering rendezvous services.
• If at any time you have to open the gate yourself, switch off the vehicle, leave the key in the ignition and close the door. Then open the gate.
• If you have small children in the vehicle, take the key with you (this is the only exception). You need the key as a “negotiating tool”. The perpetrators want your vehicle and you want your children.
• If your children are older, it is advised that they exit the vehicle with you when opening the gate so that you are all separated from the vehicle should a hijack occur.

Parking your vehicle:

• Check rear-view mirror to ensure you are not being followed.
• When exiting your vehicle, be cautious and aware of surrounding obstructions and shrubbery that may be concealing a hijacker.
• Never sit in your parked vehicle without being conscious of your surroundings. Sleeping in a stationary vehicle is particularly dangerous.
• When approaching your driveway, be on the lookout for suspicious vehicles / persons. This is very important as the majority of hijackers approach their victims in home driveways.

Ensure exterior lighting is installed and that the exterior of the house is well lit, it is also worth considering demand lighting which is activated by a motion detector

Try to reduce any bushes or obstructions in the vicinity of your driveway as these act as good hiding places.

Ensure Chubb's emergency number is programmed into your telephone's speed dial and that your entire family know the number.Keep you panic button with you at all times! A Free Alarms consultant will gladly come to your home and access your situation. 

How to Avoid Triggering a False Alarm

When it comes to home security you don’t want to become the boy that cried wolf.  If your alarm goes off regularly the police and neighbours will no longer consider it a priority.  You also don’t want to be the annoying neighbour whose alarm system keeps up half the neighbourhood at inappropriate times. 

1.    Set up an alarm system maintenance and upgrades schedule. Like all electronic devices alarm systems need to be updated to work at its optimal potential. Replace all batteries every three months.

2.    Include the cleaning the alarm equipment in your house cleaning routine. Lint and dust can clog the motion sensors which can cause them to go off at inapt times.

3.    Pets are one of the main causes of false alarms. Install pet friendly sensors and keep your pets away from problem areas if possible.

4.    Keep windows and doors locked as most alarm sensors are connected to entrance ways.

5.    Study up on the interworking of your alarm system. Know how to cancel the false alarm and how to set it up again afterwards.

6.    When away let the house sitter know about all the quirks of the house and system.

7.    If you are changing anything in the home your contact your security provider, Free Alarms, like if you are planning a remodelling project that will affect the system’s operation. 

8.    Involve the whole household when installing the system. If everyone is informed decreases the likelihood of simple mistakes such as leaving windows and doors open.

Ideally an alarm system is a subtle presence that will protect your household. By following these simple tips it will be.

Shed a light on crime

 

When used strategically, the lighting fixtures in and around your house can be valuable part of your home security.  Electricity bill aside, lighting is also a relatively affordable

Outdoor

Outdoor lighting combined with sensitive motion sensors provides a sense of security, especially with a home that has numerous dark corners. Place the lights and motion sensors near doors and windows which will most likely be targeted by the burglar.

Strive to maintain an aesthetic quality when planning the lights. If the lights are to sharp or placed at the wrong angles it may prove to be bothersome to neighbors and even members of your own household. The lighting can also have the dual function of accentuating your garden.

Burglar Beacon

When out for the evening, most leave a single light on as an added security measure and in some cases as the only security measure.  A single light can literally become a beacon for burglars who have become the wiser.  It is better to leave multiple lights on around the house along with a radio of TV.

Successful burglars are those who can move around without being seen. Just by flipping on the light switch you are already on the way of creating a safe home for your family.

It Takes A Thief....to give expert security advice

 

“You lock every door and window in your house. But they know every trick in the book. Two expert thieves size up, break into and rip off real homes. And unless you know how they get in, you don't have a chance of keeping them out.”

It Takes a Thief  is an alternative reality show produced by the Discovery Channel that ran for two seasons. The show is a fly-on-the-wall view into the inner workings of a burglary. The security of residential homes is tested with a fully-fledged burglary. This gives home owners invaluable insights into the security threats in their property.  It Takes a Thief  is hosted by two former convicted thieves, Matt Johnston and Jon Douglas Rainey. 

Who better to give advice on security than someone whose “job” was to breach it? Here are a few tips by Rainey and Johnston on security alarms:

• Homes without a home-security/alarm system have a significantly higher break-in rate, so invest in an alarm system to protect your home ... and use it. Most of us ignore the sirens of car and house alarms because they go off regularly, so make sure your house alarm is connected to the police and a central station to ensure someone will respond.
• When you connect your alarm system to a monitoring station, make sure you have a back-up cellular connection in case your phone service is disrupted.
•  If you move into a house with an old alarm system contact the provider to inquire about an upgrade.
•  Consider a security system equipped with ultrasonic sensors that can detect movement inside your home, not just breaches of your doors and windows. Certain alarm systems allow your home to have separate zones so specific areas can always stay armed. Also, a panic button can be hooked up to your alarm system's central server for added protection inside your home.
•  Less expensive security options include motion sensors, sound detectors and photocells, all of which can be used to turn on lights when triggered. Especially if you live in a hidden or dark area, motion sensors on outdoor lights are an easy and inexpensive deterrent for any possible intruders on your property at night.
• Individual window alarms, which are activated by vibration, can also discourage thieves. If you have an alarm system, make sure all your windows either have contacts on them or you have glass-break sensors in the rooms.
•  A thief may try to dismantle your alarm system, so make sure the system's central panel is in a secure spot. In addition, since construction or wildlife can disrupt outside wiring, have your system tested regularly.
•  A barking dog — even a small one — will deter most burglars. The noise draws attention, which is the last thing burglars want. However, dogs are never a proper deterrent. They only become scared like humans if strangers become threatening. It's not fair to your pup to rely on its canine bravado.
•  Reflective numbers outside on the front of your home will make it easy for police and ambulances to find your house in case of emergency.

Securing Your Wireless Network

 

When you set up a wireless network in your house, the broadband signal is sent out from your router - it’s no longer necessary to physically connect your computer to your modem using an ethernet cable, and your network is no longer contained by the walls of your house. While this is great for you, it creates a whole new set of security challenges; protecting your wireless network is essential if you want to keep your connection private and hacker-free.

How do I check if my wireless network has security?

Go to My Network Places and scan for your wireless network. In the list that appears, there should be a picture of a padlock next to the name of your network. If there is no padlock, then your network is open and you need security.

An open network means that anyone within reach of the signal - which usually travels around 100 metres - can connect to the internet using your broadband connection. This could result in piggybacking users slowing your connection down and using up your download allowance. Or even worse, an open wireless network also leaves you open to hackers who can easily gain access to your files.

How do I secure my wireless network?

You need a wireless encryption key. This is a series of numbers and letters, working like a password to turn data into a code before it’s sent, making hacking more difficult. The most commonly used methods are:

• WEP with 64bit or 128bit encryption strength - a simple encryption that offers limited security and is relatively easy to break
• WPA-PSK (WPA-Personal) - in the forms of WPA-TKIP which offers better security and is backwards compatible with older routers and USB keys, and WPA2-AES which offers the best security and performance but less compatibility

Is there anything else I can do?

As well as having an encryption key, there are a few other steps you can take to protect your wireless network:

• Firewall - either built into your router or as software on your PC, this will help to protect you from hackers
• Anti-virus software - such as Norton or McAfee, to protect you from computer viruses
• Anti-spyware software - to prevent spyware from collecting personal information about you
• Anti-phishing - to alert you if you have visited a listed fraudulent website

You should also regularly run live updates on windows and your anti-virus to ensure that your security is always up-to-date.

Source: www.broadbandchoices.co.uk

            If you are serious about your home security you need to consider a many different factors such as an alarm system and a secure wireless network. Contact Free Alarms for a custom quote that will cover your home security needs.