Vivint Authorized Retailer Evanston
Smart Security Specialists -- Your Vivint Authorized Dealer Covering Evanstand & Northern Chicagoland Area

Stay safe at home in Evanston by steering clear of these home security mistakes

October 23, 2023
Placing house keys under a welcome mat

Are you using your pet’s name as your Wi-Fi password? Putting a key under the welcome mat for a friend or neighbor? Sadly, people put their residences and families in danger daily by being lax or negligent about security. Don’t be among them. Alternatively, stay safe at home in Evanston by staying away from these common home security blunders.

Mistake No. 1: Not securing doors and windows

Isn’t it great when you can open doors and crack windows to let in fresh, cool air? Just don’t neglect to secure them when you depart! You may be astonished by the amount of people who are lax about locking these vital entry points, the most commonly used locations for burglars to come in.

Have you ever forgotten to lock your doors? What if you were able to have your home security system secure your entrys for you? This functionality is now possible. You’ll stay safe at home in Evanston when you set your smart locks to secure automatically at particular times of the day or when they’ve been engaged. If you don’t wish to schedule them, you may still access and activate your locks remotely with your helpful smartphone app.

Mistake No. 2: Relying on self-monitoring in Evanston

Emergencies are prone to occur at the most inconvenient times. Imagine you’re on a trip and splashing around in the water when a smoke detector triggers. Or, what if there’s an emergency when your cell phone is not accessible during a medical appointment. When it comes to protecting your home and family, you must have a backup. A reputable professional monitoring service won’t miss an alarm and responds swiftly to resolve all sorts of emergencies. Self-monitoring can lead to trouble since you’re not going to be available all the time. Get the support and assurance you deserve with skilled monitoring specialists.

Mistake No. 3: Packages piling up on your Evanston doorstep

Letting packages pile up on your front porch is an enticement to prowlers. Don’t encourage them. Alternatively, retrieve your orders the moment they appear with the assistance of your home’s security. Modern video doorbells will dispatch alerts through your smartphone app whenever an item is delivered and can even recognize the difference between packages, animals, cars, and people. This functionality is beneficial in minimizing unnecessary notifications.

Mistake No. 4: Insufficient Wi-Fi security

Wireless smart homes have ushered in a new standard of remote access. You can review video streams, activate locks, and even change your thermostat from anywhere. But you have to make sure your Wi-Fi network is safeguarded. Negligent network security is among the most prevalent mistakes people make. You can avoid this by practicing the following:

  • Create strong passwords and always change the default password on tools like routers.
  • Use the latest Wi-Fi security practices.
  • Place home security components on a different network, instead of using the guest network that provides internet access to family and visitors.
  • Make sure you run software or firmware updates available for your router and security components.

Steer clear of security mistakes that put your Evanston home at risk

One of the smartest ways to steer clear of common home security mistakes in Evanston is by installing a full-featured smart home from Vivint. Features like remote access, smart locks, and 24-hour monitoring will help keep your property protected day and night. Didn’t remember to lock up your front door or fail to see a pressing message? Not a problem! Your home security and its professional monitoring representatives will be there to back you up. Call (847) 925-7636 today for more information.