Another piece of advice when leaving your car in a public place: Don’t forget to bring your garage door opener!

We can never underestimate burglars and thieves. Another trick that they have learned to do is to get into cars and steal garage door openers. Later on, when they’re sure no one is around in your home, they’ll open up your garage and steal your things. This is indeed another improvement on the thief’s part. But what do we do?

The most important thing we have to do is to always be alert. Don’t leave your cars unlocked. Don’t leave the garage door opener on plain sight, either. As a matter of fact, don’t leave it in your car at all!

There have been a couple of this incidents lately, and the police department is advising everyone to notify them instead of confronting the intruder (in cases wherein the thief gets in the house). There have also been recent killings in Cheshire that have sparked alarm for home security systems and alarms. The authorities would rather you do not confront the criminals for your own safety.

The overall number of burglaries has not been increasing, but the theft of remote garage door openers has been significantly many in some areas. The police recommends that the homeowners and residents take pictures of their contents at home. They’re are also advised to record serial numbers of their property and engrave their initials or a unique mark on their things so that there is a possibility that they will be returned when recovered.

Remember to always lock the door that connects the garage and your home, too. House keys shouldn’t also be forgotten inside your car. Bear in mind that the thieves can check the vehicle registration papers to know your address.

Once you’ve discovered that your garage door opener has gone missing, immediately unplug the opening mechanism in your garage. Contact the company where you bought it and ask for a new remote garage door opener and a new mechanism code.

As the summer continues, more and more state authorities are encouraging homeowners and residents to be cautious and alert on home security and safety.

The Connecticut State Police, as reported from courant.com Connecticut News, offers home security tips of their own to the residents:

• Locks Use quality locks on all doors, windows and sliding doors, and be especially careful in the summer months.
• House Number: Make sure the number on your house is visible at night, and light it if necessary, so that responders can locate your home quickly.
• Keys: Don’t leave keys outside your home, even if they are hidden. No matter how clever you are, burglars will find them.
• Neighbors: Know your neighbors, and keep their phone numbers on hand in case of an emergency.
• Foliage: Trim foliage away from doors and windows, so that entryways to your home can be seen clearly from the street.
• Lights: Keep the outside of your home well-lit. Motion-sensitive lights are a good deterrent.
• Timers: Use devices that give the impression that people are home. Use timers for lamps, or keep a radio on, for example.

With the growing concern for home security and home safety, the home security market is now one of the fastest growing industries. There’s a rising trend in home security solutions and there has never been a better time for entrepreneurs to embark on the home security business.

The National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association has concluded that sales of security alarms and related products will result in an increase of 3.8% per year through 2010.

The home security market is also beginning to become heavily competitive. The integration of alarm systems with home automation solutions is becoming one of the big trends in the industry. All-in-one products and services are on demand. Wireless home security systems are also hitting big time with the customers.

Another trend today involves people who do not have landlines. Home security companies are now aiming to provide home security solutions that people can activate or disarm through cell phones or the Web.

As the home security market grows more competitive, more and more pressure is being placed upon door-to-door salesmen who are required to convince homeowners to purchase home security systems.

Don’t go along with the pressure. Always check the product and the company before purchasing a home security system, or any other product for that matter. Property owners are advised to take their time before signing any contract and purchasing anything.

Take your time in reading literature and information about the company. Ask for a Reliability Report on the company if possible. You can try asking for help with this from the Better Business Bureau.

If you want to cancel a contract you already signed, send a certified letter to the company with notification to cancel your contract. The Federal Trade Commission’s three-day “cooling off rule” allows customers to cancel purchases made at the consumer’s home or at a place where the company does not do business.

Try to ask and see the company’s permit or license, too. Always read documents carefully before signing anything.

We know how identity theft serves as a violation of our privacy and how it can ruin our lives. Luckily, we now have security freeze as a weapon against identity theft!

The security freeze law can enable people to control who has access to their credit reports. With security freeze, you will be sent fraud alerts and warning flags, and creditors should contact you before issuing credit.

Basically, the security freeze will put a lock on your credit reports which will only be lifted when you supply a personal identification number. If a thief tries to open an account under the name of a person using the security freeze, the creditor wouldn’t be able to obtain the report and would refuse to open the account.

There are about 37 states in the United States that have allowed security freeze to be used. It seems that even in these states, however, only a few know of the security freeze. The prospect of an additional security preventing identity theft interest many people. While it may not be a complete protection against identity theft, it nevertheless prevents the opening of new accounts that require credit reports, which is mainly the common form of identity theft.

MIDDLE EAST - EON, together with General Electric, brings an innovative round-the-clock security system to the Middle East. Their new home security solution called SIMON has been widely used in Europe and is now available in the Middle East.

SIMON was specifically set to transfigure security solutions in the market and is specifically designed to add another layer of security that can complement home improvement solutions. SIMON is customized to design a home security system with all elements in it, such as motion detectors, door and window sensors, and more! It is based on Internet connected cameras with motion detectors and will transmit an SMS message to the owners in cases of intrusions.

SIMON is also not a burden to your pockets, since it highly reduces insurance costs and combines all solutions in one!

PHILADELPHIA, US - Meanwhile, here in the US, a home security firm gets more funding to expand on their home protection products and services. InGrid Inc., Berwyn, has raised $13.5 million in private equity and will embark on a new class of all-digital and all-wireless technology.

InGrid Inc. is now developing digital home protection solutions for both the residential and small business market, through broadband service providers. The firm has said that more than 60 million US homes have broadband Internet service but do not have home security service, and they plan to work on that.

The Britons are now turning to self-protection after the reports of burglary crimes this summer. There many who keep weapons by their beds. Cricket bats, golf clubs, heavy torches, and other objects are stored beside the beds to prepare for possible intruders.

Victims of burglary have become traumatized by their experiences that some would move to another area. A majority resort to security lights, while some install CCTV cameras in their homes.

Surveys say that there is a downward trend in burglary crimes. But people are now more concerned than ever about their safety and protection that it doesn’t matter if the trend goes up or down. People can help reduce the chance or being burglary victims by setting up layered security systems in their homes. They can reduce their fear by improving the level of security in and around their homes.