9 Easy Steps for Senior Citizens to Protect Themselves and Their Homes

9 Easy Steps for Senior Citizens to Protect Themselves and Their Homes

Senior citizens are often seen as easy targets for robbery, burglary and similar crimes. As such, it’s important for seniors to be well-informed and to take every possible precaution to protect themselves from break-ins, fraud and other crimes.

There are a few easy steps that seniors (and their families and caregivers) can take to ensure that they remain safe and secure, as discussed in a recent Senior Living blog post. We’ll summarize those steps below.

Protect Your Identity

  1. Don’t have regular monthly checks – such a pension or Social Security checks – sent through the mail. Have them direct deposited instead.
  2. Don’t include sensitive personal information in emails or text messages.
  3. Beware of scams – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Increase Your Home Security

  1. Make sure all doors are locked when you’re both at home and out. Lock windows as well.
  2. When someone knocks on the door, use a peephole or small window to verify their identity before opening the door.
  3. Don’t leave a door key under the doormat or hidden in another location near the door. Give keys to trusted family members or caregivers, or install a smart lock that can be operated remotely.
  4. Install motion sensor lights near doors and in dark places throughout the lawn.
  5. Choose doors made from solid wood or metal, and ensure that the doorframe is strong.
  6. Invest in a home security system. Not only are security systems the best way to prevent break-ins, but they can also be valuable in medical emergencies, fires and more. Security systems are especially important for seniors who travel regularly or live in a different city for extended portions of every year.

At KMT Systems, we aim to ensure that all Atlanta-area senior citizens are well-protected and safe. Our home security systems and smart home automation can be easily customized to fit your needs and budget. Get in touch today to get started!

Include Security in Your New Year’s Resolutions

Include Security in Your New Year’s Resolutions

As you think about the year to come, what do you want to achieve? What do you want to change? And what do you want to protect? While KMT Systems can’t help you with those individual goals, we can help you take steps to ensure your personal security in the coming year.

Strengthening and protecting your security doesn’t have to be a major time commitment – that’s where we come in! Our convenient and customizable home security and smart home installations make it easy to prioritize security in the new year. In addition, here are five easy ways to enhance your personal security in 2018, as detailed in a recent Wired article.

 

Use a password manager

With the increasing threat of hacks and ransomware, it’s important to use secure, unique passwords for each of your many accounts online. A password manager will make it easy to remember and manage all of those passwords and protect your accounts.

Enable two-factor authentication

If a site offers two-factor authentication – which usually involves temporary codes sent to you via text or by some other means – you should take advantage of it. This is especially important for accounts that store your personal information.

Back up data

Not only is this a common sense thing to do, but it can also protect your security. First, you’ll have a backup at the ready if you get hit with ransomware. Second, you can assess whether and what data has been stolen, and how you should react.

Use a VPN

VPNs create an encrypted connection between your computer or other device and a secure server, allowing you to browse the internet more securely. VPNs are becoming more mainstream and accessible, although many carry a small fee.

Use chat apps with end-to-end encryption

Switch to chat apps like Signal or WhatsApp, which offer full end-to-end encryption that will protect your conversation from prying eyes. Google Hangouts, Facebook Messenger, Slack and others don’t offer this level of security.

 

By taking these simple steps, you can better protect your personal security in the year to come. Want to learn how you can better protect your home and family through an affordable home security system or home security monitoring? Get in touch with our Atlanta security experts today.