Safes – Why you may not need to break the bank
Many people invest in security safes, but do you need to splash out on a heavy duty safe that can’t be cut open with a chainsaw? You need to make a decision on the items you’re hoping to protect. How much are the items worth and can they not just be insured instead?
Budget safes are no more than a deterrent. It doesn’t matter how bulletproof your pin code is, the material is the most important aspect. Even thick steel can be cut into with the right cutting machine, so are there cheaper alternatives? Yes, and insurance is one option, but costs can soon mount up if you’re insuring a range of exensive items. High security safes can be rather bulky and industrial, so they may not really be suitable for your home or small business either.
It’s always important to think carefully about the items you’re looking to protect. If it’s money, can it not just be stored in a bank? If it’s jewellery can it not be insured? If it’s important documents, can they not be copied and stored safely away elsewhere, perhaps in multiple locations? Just remember you don’t always have to pay stupid amounts for a safe that will never see any action, so think carefully about what you’re protecting before you throw money down the drain.
CCTV Cameras – What about the running costs?
Okay, so we all know CCTV cameras are a lot cheaper now than they were 10 years ago, and you could spend £20-£50 on a reliable home security system. The problem is, many people often forget about the running costs. We’re not just talking about the electric costs of running the camera 24 hours a day—which can be high—we’re also talking about the time spent on organising the footage and wiping the memory from time to time.
Time is money, and that’s especially the case today when we’re all too busy at work. Cheap CCTV units don’t usually have large memory drives, meaning they can only hold several days worth of footage before they need to be looked at or saved to another hard drive. This is obviously no good if you’re going on holiday for a couple of weeks and you want to keep your CCTV cameras running. You may have to pay someone to visit your home to make sure the camera is working as it should, so it may be beneficial to pay a bit more on a unit with a bigger drive and a self-organising function.
Security in the Office
Offices are often equipped with expensive electrical goods such as computers, servers, laptops and projectors, and it’s important to make sure these are well protected. Some agencies clamp their computers to the desks with locking devices, and this is a good option if you have many members of staff, and want to remove the threat of an internal theft.
Of course, that’s just one solution and it’s not really gong to do much to prevent a planned burglary. This is when high security doors and alarms come into play. It’s not very easy for a burglar to make away with thousands of pounds worth of bulky equipment, but the challenge becomes even more difficult if you have high security entrance doors. One computer alone could cost around £2,000 and that is one of the reasons why it’s so important to make sure your goods are protected.
CCTV cameras outside the building and inside the office will be very beneficial too, and these will certainly act as a deterrent.
Mobile Surveillance Monitoring
Mobile surveillance monitoring (MSM) is essentially viewing live information coming from your IP camera or cameras on your mobile device. There are many mobile applications on the market that allow you to connect to your CCTV camera, and it means you can check up on your property wherever you are in the word.
Today it’s quick and easy to get connected. The camera usually connects straight to Wi-Fi and it privately streams the data to your mobile device when you’re securely logged in to an application. This clever technology doesn’t’ come cheap, especially if you’re looking for a high resolution stream, but it can give you peace of mind whilst you’re away from home or work, and it should be looked at as a long-term security investment.
A CCTV camera will act as a deterrent, but if the worst case scenario does happen and your property is broken into, you can save the data on your mobile and send it over to the police before the burglar has even had time to take your goods!
Tips for Buying Residential Security Cameras
Buying a home security system including cameras is actually quite complicated. There are a number of pitfalls which could catch you out, so understanding exactly what you need is very important.
When buying security cameras, you need to make sure of a number of factors beforehand in order for it to be useful and easy to manage.
First of all, it could save you a lot of heartache if you buy a system which includes a recording device and control panel – it may amaze you to hear this, but most don’t include that, particularly the cheaper options.
Secondly, you want to get cameras which are easy to install. Some cameras are very difficult to mount to a wall, for instance, so if you’re doing it yourself, or even if you’re hiring someone to do it, it can save you time and money if you get cameras which are design-ready for installing on a wall.
There are a number of other factors which may be worth considering, but those really come down to individual requirements. Things like disguised cameras (which are difficult to spot), or night vision cameras, aren’t a requirement for every situation nor every use, but they can come in handy in some circumstances.