You might not be too concerned about taking security precautions in your home if you believe you live in a safe area or you don’t think you own anything worth stealing, but you can really never predict when someone will be in the market for a free computer or when a drunk person will accidentally try to get into your apartment thinking it’s their own. Yes, I have had that happen. And while I cannot be 100% sure that they were drunk, it was certainly frightening knowing that if the door had been unlocked, they would have wandered right in. 

Despite all that we know about how easy it is to simply lock the front door or install a fence around our yards, some people just hope for the best. A sign stating, “Please, do not enter” or a gate that can easily be climbed or walked around may seem smart to those of us who would never dream of trespassing. But unfortunately, others take those faulty security measures as invitations to go right in. If there is not enough infrastructure in place to make it impossible to get in, it must be open to the public! 

Of course, it is not a requirement to have a security camera at your front door and an alarm that will blare through the neighborhood if you don’t type in a code within 30 seconds of entering your home. But they certainly can help deter intruders or help catch someone who has invaded your property. Now, let me be clear, I'm not a proponent of using these systems to spy on neighbors or share footage of people passing by on social media. But if the video feed is just to check up on your house when you are out of town or when you hear suspicious noises, it may help you sleep better at night.

According to US News, home security systems are a great idea for several reasons: they provide protection, they deter burglars, they provide peace of mind, they are convenient and can save energy, and they can reduce your home insurance premiums. And while you might be concerned about the installation cost or upkeep of these systems, you may be interested to know that the FBI reported that the average burglary in the United States in 2019 ended up costing $2,661 per victim. If you have a security system in place to prevent your home from falling prey to thieves, you might actually be saving money. 

And if you’re wondering whether security systems actually deter anyone from breaking in, I can tell you that they do. One study conducted by Professor Joe Kuhns at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte found that most break-ins are rather spontaneous, with almost 60% of burglars admitting that they did not plan their invasions more than 24 hours in advance. 83% of these attempted thieves also scoped out places for any sights of alarms first, and over half of them said they would move on if they saw an alarm. 

Nothing beats peace of mind, as well. Knowing that you can hop on an app on your phone and view your front porch and/or various parts of your home at any moment can just make you feel more calm when you are away on holiday or out late at night. Plus, this way you don’t need to choose between bothering a neighbor or being plagued with anxiety if you get the feeling something might be off.

Home security systems have also become quite technologically advanced over the years. They can even help you reduce your energy consumption by giving homeowners remote access to their thermostats and light switches. For example, when you are out of town for a week, you can turn off your heater and/or air conditioner, as well as any lights that are set to turn on at certain times. And if you are looking to cut down on your home insurance costs, most companies offer discounts between 5%-20% for individuals who have security systems installed. Plus, as US News notes, “If you have cameras for video surveillance, video footage can help when it comes to filing insurance claims.”

When it comes to what to look for in a home security system, cost is obviously a factor that homeowners need to consider. But if you can afford it, US News recommends having a system that is professionally monitored. This means that even if you are not paying attention to your surveillance footage, someone is and can alert you or the police immediately when there are issues. “Consider if you are on vacation in another part of the country…do you call 911 in Los Angeles for something happening at your home in Atlanta?” says Paul Rothman, editor-in-chief of Security Business magazine. “Professional monitoring takes the onus off the consumer and puts response procedures into the hands of trained professionals.”

The less important features that you can skip when installing home security are anything that you know you won’t use. Features that are more about convenience than protection, like having voice control lights, are probably not a requirement for you. Having a doorbell with a video camera is also an exciting feature, but it can be much more expensive than simply installing a camera somewhere above or near your front door. It will do the exact same job; it’s just a little bit less flashy. 

The irony of installing a home security system is that is connected to Wi-Fi is that it creates a whole separate security concern. Many homeowners wonder if they will become victims to hackers or if their video footage will be seen by unauthorized viewers. “Two of the most vulnerable elements in a security system are network or internet-connected security cameras and the Wi-Fi router itself, as they are most often the target of hackers,” Paul Rothman says. It is not the actual hardware that gets hacked, but rather the software, which can allow hackers to access the entire network. “The most important step is changing the default security settings on the equipment itself, including admin login information that is often publicly available and leveraged by hackers,” Rothman says.

Homeowners should also be wary of systems that seem too good to be true. “If the price is really low on a piece of hardware, it’s often a case of giving you a low price in return for taking your data,” says Mitch Klein, executive director of the Z-Wave Alliance. The data can be valuable to burglars or companies who want to market goods and services to you. We’ve seen it countless times with curated Instagram, Facebook and Youtube ads, but even our security systems can lead to the same effect. It’s important to always carefully read a company’s Terms of Use, particularly the section on data privacy, to know exactly where your data is going and why. 

If you are looking to decrease your home’s risk of an invasion but you simply don’t have the resources to install a complex security system, have no fear. There are other methods you can take to deter intruders. “The most important criteria in deterring the burglars we surveyed were alarm systems, dogs, and indications of people inside. Lights were also an important indicator,” says Professor Joe Kuhns. “Burglars don't want to have a conversation. Anything you can do to create a perception that the home is occupied and active is helpful." And if you’re on vacation, it’s helpful to have a neighbor or friend picking up your mail and newspapers. Those can be easy giveaways that no one is home if they start piling up.  

I sincerely hope your place of residence or place of business has much better security than any of the examples on this list. In a perfect world, we would not need to worry about taking security measures, but unfortunately, it’s best to just avoid taking any risks. Keep upvoting the photos that you find most pathetic, and then let us know in the comments what the worst security you’ve ever witnessed was. And if you’re interested in checking out a list of tips from ex-burglars to help you keep your home safe, head on over to this Bored Panda article next.