A good safe can protect your most valuable possessions and important documents from loss due to either theft or fire. Hidden Safes The most secure safe is one that a burglar can’t find.  Floor safes are the best for this.  Wall safes are almost as good, but they are so commonly used in the movies that many burglars will routinely check for them. The cheap alternative is simply to hide a normal safe by putting in the back of a closet and covering it up.  A large cardboard box can disguise most safes.  The downside is that a safe that [...]

There is one simple rule of telephone security: Never say anything on the telephone that you would not want your worst enemy to hear. Landline telephones are pathetically simple to tap. Almost all mobile phone systems utilize security systems which have been compromised. VoIP telephone calls can be tapped by anyone with access to the network. In addition, you don’t know the environment of the person on the other end of a telephone conversation. Perhaps someone is pointing a gun at them, or perhaps they are talking on a mobile phone while standing in line at a bank, or maybe [...]

Garage doors create a number of security vulnerabilities for the average home.  They are often weak points against entry, but they can also enable surreptitious entry where attackers can then wait for your family or attack your main defenses without being visible. Remote Garage Door Opener Security Remote control garage door openers work by sending an electronic code from the remote to the receiver in the garage door opener. Remote garage door opening systems have had many security vulnerabilities since their introduction: The first remotes featured no security. All remotes opened all doors of that model. The next generation of remotes [...]

A sturdily constructed bomb shelter can save you from the initial blast of a nuclear attack, only for you to die a short while later from contaminated air.  The solution is to add an NBC air filter to your bomb shelter.  These filters are designed to protect you against nuclear, biological, and chemical toxins in the air.  In addition, they also protect against carbon dioxide build-up in your emergency shelter. Overpressure Maintaining a true air-tight seal is nearly impossible.  Because of this, NBC air filters utilize overpressure.  Overpressure systems ensure that the air pressure inside your facility is higher than [...]

A good security camera system will enable you to conveniently view remote portions of your property. It will also enable you to record violations of your property rights to aid in the apprehension and prosecution of offenders. Wired vs. Wireless Security Cameras Wireless security cameras are quite popular right now, but they are susceptible to RF jamming and are theoretically susceptible to signal interception.  RF jammers are widely available and inexpensive.  With an RF jammer, an attacker can prevent your wireless security camera from successfully transmitting it’s signal back to the viewing and recording equipment.  An attacker might do this [...]

The United States has been a model of stability since the end of the Civil War in 1865. Over one hundred years of domestic tranquility has caused many Americans to forget that all governments tend towards tyranny. The United States faces many risks, some created by the nations successes, others by its failures, and still other which are simply bad luck. The wealth and power of the United States attracts fear and resentment from members of less capable cultures. The U.S. has largely been able to ignore those people up to this point, but within a few decades many groups [...]

Charlie bars are an extremely simple and cheap way to significantly increase the security of sliding doors and windows. Sliding doors can be insecure because many can be pried open fairly easily. They tend to be secured with small hook locks which can be forced up and out of their loops. A charlie bar will make this technique far less effective. You can make a charlie bar yourself from an old broomstick or rake handle. Just cut the handle to the right length and place it in the track of the sliding door or window. Heavier stock works better, because [...]

Real estate agents quip that the three most important things in real estate are location, location, location.  In a lot of ways, this is more true for security than for real estate in general. Weather and Geology There are many ways in which Mother Nature can ruin your day: Earthquakes Floods Hurricanes Typhoons Tornadoes Volcanos The presence of each of these items can be, and should be, researched before you choose a location as your home base. Earthquake information can be found at the U.S. Geological Service Earthquake Center.  Most of the other events can be researched by searching through [...]

Most doors are selected by general contractors who have more interest in cost containment than security.  If you are a home owner and you have the funds, you can choose to replace your doors.  However, you can also enhance the security of most doors with the simple and cheap addition of a cane bolt. Cane bolts function very similar to door chains.  The weakness of door chains is that most of them are mounted on weak material, such as soft wood door jams or even drywall.  Very few are mounted with sufficiently long screws into solid 2×4′s or masonry. Cane [...]

Home storm shelters are becoming more common, due to numerous examples where they have saved peoples lives. These stories have come from across the United States, including Alabama, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Threats Storm shelters are designed to protect against high winds from natural causes — hurricanes and tornadoes. Shelters for protection against NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) and home invasions have different requirements. Terminology FEMA uses the term “safe room” to refer to constructions which meet FEMA 320 and 361 criteria; they use the term “shelters” to refer to constructions designed to meet the ICC 500 criteria. Section 442 of Florida Building [...]