High-Risk Entry Points

Planning your home security system may be as mind boggling as purchasing your system. With cautious planning and careful consideration of your home’s most vulnerable areas, you can easily and affordably structure a reliable home security system. The areas that need the most careful consideration are called “high-risk entry points.” These are the areas that an intruder is most likely going to use as an entry point.

Finding ways to cover all the points of entry can become very expensive. The key point to remember is not to try to cover every entry point, but focus on those that are most vulnerable. In a sense, you want to think as the intruder will think – what are the key areas of entry? Which way is easiest and most convenient for a rapid invasion of a home? Thinking in this manner begins to clear up the discouraging and overwhelming task of structuring home security.

You want to cover the high-risk entry points. These are the areas that are most tempting to the potential intruder. High-risk areas are those that offer painless and rapid entry. By covering these areas, you make your security system more manageable and more affordable.

1. Ground-level windows and doors. Remember, the intruder is not afraid to inflict damage on the house. And so, doors and windows are not safe from being kicked in or from a destructive pry bar. Most intruders do not carry around ladders. Second floor, third floor, etc. are considerably improbable points of entry for your average intruder – unless a tree is growing close to your house. Ground-level windows and doors, on the other hand, are highly vulnerable entry points. These are the areas the intruder will test first. If they are open or readily accessible, they become a welcome sign to any intruder.

You can protect most ground-level doors and windows with door / window contacts and glass-break detectors. Once armed, these devices will activate an alarm anytime the doors or windows are opened or the glass is broken.

2. Concealed Entries. Concealed entries are nothing more than points on your house that are not visible to mainstream traffic. Back doors, garage entries, fences, windows and doors with bushes are some of these concealed entries. These points provide protection from detection to the intruder. They give the intruder peace of mind, knowing that the intrusion is not unobserved by passers-by or by your neighbors. As long as the intruder can hide, the intruder will have the ability to work longer and with more secrecy without having any suspicious activity being noted.

Simply eliminating trees and shrubs is ridiculous. Instead, by installing motion activated house lights and pruning plants will deter any attempt to use concealed entry points.

3. Low-lighting areas. Burglars are not scared of the dark. They are scared of the light. Low lit areas, just like bushes and trees and fences, provide concealment for their actions.

4. Seldom used entries. Seldom-used areas provide convenient and effective entry points for most intruders. Basements, garages, kitchens, backrooms, etc, are considered to be seldom-used areas. Basically, any room that people do not “hang-out” in is a seldom-used area. Intruders favor such entrances because the chance of being seen and heard are slimmer than if it is the living room where the family might be gathered or activity would most likely be if there were activity in the house.

By installing motion detectors or door / window contacts, you can easily protect the seldom-used areas from intrusion. Also, if there are windows in this specific area, glass-break detectors may be a beneficial appendage to the seldom-used entry points.

When planning your security system, you want to keep these key points in mind: lower level windows and doors, concealed and low lit zones, and seldom-used areas. The areas you will want to secure most will be those areas that fit into one or more of these categories. You will also want to consider the type of sensors that are out there. There are many sensors that will make your home very secure, but you want to find what will be most economical and effective for your unique situation. I say unique because every home is different, and each home has its own visible high points and concealed low points. Since you know your house better than anyone else, it is you that ultimately must answer the question: What do I secure?

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