WordPress on DigitalOcean

Tag: Total Connect

  • Pet Safety

    Pet Safety

    When people think of alarm systems and home security, they usually think about protecting their property and their families. For many people, protecting family also means protecting pets. The good news is that the same tools that keep your human family safe can also protect your four-legged friends.

    42-21009655_jpg

    Criminals can raid a house in seconds, stealing large amounts of valuables and damaging your property. They can also put your pets at risk. In order to protect your pets and keep them safe, you’ll want to have a monitored alarm system installed. These systems are connected to a central monitoring station that can notify you right away and send emergency assistance immediately. All of which will help keep your pets safe and secure.

    Horiz_Droid_dog

    Older or less sophisticated alarm systems often have motion detectors that can be activated by pets. This leads to false alarms and systems that are rendered ineffective. Not only do modern alarm systems have pet immunity devices that compensate for the movement of pets, often a modern smart alarm system will have integrated cameras that can let you or a central station operator view live footage of your property as soon as a trouble condition may arise. This means that the central station staff can quickly use this footage to determine if a crime is actually taking place or if your dog just knocked over a lamp.

    In short, smart surveillance tools provide home owners with pet’s additional peace of mind. To add pet immune motion sensors or Total Connect to your security system, call 1-800-265-5317 or just CLICK HERE.

  • Stay Ahead Of Criminals

    Stay Ahead Of Criminals

    If you already have an alarm system installed, ask yourself if it provides adequate protection? A number of new advances have taken place in the business. If your alarm system is older, it may not feature all of the tools that modern systems use to provide superior protection. Autumn is the perfect time to review your current security set up and see if any improvements can be made.

    Local-Monitoring

    For example, is your system monitored? If it’s not, it could sound when there’s a break in, but the chances of anyone responding are very slim. However, with a monitored system, your home is watched by our central monitoring station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Central station staff can contact the appropriate authorities right away if there is an issue.

    TC_Video_View_hi
    Modern security systems can also be watched remotely from just about any location with an Internet connection. Did you know that you can watch your security cameras from your smart phone? With a smart home alarm system, it’s possible to do this and more. You can set your alarm, turn your lights on and off, adjust the temperature and even lock your doors from your phone, tablet or PC. You can even use the system to receive alerts and check in on your children when they arrive home from school. This sort of technology not only makes your home safer, but it also offers a higher level of convenience. At this busy time of year, anything that can save you time and provide peace of mind is a great idea.

    To monitor an existing system, or to see if the latest upgrades are right for you, call 1-800-265-5317 or just CLICK HERE.

  • Social Media

    Social Media

    Social networking sites

    Social networking sites are now a primary source for communicating and keeping in touch with friends and family. You share pictures, post updates and reveal all sorts of personal information about yourself – which makes these sites prime targets for criminal activity.

    Social-Media

    What are the risks?

    • Your personal information could be stolen by a cyber criminal, putting your identity and accounts at risk.
    • The personal information you share online could give cyber criminals enough to piece together your email address and password.
    • Cyber criminals could gain access to any account that has a password recovery service and use any saved information to make purchases.
    • Links in messages from cyber criminals posing as someone you know could be a part of a phishing attack trying to trick you into sharing personal information or contain malware that infects your computer.
    • Geotagged photos are photos that have geographical information, like your current location, added to them – and today, most smartphones and digital cameras have a function that automatically geotags all your photos unless you turn it off.  Geotags can expose where you live, when you’re traveling and even what car you drive, which could make you a target for robbery.
    • When you update your status with your whereabouts on a regular basis, you could tip someone off to your routine, and invite real-life threats like robberies, break-ins or stalking.
    • If you add “friends” you don’t know, you could become the victim of a scam.
    • Apps deleted from your account may not be fully deleted – the creator may still have access to your information.
    • If you don’t have a strong password, others could gain access to your profile and pose as you – and potentially send out spam or fake posts that are damaging to you.
    • Potential employers could search social networking sites to get a sense of your character. If you’ve uploaded damaging or embarrassing photos or posts to your social network account, you could hurt your reputation and your chances of employment.

    Three of the easiest things you can do to be sure of your privacy on social networking sites are:

    • Choose a strong password that you change often
    • Take the time to set your privacy setting to control who can see what
    • Always think carefully about any information you choose to share online

    iPhone4_held_TC20_blur

    To add our award winning app Total Connect to your your security system, call 1-800-265-5317, or just CLICK HERE.

  • On The Go And In The Know

    On The Go And In The Know

    The Total Connect app makes it easy to control your smart alarm system from your phone or tablet, wherever you are. This easy and intuitive solution makes your smart home security system more convenient and effective than ever before. By using the app, you can easily:

    iPhone4_held_TC20_blur

    •          Arm or disarm your alarm system
    •          Control the lights, locks and thermostats in your home
    •          Manage garage door access
    •          View live video from your home security cameras
    •          See your home’s status at a glance

    The app also features Actionable Notifications. These notifications come straight to your phone and allow you to act on them immediately. For example, if you leave your home and forget to close your garage, you will receive a notification on the Total Connect app. You can then quickly and easily respond to the notification and close your garage, all from your phone or tablet.
    5100Automation
    You can also check in to see if you leave your home without arming your alarm system. By keeping track of the status of the alarm when you are outside your home you’ll never have to worry about leaving your home unsecured again!

    By making it easy and simple to monitor and control your home, these systems and applications make your property safer and your life easier. Contact us today for more information on smart home alarm systems and to find out more about how they can keep you safe and secure. Call 1-800-265-5317 or just CLICK HERE.

  • Total Connect Touch ID

    Total Connect Touch ID

    The new release of Total Connect 2.0 from Honeywell includes the new Touch ID login feature. This great function lets you log in with a fingerprint instead of a username and password. Here are some the main benefits:

    Added Layer Of Security
    Using a fingerprint instead of a username and password provides an additional layer of security for the home. If a ‘bad guy’ gets hold of your phone, he can’t just press the login button to gain access to the home security system.

    Supported By Latest Apple Products
    Touch ID is supported on the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus, the iPad Air 2 and above and the iPad Mini 3. The iPhone must be running iOS 8 Platform or above.

    Easy Set Up
    The first time you log in to the Total Connect app on a supported device with “Remember Me” selected, you will be prompted about using Touch ID. When you select “Yes”, your username and password are stored and you will be able to use your fingerprint to log in to the Total Connect app in the future.

    Easy To Use
    With Touch ID enabled, every time you open the Total Connect app, you will be presented with the Touch ID login overlay. From the overlay, hold your fingerprint on the iOS Home button to automatically log in. Your username and password are no longer required.

    Easy To Logout
    When you log outs with Touch ID enabled, you will be returned to the login screen. Your user name and password will be retained. The next time you open the app, the Touch ID overlay to log in will be present and the you will still be able to log in with a fingerprint. The password is not lost.

    Easy To Switch Off
    If a you don’t want to use the Touch ID feature, you can switch it off by selecting the ‘More’ option in the navigation bar, and then selecting Touch ID. This will return you to the standard log in/remember me functionality.

    To learn more about adding Total Connect to your security system, call 1-800-265-5317, or just CLICK HERE.

  • New Features of Total Connect 2.0

    New Features of Total Connect 2.0

    Security ONE’s Total Connect 2.0 from Honeywell has been enhanced with a number of exciting new features that help provide a dynamic user experience, and keep you connected to the things that matter most..

    Smart Scene with Wizard Guide*
    An intuitive wizard guides you through scene set-up step by step—making it easy to automate scenes for energy savings, comfort and security. This convenient, time-saving feature will help you make the most of your connected home.

    L_5200VI_D

    Expanded Test Drive with Tool Tips
    The expanded Test Drive demo is now compatible with smartphone and tablet devices and NOW includes tool tips — informative pop-ups that accompany and explain each and every feature.

    Touch ID*
    If you have a mobile device operating on an iOS you can use Touch ID – an easy, highly secure feature that uses your fingerprints to act as your passcode.

    Set the scene

    Other Highlights
    The app is a sleeker, cleaner, more modern interface that’s a delight to look at and to use. Smart auto-syncing on Lynx Touch 7000/5200/5100 models simplifies operation and updates occur automatically within seconds.

    To learn more about adding Total Connect to your security system, call 1-800-265-5317, or just CLICK HERE.

  • Social Media Posts

    Social Media Posts

    Many people post on social networks to share information with friends and family, to have conversations, and to show the world how their lives are going. However, when you post online, it’s important to remember that people other than your intended audience could see your posts. Unfortunately, criminals frequently look to social media for opportunities to rob unsuspecting victims. Even if you have strict privacy settings on your accounts, the information that you post can still get out.

    FB-Image-600

    One of the most common ways that criminals use social media to commit crimes is by researching when people won’t be home and taking this opportunity to break into their properties.

    By sharing holiday plans in real-time online, you let criminals know that you’ll be out of town for a while. They can use this information to rob your home when they know you won’t be around.

    It’s much safer to share vacation details after the fact, once you have arrived home safely. Tell individual friends and family members in person the dates that you’ll be away and don’t post these details online.

    L_5200VI_D

    How else can you protect yourself? By ensuring that you have a monitored security system installed that will alert you (and the authorities) if a crime takes place at your property while you are away. A home alarm system that also includes video surveillance camera monitoring is an even better set up. This way, even if you are away from home, your property will be watched over by a central monitoring station. In the event of a crime or other trouble conditions, both you and the authorities will be notified right away.
    To learn more about adding video surveillance to your security system, call 1-800-265-5317, or just CLICK HERE.

  • Caught On Camera: California

    Caught On Camera: California

    A brazen California burglar was seen along every step of an alleged home invasion Tuesday, captured in footage recorded by 16 surveillance cameras. Authorities now hope the footage will help them nab the person responsible.

    San Jose resident Heidi Quezada said she was awaken by rustling outside of her home before 2 a.m. and used a phone app to look at some of the surveillance footage. Video shows the man checking out a window of the home, and popping a lock on a sliding door to get inside.

    HT_robbery_ml_150410_16x9_992 (1)

    “I was just petrified,” she said.

    Quezada called 911 and crouched in her closet. As the home’s alarm sounded, the burglar could be seen walking through the home, unfazed.

    “I can hear him rattling around, and I’m telling 911, ‘He’s in the room next to me,’” Quezada said. “I was trying not to hyperventilate. I was trying to whisper and I was trying to tell them, ‘Please hurry.’”

    Quezada says she was motivated to react after the man wiggled the doorknob to the master bedroom and pushed against the door, trying to get inside.

    “I came out of the closet at that point and started banging on the door from the inside, yelling at him and saying, ‘Get out of here, the police are coming, they’re going to shoot you,’” she said.

    The man fled after Quezada yelled, leaving the home and climbing over a fence. The intruder was seen on a neighbor’s surveillance cameras, escaping on a skateboard. By the time police arrived the intruder had gotten away. But with his face splashed across social media, authorities are hopeful that the burglar will soon be captured.

    With Security ONE’s award winning Total Connect app from Honeywell, you can view your cameras in real time even when you are not home. To learn more, call 1-800-265-5317, or just CLICK HERE.

  • Watch Your Online Posting

    Watch Your Online Posting

    Woohoo! 8 days and counting!

    Mexico Here I come!

    Here’s me on Beach!

    socmedtwitter   facebook-grey

    We’ve seen these posts come up in our feeds. You may even have posted something similar yourself! With March Break just around the corner, many people are planning vacations away from all this snow, but beware of the dangers of posting these type of posts online.

    They seem harmless, but when you make that kind of post, you’re really saying this to the world, “In eight days from today, my house will be empty for AT LEAST seven days, and I’ll be so far away, that I won’t be able to do anything about it.”

    One of the most common ways that criminals use social media to commit crimes is by researching when people won’t be home and taking this opportunity to break into their properties.

    The way algorithms on social media sites work can make your post visible to friends-of-your-friends. And to be honest, most people have “friends” on their profiles that are acquaintances at best. Do you REALLY know 623 people – that you consider to be a friend?

    FB-Image-600

    By sharing holiday plans in real-time online, you let criminals know that you’ll be out of town for a while. They can use this information to rob your home when they know you won’t be around.

    It’s much safer to share vacation details after the fact, once you have arrived home safely. Tell individual friends and family members in person the dates that you’ll be away, but don’t post the details online.

    iPhone4_held_TC20_blur

     

    Finally, with our award-winning app, Total Connect, from Honeywell, you can stay connected to your home in REAL TIME, accessing video surveillance and confirming the status of your security system. To learn more about this fantastic service, call 1-800-265-5317 or just CLICK HERE.

  • Don’t Leave Your Keys

    Don’t Leave Your Keys

    According to an article on Windsorite Dot CA, Windsor Police say that here have been 388 vehicles stolen in Windsor so far this year and 50 of these were stolen simply by people leaving their spare keys in the vehicle.

    With the cold weather finally here to stay for the season, it is easy to want to leave your car running while doing errands. Consider this: The same article says that since October Windsor Police report 17 vehicles stolen where the keys were left inside and the doors were left unlocked. In some instances the key set also contained house keys and the suspects also broke into the owner’s home. These stolen vehicles are also frequently used to commit other criminal offences.

    CAR_LOCKSMITHS_IN_auto-ignition-repair_2

    In the article, Police say that owners need to be mindful of their insurance policy because leaving keys in the vehicle may potentially void their coverage.

    While many new vehicles come with a keyless push button start while having your key fob. This technological advancement may be convenient but do not leave keys in vehicles. Lock your car doors and take your keys with you.

    In addition to locking your vehicle, never leaving the keys in the ignition and keeping valuables out of sight, other important vehicle safety tips include:

    • Using a car security system such as an alarm
    • Installing a physical theft prevention device that locks the steering wheel or brakes
    • Parking in well-lit, well-traveled areas
    • Keeping your vehicle inside a locked garage whenever possible

    If warming your car up at home is important, but you’d like to have some added security, consider installing Video Surveillance cameras. With our Total Connect app, you’ll be be able to check in on those cameras in real time. To learn more, call 1-800-265-5317 or just CLICK HERE.