NATIONAL HOME SECURITY MONTH
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PROTECTING HOMES: ESSENTIAL SECURITY MEASURES
» SECURED BY DESIGN( SBD) IS outlining the simple yet highly effective steps homeowners can take to make their properties a hard target and reduce the chances of falling victim to an opportunistic burglar …
Upgrade your home security The most crucial step is making it physically difficult for a criminal to enter. Focus on ensuring your doors and windows meet high security standards.
• Choose Police Preferred Specification: We advise that all doorsets- the entire system including the door, frame, locks, fittings, and glazing- that allow direct access to your home achieve the Police Preferred Specification. This high security standard proves the product has been tested to withstand common attack methods
• Secure All Entry Points: This high standard should also apply to easily accessible windows, including roof lights and roof windows. Burglars look for the weakest link, so don’ t overlook upper or side access points
• Proper Installation is Key: The best products must be fitted correctly. Ensure both door and window frames are securely fixed to the building fabric according to the manufacturer’ s instructions and specifications
• Always Lock Up: Even the most secure doors are vulnerable if left open. Lock your doors and windows whenever you are away and even when you are at home. For safety, always keep your keys readily accessible should you need to exit quickly in an emergency
Implement Certified Security Systems
An electronic security system, such as a burglar alarm, provides an additional deterrent and notifies you and the authorities if a break-in occurs.
• Select a Reputable Installer: If you choose to install an alarm, you must use a reliable and certified company. We recommend contacting the NSI( National Security Inspectorate) or the SSAIB( Security Systems & Alarm
Inspection Board). These Independent Inspectorate Bodies regulate and accredit security firms
• Find an Approved Company: Both the NSI( National Security Inspectorate) and the SSAIB( Security Systems & Alarm Inspection Board) provide search functions on their websites to help you find an appropriate installer in your area
• Benefit from Certification: An alarm system certified by one of these accredited independent bodies guarantees a reliable and wellmaintained system that meets relevant British and European standards.
Protect and Mark Your Valuables
Good-quality doors and locks are excellent deterrents, but you can do even more to protect the items inside your home.
• Invest in a Quality Safe: Store highly valuable items— such as passports, jewellery, credit cards, and identification documents— in a safe. Ensure the safe complies with a recognised security standard like BS EN 1143( the Eurograde system), Loss Prevention Certification Board( LPS 1183) or Sold Secure( SS304). Your safe must be placed discreetly, ideally in an alarmed area, and bolted to a wall or floor to prevent it from being removed. It is also recommended that checks are made with your home insurance provider, to ensure that the chosen safe meets the requirements of your policy and / or enables you to purchase one that does
• Use Property Marking: Property marking assigns your valuables a unique code, making it easier for the police to trace and recover your possessions. Register with an SBD accredited property marking system. This is important for all valuables, including tools and bikes stored in outbuildings or garages
• Maintain Records: Register your valuables free of charge on a policerecognised database. Always keep documents like receipts to prove ownership and take clear photographs of all valuable items, especially antiques and family heirlooms, which are particularly attractive to criminals
Defend Against Vehicle Theft( Relay Theft)
Vehicles equipped with smart or passive keys( contactless keys) are vulnerable to a technique known as“ Relay Theft.” Criminals use electronic cloning devices to capture the key’ s signal, tricking the car into thinking the key is present, and stealing the vehicle in under 60 seconds.
• Mind the Key Location: Do not leave your smart keys in the hallway near the front door. This position makes it easy for thieves to grab the signal through the wall or to fish for the keys through the letterbox
• Block the Signal: When not in use, you must store your keys in a security pouch. These pouches are often termed Faraday bags or RFID signal Fob Blockers / shields. These shields prevent the key’ s signal from being captured by criminal electronic devices
www. securedbydesign. com
38 OCTOBER 2025
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