HARDWARE & SECURITY
Experts at the Master
Locksmiths Association Review
Security Trends for 2020
» TECHNOLOGY HAS
transformed almost all
aspects of our daily lives.
We can pay bills and
organise banking from our
smartphones, adjust our
home heating remotely via
mobile app, and use the
same phone to manage our
travel.
Forecasters predict that
the next big thing to be
revolutionised by technology
is home and car security.
Experts at the Master
Locksmiths Association, the
UK’s leading organisation
for locksmiths, consider the
technology trends facing the
security industry in 2020
and what it will mean for
consumers.
Dr Steffan George,
Managing Director of the
MLA, which represents the
business interests of over
1,400 locksmiths across the
UK, reviews some of these
emerging trends and gives his
views on what they will mean
for home security.
Concerns and perceived
threats to personal safety in
both the home and in public
places are fuelling a growing
demand for security solutions
for both domestic and
commercial properties, and
consequently the market for
these products is expected
to grow in 2020. Increased
affordability and accessibility
of new technologies is also
contributing to this market
growth.
The need for action is clear.
Home Office statistics show
that homes with no security
38
are five times more likely to be
burgled than those with simple
security measures in place.
Technology is expected
to play a bigger part in
home security in 2020 with
more residential properties
equipped with solutions that
can be accessed remotely
via mobile devices including
smartphones, tablets and
laptops.
Fingerprint door
locks and facial
recognition software
This used to be the stuff
of James Bond films and
spy thrillers, but now this
technology is becoming
increasingly popular and
accessible for homeowners
and businesses. Biometric
electronic security systems
work by using a person’s
unique physical characteristics
including fingerprints, face
or iris recognition to grant or
block access to specific doors,
rooms or buildings.
A fingerprint door lock
works by recognising the
unique fingerprints of a select
group of authorised personnel
or residents and using them
to unlock doors and provide
access to a property. The
cost of this technology used
to be prohibitively expensive
which limited its application,
but now fingerprint locks
are widely available and are
more accessible. One crucial
issue to consider when
installing new technologies
is to build in a back-up for
when the technology goes
wrong. The MLA recommends
installing a hybrid system
that incorporates a traditional
mechanical lock alongside
a biometric one to provide
the best of both worlds and
to ensure that the biometric
system can be bypassed, and
the door still used when and if
the power goes down.
Experts at the MLA also
advise that the correct
installation of smart locks is
very important to how well
they work. One common
problem with the introduction
of smart technologies is the
installation of smart locks
on existing traditional door
locks. This investment does
not enhance security and if
not installed by a professional
locksmith can actually be
detrimental. All smart locks
and security systems should
be specified and fitted by
professional locksmiths to
ensure that they are fit for
purpose and address the
specific security requirements
of an individual property.
Wireless Home
Security – an integrated
smart home
The trend for creating smart
homes will continue into 2020
with people integrating more
technology into managing
their homes. Heating,
entertainment systems,
appliances and security can
all be smart enabled and
controlled via mobile devices.
Smart, wireless home security
systems are becoming
increasingly common as
prices drop and technology
improves.
Installing a house or
business alarm used to
require expensive fixed
installation costs with security
systems and CCTV networks
reserved for those with big
budgets; now smart wireless
solutions are available,
providing convenient and
accessible alternatives.
With fast, reliable Wi-Fi and
a smartphone it is possible
to create a safe, smart and
secure home using a system
that can be easily installed,
controlled and monitored via
an app from anywhere in the
world. With wireless sensors
connected to a motion-
sensing camera people can
monitor their home remotely,
using just their mobile
phone.
Renters and homeowners
who move house frequently
can also benefit from these
portable wireless systems,
allowing them to disconnect
and reconnect at a new
address without disruption to
either property.
One of the major obstacles
to using wireless home
security, after cost, has
traditionally been reliability.
Interference from other
devices and structural
interference from walls,
floors and ceilings causing
signal failure has previously
affected the reliability of
wireless home security, but
these problems are far less
frequent. To combat these
problems, each wireless
sensor now has its own
battery back-up. The MLA
recommends regular testing
JAN/FEB 2020
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