A few months ago I published an article on how to pick a lock. One of the reasons I showed folks how to do that 
(besides fulfilling a goal to become more like Jason Bourne) was to demonstrate how locks provide an “illusion of security.” Locks make you feel safe, but if someone wanted to get into your house, they could easily pick their way inside.
Hopefully, the takeaway from that post was that you can’t just rely on locks as your only means of home security. You need to utilize other tools and tactics in order to create multiple layers of defense.
Each year, there are over 2 million home burglaries committed nationwide. Today I’ll share a complete guide to making your home more secure and decreasing your chances of becoming a victim of this crime. I’ve included a whole gamut of different options and steps you can take. The tips range from the cheap and easy, to the more expensive and involved. Only you can decide, based on your personal circumstances and inclinations, how much time and money to invest in buttressing your home against the possibility of invasion and theft.
Understand the Mind of a Criminal: Time, Noise, and Visibility
Most burglars are criminals of opportunity. They’re typically only going to target homes they can access easily without being detected. Sociologists that have interviewed burglars have found three common factors they use to determine whether or not to rob a home: time, noise, and visibility.
Burglars want to (continue reading)