Your common break and enter burglar is slowly becoming extinct due to the advent of smart home security devices. According to a study by market research company Park Associates, 50% of North American households will have a smart home device by 2020, with home security devices being the highest priority amongst consumers.
The FBI reported that homes with even a simple, efficient home security system (alarms connected with sensors around key entrances) are 3x less likely to be burglarized. A study conducted by UNC Charlotte which interviewed convicted felons said that 50% of burglars would never proceed with a burglary if they realized there was an alarm on the premises. Presumably, the other 50% of burglars are not as concerned as the alarms usually do not notify the homeowner or a security monitoring business.
Smart home technology once again takes home security to the next level. Not only is it possible to have instant notification of a suspicious event at your home, but the quality of
So what are these devices which are leaving burglars to question their profession?
Doorbell Cameras allow the homeowner to directly communicate with visitors via video and audio. However, some of these doorbell cameras also include a motion sensor which will start recording the moment someone approaches your front door. The best doorbell cameras also have night vision however with very different ranges of quality.
Our favorite doorbell camera is the Ring Video Doorbell which can be battery powered or in the pro-version (which comes with a more advanced camera and motion sensors). The Ring company has teamed up with security monitoring company ADT which can offer an extra layer of security for when your alarm is triggered, and you need immediate support.
Smart Door Locks allow you to unlock and unlock your front door from your smartphone. They can integrate directly with your doorbell camera so that you can let in a trusted friend or family member to your house, or even allow a package to be left right inside the front door by a closely monitored delivery person. You can track entrances and exits and receive notifications every time to ensure that no one is accessing your place that shouldn’t be.
Currently, the best smart door lock on the market is the August Smart Lock. It works with a bunch of different home automation systems including Nest and Apple’s Home Kit and can even let your receive notifications to your Apple smart watch.
So what can these poor professional burglars do now that the low hanging fruit is about to be extinguished? For burglars to continue in their nefarious art form, they will need to become more tech savvy to work around the new smart security devices. One of the primary concerns of smart homeowners is hacking of devices so that someone could monitor your coming and going into your house, unlock your smart door lock and gain access to your home.
However, if a burglar is dedicated and intelligent enough to devise a way to hack into a home via smart home devices to receive the average $2,000 of property stolen, they are probably better off getting a regular job without the hazards of jail time.
Guest post written by: Joseph Mack from smarthomeSAGE, a blog that analyzes the impact that smart home technology (such as the aforementioned doorbell cameras, smart door locks) has on home life.
Great article!
The security alarm industry is definitely getting disrupted right now.
There are many companies like abode who are offering less expensive and easier to install options that work directly with your smart home.
ADT and company are going to have to step up their game.
Those are some pretty neat devices and seem very secure. The only thing that worries me is the hacking but you make a great point if that person is intelligent enough to be able to hack into one of the devices, then surely they would be intelligent enough to use it for high-tech job instead of burglary.
This is a great roundup and there are some really good points here. Having recently stayed at a friend’s house I can vouch for the convenience and security of the August Smart Lock with the ‘guest key’ feature for gaining entry to the property (no more leaving keys under the welcome mat!)
I think the biggest issues coming down the line are likely to be around consent issues regarding the use of outdoor (and indoor) smart cameras and video doorbells. For example, when does consent for audio and video need to be given before recording to be considered not a breach of privacy?
Really interesting to think about these issues so thanks for the post!
I agree. Burglars are probably going to be wiped out by smart home automation. Or if they aren’t, they’re at least going to be reduced.
The Smart Video Doorbells are also very useful like you stated because they act almost like a camera. They’re a lot better than a camera in my opinion though. Smart door locks are also very cool. The only downside to all of this is that if everything is becoming electronic… wouldn’t that make everything hackable?
With the current technology, the burglars are in for a rude shock. Lets keep them at bay. I got myself a SkyBell smart doorbell and it does wonders. Recently, I shook off package thieves while seated in my office. They did put my package down. Wish you could see the disappointment on their face once I told them am watching them. Police are still investigating and am optimistic they will be caught soon as their faces are clearly visible from the 1080p footage. 🙂