Holiday Safety: Post Holiday Home Security

Most people know the holidays are prime time for burglars to enter your home and steal from you while you are at a friend or family member's party. They go after unwrapped and new high end items that they can re-sell or "fence" on the "black market". It's pretty obvious who's home and who is not at home when the lights are off and there is no car in the driveway.

All a burglar has to do is ring a door bell to see of you are actually home. If no one answers they then jiggle the door knob to see if it's locked or not. If it's locked they will head to the back door and jiggle that. Many times they will walk right in because people are often irresponsible and leave the doors unlocked because they believe "it can't happen to me". If the doors are locked they may try a few street level or basement windows. Brazen burglars will not waste any time and may break glass or use a crowbar and forcibly enter the residence.

Trash day is coming and they may case a neighborhood looking for boxes where electronics such as computers, flat panel TVs, game consoles and other re-saleable items may be.

For holiday safety, use these holiday home security suggestions:

• Lock your doors and windows
• Install a monitored alarm system
• Give your home the lived in look
• Leave the TV on LOUD while you are gone
• Install timers on your lights both indoor and outdoor
• Close the shades to prevent peeping inside
• Use defensive signage
• Store item boxes for at least 90 days because if you have a defective product you will need the box for a return
• After 90 days tear up the box so it's undistinguishable then recycle or put it in a black trash bag

See Robert discussing personal and home security on NBC Boston

Robert Siciliano is a personal security and identity theft expert for Home Security Source. (Disclosures)