Are Smart Home Security Systems Safe? The truth, facts and myths.

How much are you willing to invest in your safety?

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Smart home security systems have become more and more popular over the last few years. But are these systems really worth the investment?

Let's take a look at some of the facts, myths, and truths about smart home security systems.

The truth about home security systems

There is no such thing as a perfect  security system that will keep burglars out all of the time. You can improve your home security system but not make it perfect.

Please don't let people fool you about home security systems being foolproof.

The truth is: you can't make your home 100% burglar-proof, no matter how much money you spend on a system.

Although the answer to this question may seem like common sense, people still ask it because they assume that if their homes have a security system, they will be totally safe from someone that tries to break into the house.

It's a myth that installing a security system in your home protects you from everything. Instead, security systems only reduce the risks, so consider this when deciding whether or not to purchase one for your house.

However, there are many benefits to investing in one of these devices for your household safety.

Professional VS DIY security systems

There's a huge difference between a professional security system and the smart ones you just can buy a kit and install yourself.

I'm not only talking about price but also efficiency and reliability.

A professionally installed system will cost you more money initially, but it's worth the investment if you want to feel secure in your home.

If you're going for DIY options, then the benefits are that installing something yourself is usually cheaper and easier than hiring someone else to do it for you.

The cons with this option are that these systems may not be as efficient, and they're not tailored to the needs of your home.

What are you going for?

The truth about smart security systems

Smart home technology is a big deal right now, with devices like Amazon Echo coming out that use these new features. 

Many people have been wondering if this is just another trend or if they really can provide the security and peace of mind that homeowners want.

As a professional security camera engineer (with 18+ years of experience) I may say that there's a huge gap between a DIY smart home security system and a professional one with all the features a robust security system requires.

Smart security system pros

Here are some pros of smart security systems.

  • Affordable price;
  • Easy to install and setup;
  • Easy to manage;
  • Controlled by smartphone;
  • Work with SD card and cloud recording;
  • Integrate with smart home devices;
  • Allow easy remote access to the system.

Smart security system cons

  • Depend on a Wi-Fi connection;
  • Not designed to work in harsh environments;
  • Not suitable for professional applications;
  • Easy to get hacked;
  • Lack of standard protocols;
  • Limited compatibility;
  • High streaming latency;
  • Frequent failures.

Let me exemplify with a real scenario.

Imagine you have a smart camera installed in front of your home's main door, and you hear somebody approaching the place o knocking at your door.

It's late at night, and you don't know why somebody could be knocking at your door at that time, so you grab your mobile phone and try to access your smart camera, but unfortunately, you get the message "camera offline" or something similar to that.

So, now your security camera is just a piece of hardware hanging in your door.

Perhaps you have a problem with the camera that is acting weird, or the Internet is down. Sometimes is a problem with authentication or server hiccup.

Whatever the problem is, now you have to put yourself at risk and open the door without knowing who's there...

Perhaps you can try to talk to the person or spy through the windows, but anyway... your inexpensive smart security camera let you down.

I don't mean to scare you, but that could happen because smart cameras are not reliable as professional security cameras are.

Of course, a professional security camera could also fail, but there's a slight chance that it will happen.

Do Home Security Systems Deter Burglars?

Yes, they do. Home security systems can deter burglars by indicating that someone is inside or near their target house, which leads them to find another place to break into instead (or they might get caught!).

According to the study on the habits and motivations of burglars conducted by the  UNC Charlotte60% of burglars will go to a different house if they see an alarm sign or sensor on the door.

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Burglars that don't take The risk

Burglars usually look for the easiest way out of a property they break into, which means getting in and getting out as quickly as possible. 

A home security system is an obstacle to them, making breaking into your house harder than if it doesn't have one.

It's so easy to work around a security system, as shown by the lock picking guru, who can open a door in seconds without any tools. But, C'mon, this is just movie BS.

The best security systems to deter burglars

Alright, there's no such a thing as the unbreakable security system.

But, you can have a good one that works according to your needs.

The best approach to deter burglars is to avoid them getting into your house in the first place. However, you can scare them away with some techniques.

So, what's the secret of putting the burglars to run away like crazy?

Alert messages and spotlights can do the job 🙂

Yeah, you just set up your security cameras to play some sounds and turn on the spotlights when the burglars come close to your property. Cool, huh?

Smart cameras with a spotlight are handy for situations like that.

Security Systems Actually Work

Security systems work, but not all of them work perfectly. Having a home security system doesn't guarantee that your property is completely safe and burglars won't try anything - but it's better than nothing!

It's recommended to have a security system in place to deter burglars and give you a sense of security even if they are not 100% fail-proof.

Sure, Smart home security systems can be hacked just like any other system, but they are much harder for burglars to break into due to the complexity. With that being said - it's not impossible either!

Conclusion

In the last decade, there has been a lot of talk about what type of security system is better for your home--professional or DIY.

With the vast amount of information available on home security systems, it can be hard to know what type is best.

But before you go out and purchase one of these systems, keep in mind that they both have pros and cons, but at the end of the day, both systems help to deter burglars.

One of the most important decisions you can make to protect your home is which type of security system you're going to use.

I hope that this post has given you some insight into how professional and smart security cameras work so you can make an educated decision for your own family's needs. 

Please share with us in the comments below which system works better for you or if there are any other questions I should answer about these types of systems.

 Thank you!

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