survival of the smartest: clever, simple security ideas anyone can do
DESCRIPTION
Crescent Guardian, a national security company, understands the importance of safety in today's volatile world. That's why they devout themselves to developing innovative security solutions for both the usual and unthinkable scenarios. While integrating state-of-the-art security technology with traditional guard services plays a critical role in Crescent Guardian's protection plans, the company wanted to see how individuals across the United States are staying safe and alert. They asked people to submit their out-of-the-box security ideas for deception, detection, protection and surveillance that are used in their home or business. The ideas received spanned a broad range of professionals and private citizens from all walks of life. The following content goes into why security is important and offers clever, simple ideas that can be easily, and often inexpensively, implemented at your home or business.TRANSCRIPT
SURVIVAL of the
SmartestClever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do
Published by Crescent Guardian, IncorporatedState-of-the-Art Technology + Physical Security
www.cgiprotects.com
1INTRODUCTION
2WHY SECURITY?
4DECEPTION
7DETECTION
10PROTECTION
13SURVEILLANCE
15ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
16CONTACT
Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do
www.cgiprotects.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Crescent Guardian, a national security company that specializes in safeguarding Federal, State, Municipal, Commercial, Energy, Transportation and other Critical Infrastructure, understands the importance of safety in today’s volatile world. That’s why they devout themselves to developing innovative security solutions for both the usual and unthinkable scenarios.
While integrating state-of-the-art security technology with traditional guard services plays a critical role in Crescent Guardian’s protection plans, the company wanted to see how individuals across the United States are staying safe and alert. They asked people to submit their out-of-the-box security ideas for deception, detection, protection and surveillance that are used in their home or business. The ideas received spanned a broad range of professionals and private citizens from all walks of life.
The following content goes into why security is important and offers clever, simple ideas that can be easily, and often inexpensively, implemented at your home or business.
Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do
www.cgiprotects.com
INTRODUCTION
1
At the most basic level, almost every human has one thing on his or her mind: Survival. We are all constantly trying to protect ourselves. Whether it’s locking car doors while driving through an unfamiliar area, applying bug repellant or just not talking to strangers, we anticipate threats and form barriers against the unknown.
The unknown can be scary -- like entering a dark room, it can make your imagination run wild. The possible scenarios that run across the mind can lead to some innovative thoughts. From a boulder placed strategically in front of a cave’s entrance to a moat surrounding a castle, people have come up with an unending supply of creative security ideas throughout history. These ideas have all hinged on keeping bad things out or keeping sinister individuals in (i.e. prison). While our wants of today may differ from our ancestors, our needs are essentially the same.
Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do
www.cgiprotects.com
2
WHY SECURITY?
Psychology, the scientific study of mental functions and behaviors, has long been interested in what drives people to do the things they do. Typically, the needs of most people are consistent across the board. At the core, we all want the same things. One psychologist, Abraham Maslow, was particularly intrigued with finding what motivates people. He is best known for creating Maslow's hierarchy of needs, one of the most famous theories of modern psychology.
Maslow’s hierarchy suggests one of the most basic needs for humans is the desire to feel safe and secure -- free from the threat of physical and emotional harm. No matter how far back in time you go, people have always longed for protection.
At the bottom of the pyramid are the “Basic needs or Physiological needs” of a human being: food, water, sleep and sex. The next level is “Safety Needs: Security, Order, and Stability.” These two primary steps are important to the physical survival of the person. Once individuals have basic nutrition, shelter and safety, they attempt to accomplish more.*
With that in mind, read on to see some clever security ideas people are coming up with these days to keep safe/alert.
Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do
www.cgiprotects.com
3
• Wikipedia
WHY SECURITY?
Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do4
DECEPTION
www.cgiprotects.com
I sew hangar covers (the kind that curve over the hangar and come down about 4 to 8 inches) out of print fabrics I get from the design center (in other words -- they are very busy prints). Inside the back of the cover I sew a flat piece of material into a flat pocket. It's great for stashing cash and even jewelry (although a professional thief would have a metal detector). If you don't have this, you could store cash in one of the pockets of some jeans at the bottom of a drawer or put it in the deep pocket of a pair of pants hanging in the closet.
Susan Terkel, Carrot Seed Publishing
Take a human silhouette target and put simulated bullet holes in it. Tape the silhouette on the outside of your exterior door. At the bottom write, "Nothing inside worth dying for."
Randy Ganther
A simple, typed sign on the front door that reads: “BEWARE OF ROTTWEILER. SHE HAS BEEN TRAINED NOT TO BARK AT INTRUDERS, BUT TO BITE AND RESTRAIN THEM UNTIL HER OWNERS ARRIVE." In smaller type, the following sentence should be placed below the notice on the sign: "This sign serves as required legal notice of the physical danger inherent to any person who enters this private property without permission.”
Sami Swan Thompson, Writer
Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do5
DECEPTION
www.cgiprotects.com
Put large, well-chewed dog toys in the backyard and on the porch. We joked about getting a large pile of plastic poop, but never did. The better idea, we borrowed our neighbor's security system sign that was in their front yard and put that sign in our yard.
Ed McMasters, Flottman Company
If you feel vulnerable to possible "breaking and entering" through a particular window - hang a "prop" policeman's hat on a hat-rack where it will be readily seen. It will say to any potential intruders: A COP LIVES HERE - AND HE IS HOME!
Jim McGuane, Author
Thieves know how to disarm many security systems, so to make your house or business a less attractive option, put security stickers in very visible locations (windows, on mailbox, near a backdoor that is hidden from public view but a great place to hide for an intruder), and make sure they do not list the alarm company you use. If you are short on cash, and depending on where you live, you don't even need the alarm system—just the most strategically placed stickers.
Janine Darling, StashDaddy.com
4 Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do
www.cgiprotects.com
6
DECEPTION
4 Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do
www.cgiprotects.com
7
DETECTION
When faced with a strange neighbor who tried to enter our home my wife stood an ironing board with a large bell attached to it against the door. Whenever the door opened the board would fall, ring the bell and alert us of the intruder.
James Gerdeman, Author
For men and women with longer hair, pull out one strand, wet it and place it between the door and doorframe to alert you if someone has passed through. Tape works too, but it can sometimes be seen due to its glossiness.
Dave Aaron, UFO Audio Video Clearinghouse
When I worked as a mortgage broker I was frequently alone in our strip mall office. We were located next door to a tobacco shop that had been robbed several times. We had no security system in our office, but my car was parked right outside the front window. My solution was to keep my key fob in the lap drawer of my desk so that if I ever felt threatened I'd simply set off my car's alarm. I also kept a can of wasp spray that would reach 20 feet and make someone pretty uncomfortable when sprayed in the face!
Allison Sousa, Word's Out Marketing & PR
When I'm home alone, I stack empty metal cans filled with rocks and cheap jingle bells in front of the doors. I stack them 2-3 feet high. Nobody is getting into the house without me hearing.
Lynn Windle, Coldwell Banker Apex
4 Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do
www.cgiprotects.com
8
DETECTION
If you have a larger piece of property, turn to the Orient for inspiration. We use geese, which make an excellent alarm system. They quack loudly at the first sign of people they do not know! Also, we bring our dog to the office occasionally. He's huge and has a bit of an attitude. We walk him around the perimeter one or two nights and put up a warning about the dog. Works like a charm.
Debi Einmo,
If you don't have a security system installed, at least install a simple low cost X-10 motion detector on the premises along with a receiver and modules (total cost under $100) connected to a lot of hi-intensity lights on the premises that will automatically go on if anyone invades the space you want protected. The intruder will very possibly assume that the lights going on indicate that the premises are protected by video surveillance, and may flee, or try to find cameras.
Joe Dolice
I collect colored glass bottles and line them up on my ground level casement windowsills. Anyone trying to get in will spend an awful lot of time removing them, and likely will drop a few. Add colored, glass candlesticks for a nice rainbow effect. Also, seniors here in the Florida Keys plant agave plants as a fence line, or under windows. The spines on these things are a nightmare. Cicadas, and frogs chirping at night are built in alarms. When they stop making noise (which you grow used to) the silence is deafening.
Lu Foley, Florida Keys Seminars, LLC
4 Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do
www.cgiprotects.com
9
DETECTION
4 Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do
www.cgiprotects.com
10
PROTECTION
#1 is to use a dowel rod in your window to prevent someone from gaining entry that way. You can cut it as long or short as you want so you can allow air flow if desired. #2 is to nail your window air conditioner or box fan to the sill. Either way, a burglar can’t gain easy access. And lastly is the simplest. Get a small dog. They have SDS (Small Dog Syndrome), which makes them try to sound and act tough -- and they generally are! I had a Scottish Terrier years ago that actually bit through the heel of a leather work boot of a workman my landlord hired! Robert Sollars, Today's Training
Install 4-inch long screws in your doorframe at the dead bolt. Most door frames are not secured to the inside frame. Many burglars just kick in the door, causing the frame to easily break at the bolt area.
Jeff Martin, AVS Systems, Inc.
Our front (and only) door is in an alcove of about three-and-a-half square feet. In this little "entry" we have a stand or bookshelf against the wall opposite the door. It is made of wood and pretty sturdy. We set a toolbox full of tools against this bookshelf, which leaves about three inches of space before the door. When the door is opened the toolbox and bookshelf provide a very strong resistance, and the door will only open those three inches. In the event that anyone tried to kick in the door, it would make a terrible racket, as well as prevent the door from opening wide enough for anyone to enter.
Marie York, SonShine Publications
When I had wooden windows and lived on the first floor in Brooklyn, I drilled a hole in the window and frame and inserted a nail. This way I could get fresh air and made it more difficult for someone to get in. When I had my own home, the bedroom window was a double one that opened on top with a crank. I felt safer that way. Now, I live outside of Seattle, also on the first floor. I put a baby gate in the window. If I need the fan, the fan goes on the bottom and the baby gate on top. If I only need the gate, then the gate goes on the bottom.
Maria Marsala, elevatingyourbusiness.com
4 Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do
www.cgiprotects.com
11
PROTECTION
I’m a strong supporter of using natural elements to protect my home and business. For instance, I grow plants, like thorny shrubs, outside my windows to prevent burglars from entering my house. They can hurt! But be sure to keep them trimmed. They can block the windows and obscure the view from outside if someone does break in. Steve Schulkens, Schulkens Communications
Criminals often look for areas that are dark, so I like to use timers on my interior lights to create the impression that I’m home, even when I’m away for a few days. It’s a pretty inexpensive idea and keeps your house from clearly signaling to everyone that no one is home, especially if there are no cars in the driveway
Dylan Walker, Walker Publishing
4 Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do
www.cgiprotects.com
12
PROTECTION
4 Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do
www.cgiprotects.com
13
SURVEILLANCE
Connect a cheap webcam to your network-connected old PC or laptop, point it toward your home’s entrance, and channel your inner super-spy with a DIY surveillance system. Or turn it indoors as a "nanny-cam" that can be monitored from anywhere you can access the internet. Check out the free software at I Spy Connect (www.ispyconnect.com), which shows you how to monitor your network-connected webcam using motion and sound detection, even from your mobile phone.
Shawna Bell, Nerds On Call
If you have a smartphone, there are several apps you can download that allow you to use public IP camera feeds and keep an eye on specific areas of a city. Many of the apps are free, such as IP Cam Viewer Basic, and come in handy when you’re away or haven’t had a chance to set up other security measures.
Jason Taix Brothers Taix Photography
4 Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do
www.cgiprotects.com
14
SURVEILLANCE
Crescent Guardian, Inc. is an advanced national security firm that specializes in protecting environments, people and assets by integrating state-of-the-art technology with traditional guard services.
Since 1993, Crescent Guardian has safeguarded thousands of public and private sector clients, including Federal, State, Municipal, Commercial, Energy, Financial, Manufacturing, Transportation and Critical Infrastructure. Crescent Guardian’s integrated security solutions create unmatched safety and an overall reduction in operating expenditure for greater cost efficiency.
Services of Crescent Guardian• Safeguarding employees and visitors to a client’s facilities • Guarding and securing a client’s property• Monitoring fire and intrusion detection alarms and CCTV systems• Managing ID systems and maintaining access, visitors and key control systems• Conducting building security inspections• Maintaining general facility surveillance• Providing security system analysis and recommendations• Designing custom security systems• Providing management assistance and recommendations for implementing security systems • Providing security system installation assistance
By anticipating trends and utilizing best practices to deliver world-class solutions, Crescent Guardian
can help reduce criminal activity, service disruption, and other risk factors that can impede business
continuity. The result is overall cost reduction, greater profitability, and higher levels of satisfaction
for clients. Contact Crescent Guardian to see how they can help safeguard your business.
4 Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do
www.cgiprotects.com
15
CRESCENT GUARDIAN
CRESCENT GUARDIAN’S PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO INCLUDES:
• Guard Services • Program Management• RFID Solutions• Video Analytics
• Security Consulting• IP Video Surveillance• Asset Management• And More
4 Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do
www.cgiprotects.com
16
CONTACT
PHONE504-483-7811
FAX504-483-9005
OFFICES
New Orleans (HQ)
Atlanta
Boston
Dallas
4 Clever, Simple Security Ideas Anyone Can Do
www.cgiprotects.com