Security is a preventive process. The core idea is to make the risk of being caught, or otherwise failing, not worth the reward a criminal is after. The more valuable the target, the more it makes sense to spend protecting it. It is easy to see that a $5,000 alarm system isn't worth installing to protect a $500 bicycle, and that a $100 lock is worth buying and using to protect a $1,000 bicycle. Objects are easy to put a value on. A harder question is how much you should spend to protect yourself or your family. Only you can answer that.
I am a firm believer in the layered approach to security. That means there is no one thing you can do to secure your home or business. Becoming “secure” is an ongoing process of small steps. No single step will make you “safe”, but together those steps make you a harder target for criminals. The process also lets you decide when the protections you have taken are “secure enough”.
The other articles in our Security Tips describe steps you can take to become more secure. To hear about new tips, sign up for our newsletter. If you have a suggestion for a topic, or a question, please contact us.
By Kris Quinby
