Home security books/websites?

I am about to purchase a property and want to install a proper security system, exterior lights, etc.

Can anyone recommend some resources I can review?

Thanks.

I have a 10X camera and motion activated light on the frount of my place, they are run thru a video recorder then if anything happens I can give the sheriff the tape so they can I.D. the low lifes. addtional motion lights are around the house, and other areas.

here is the link, look for "flood cam"
http://www.x10.com/products/x10_vt38ac.htm

"a ninja rolls into the forum..."
-Chris Kavanaugh

As far as online resources go, there's an awful lot out there with respect to DoD, corporate security, etc...you can cull some good information, but you're going to have to wade through a lot that's at best tangentially related to residential security. With that in mind:

Start with Anderson's "Security Engineering" Chapter 11 - Physical Protection

http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/book.html

While not necessarily geared toward the setup and installation of a security system, it does give an excellent discussion of the trade-offs of physical security (e.g., missed alarm rate vs. false alarm rate, etc.). This is the backbone of security design 'cause if your world view is flawed, your implementation is going to suffer.

Also check out "NFPA 730: Guide for Premises Security"
"Document Scope: 1.1 Scope. 1.1.1 This guide describes construction, protection, occupancy features, and practices intended to reduce security vulnerabilities to life and property."

NFPA 730 isn't a how-to on security design / setup, but it is a very accessible overview / discussion of what's available to and recommended for a homeowner rather than, say, an Air Force base. A bit of google-fu should turn up a copy.

The article "Alarm design reads true" is decent.
Zwirn, 2003, Alarm design reads true: Security Management, v. 47, no. 4

"Jim Grover's" "Street Smarts, Firearms,and Personal Security" is excellent on many levels. There's only a few chapters that discuss residential security, but I recommend the entire volume even if you never plan to handle a firearm in your lifetime....now if I could only get my girlfriend to read it.

http://www.amazon.com/Street-Smarts-Firearms-Personal-Security/dp/1581600674

Hope this helps.

It does help, thank you.

My googling thusfar kept just turning up sites selling alarm systems....

I've been installing fire alarms and security systems for 18 years now and am NBFAA (Level II) and NICET (Level I) certified.

A good starting point is contacting every opening (windows and doors), then either motion detectors or glassbreak detectors. I prefer motions, but in some cases they are not viable (large pets that roam the house, areas that are not heated/cooled, etc.)

Money comes into play a lot in security systems. I've done everything from 1 door contact on a system all the way up to DOD and UL systems where every square inch of the building is covered. On a DOD or UL certificated systems, you must cover EVERYTHING. As you can guess, those systems are by no means cheap, but they are the best you can put together.

Wireless is coming into it's own nowadays as a very good option if you don't want to have to run wires everywhere. Some brands are better than others. The wireless equipment I've had good experience with would be CADDX/ITI and Ademco/First Alert. Other manufacturers make wireless, but we don't use much else besides those.

The basic system consists of a control panel, one or more keypads, battery, AC transformer, and door contacts. If you go wireless you have to get a wireless receiver of the same brand as your control panel, and wireless transmitters. Wireless costs more than hardwired, but it saves a lot on time/mess when installing the system.

You can get by without a motion in every single room by placing them where they cover large, high-traffic areas like living rooms, hallways, etc. The motions are usually set up where they are off when you are home ("STAY" mode) and on when you are gone ("AWAY" mode).

Anything else you need to know, just ask.

I've always thought that a good system would have motion detectors in the middle of the room pointed towards windows and doors, with streaming video to a server on the internet somewhere. You could log in to see what's happening, and get an alert if something did.

Unfortunately, I don't know of anyone making these...

We have one technician who does pretty much all of our internet camera work, I don't have a whole lot of experience with setting a system up for internet viewing.

Motions work best when not pointed directly at windows. Probably 95% of all motions commonly used today are infrared-only. Sunlight, as well as heating of the glass in the window can cause false alarms. My preferred placement for motions is in an exterior corner of a room, shooting back toward the center. Hallways are another place where you can get a lot of coverage out of a motion detector with a very low probability of false alarms.

With motion detectors, you're always trying to strike a fine balance of being sensitive enough without being too sensitive and causing false alarms. The higher-end motions use multiple sensors in a single housing, such as microwave and infrared. Both technologies have to trip at the same time in order to generate an alarm condition. These are extremely reliable, but very costly.

I'd like to try motion sensors. But with a lumbering 150lb Newfoundland, an 80lb German Shepard, and a Jack Russel Terrier constantly chasing the two cats around I'm afraid our house is a lost cause. The birds are gone now, but they used to add to the ruckus by flying around daring the cats to catch them. I think motion detectors are out until our zoo quiets down! On the other hand, nobody sneaks into our house without causing a tornado of activity and barking. No silent entry here!

As long as you have no birds, glassbreak detectors are a good option. They work by picking up the high-frequency sound of glass breaking. Birds seem to cause a lot of problems with them though.

A glassbreak detector is pretty much useless if you don't have the windows contacted though, because it doesn't detect the window being opened, just the glass breaking. Most standard glassbreaks will cover a 25' radius from the device when ceiling-mounted. So you can cover an average-sized room or possibly even more than one room with one detector.

I discuss this in two posts on my blog:
http://preparednessnow.blogspot.com/2009/03/home-protection.html
http://preparednessnow.blogspot.com/2009/03/ds-of-security.html

You make some very good points about actually making your home more secure through better doors, locks, motion-activated lights, and other means. Most people overlook those things and just hope a security system alone will do the job.

I've been sent out on a job before to install magnetic locks on the doors of an apartment building. The first thing I did after looking around at the situation was to tell them they needed better doors first. The existing doors were little tougher than cardboard and I was there to install magnetic locks with a holding strength of 10,000 pounds. One kick would have separated the lock mechanism from the door entirely.

Security is definitely not a one-size-fits-all deal. You have to look at the broader picture.

Thanks! I used to conduct security surveys of institutional facilities. Hardening and layering are important concepts that most people don't consider.

One thing I've always told people is to remove the safety rope from their automatic garage door opener. Lay a coat hanger in the floor if need be for emergencies. A quick pull on that rope after smashing out a small piece of glass gives anyone free access to your garage.

I also tell customers to always lock their garage inner door. Installing a door with a lock on it is useless unless you actually keep it locked.

I bet you've got some stories to tell from that line of work. One of our current customers is a clinical facility for bad kids. Every piece of equipment we've used in that place has been battle-tested. We consider it to be the proving ground for alarm equipment, lol.