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.