Home / Small Business Physical Security Preps Thread

[3MTA3]

Amazing what you can find online for home and small business security

 

[Knobgoblin]

 

[CountryGent]

View attachment 1369958

"Daewoo, that's who", to quote an old advertising campaign.

Thought that is for the mobiles. These are a more neato product from the industrial concern.

 

[JackFrost]

I wear a size 18, maybe I could start selling my used work/ hiking boots as a side hustle ! Sounds like there might be market!

 

[Unicykle]

I really hate plants with spikes in my yard but I do have well-established old roses with those big hard thorns in front of the easier windows to get in. A breed of dog that gives people a second thought. A couple of cheap harbor freight motion detectors in key places that ding a bell in my house to let me know if something more than 3 feet tall is walking around outside.

 

[3MTA3]

If you have a wooden fence on your property, consider removing the slats, then putting up chicken or hog wire, then replace the slats. This makes your fence much stronger. It's really fairly easy to break through redwood slats, especially if they are old.

Also, while the slats are off, inspect and replace any structural parts that are rotting and it's a great time for repainting.

 

[Hueco]

I really hate plants with spikes in my yard but I do have well-established old roses with those big hard thorns in front of the easier windows to get in. A breed of dog that gives people a second thought. A couple of cheap harbor freight motion detectors in key places that ding a bell in my house to let me know if something more than 3 feet tall is walking around outside.

Used to live next to a marshy preserve that has blackberry bushes/vines growing up against the trail inlet. Someone had previously cut a path but the bushes must have been 6' tall, grew very tight together and thick, and bordered the first 30' or so of the trail.

Ever since that experience, adding blackberries to my fence has been on the wishlist, assuming I wind up somewhere that can grow them.

 

[Member 53328]

If you have a wooden fence on your property, consider removing the slats, then putting up chicken or hog wire, then replace the slats. This makes your fence much stronger. It's really fairly easy to break through redwood slats, especially if they are old.

Also, while the slats are off, inspect and replace any structural parts that are rotting and it's a great time for repainting.

Not a bad idea. I'll be doing this next summer when I rebuild my fence. Thanks!

 

[bradsteen]

Well, @CountryGent , you definitely picked a deep one! Apologies in advance for the length of this post; I've been working in this field for over 15 years, so the topic is one I tend to nerd out on a lot. On that note... *cracks knuckles* Ok, here we go.

• Before committing to any security enhancement, start by figuring out what you're trying to protect, and from whom. The nature of your anticipated threats and their respective motivations will help you determine which protection strategies are most appropriate.
• Home and business security risks require different approaches. While home protection depends on denial of entry, businesses generally need to be open to customers, creating vulnerabilities that could be exploited by a threat actor.
• Security strategy works best in layers. Start at the perimeter of the property with physical and psychological deterrents. This may include motion-activated lighting, fences, signage, etc.
• Don't underestimate the value of motion-activated lighting - it's a great deterrent, and can help you quickly tell where a potential threat is coming from.
• Perimeter doors should have locks and deadbolts, with strike plates screwed into studs.
• When you open your door you are breaching your security, and this vulnerability is exploited by criminals all the time. For this reason it's important have a means of checking points of entry without opening the door. This can be a window looking out at the exterior of the entry point, a peep hole on the door, a doorbell camera, etc.
• Windows should have locks to keep them closed, and also locks or barriers to prevent them from being open farther than intended - this will enable you to leave windows cracked without compromising your perimeter security. For added protection you can get film for your window glass - not only does it make it harder for someone to break in, it also helps mitigate the risk of shattering glass flying everywhere in an earthquake, explosion, or other extreme circumstances.
• Having an audible tone to announce entry into your home or business can be very useful, but it might also drive you nuts if you get a lot of foot traffic.
• Cameras is a big topic on it's own. The highlights are:
  • They can be helpful to maintain visibility of your perimeter and identify potential threats before they breach, but are most often used after an incident to identify perpetrators, vehicles, etc.
  • Latency in motion-sensing alerts varies widely based on the home's network connectivity, signal strength between the camera and the hub, and processing time required by the software to activate the notification function within the app. In other words, just because the system senses motion doesn't mean it will alert you before the bad guy has kicked in your door.
  • Remember, cameras can be hacked. While not extremely common, some criminals are starting to leverage high tech equipment to make their criminal activities safer and more efficient. For this reason I wouldn't rely solely on cameras for perimeter monitoring. I would also avoid placing cameras inside the home, because of someone hacks your system THEY will be able to monitor YOU.
  • Cameras can go offline for a variety of reasons, including scheduled maintenance by the service provider, power or network outages, or intervention by threat actors. For this reason (and for the others listed above) do not solely rely on cameras for monitoring of your perimeter.
• A core tenant of Operational Security (OpSec) is knowing what information you're broadcasting to the world, and understanding how that information can be used against you by a potential threat. The old wartime adage "Loose Lips Sink Ships" definitely applies to your home security strategy. Consequently, it's best to avoid using tongue-in-cheek signs like "trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again", "this property is protected by [INSERT GUN COMPANY]", etc. While funny, these simply announce to the world that you have guns in your home and can make you a target for burglary. The same principle applies to putting stickers on your cars, and even what you post on social media.
• If you're trying to harden up your home or business, do some research into Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) - it's a handy way to use landscaping and building construction to deter criminal activity, control paths of ingress, and provide early warning of approach. CPTED is an entire security discipline on its own, but some simple examples anyone can use include:
  • Planting hedges in front of perimeter fences will make it harder for someone to jump over, and will also help funnel potential intruders to designated paths of entry where you can pick them up with motion lighting and/or surveillance cameras.
  • Trimming low tree branches outside your perimeter so that no branches are lower than 6ft off the ground will make it harder for someone to gain access to your property by climbing a tree and jumping over.
  • Keeping barriers / fences in front of the home under 4ft in height so that you can see anyone casing the property or attempting to ingress from the front.
  • Placing gravel around your home's exterior instead of woodchips or soil - it provides a clean and manicured look, but will also help you to hear if someone is attempting to approach a perimeter window.
• Know what choke points exist in / around your home, and how they work in both directions. You never know if you'll be inside or outside when a problem arises. Sure, if there's a bump in the night when you're asleep in bed you can use the natural choke point of a stairwell, hallway, or passthrough to focus your field of fire, but if you're just returning home and find it has been breached, you'll be facing that some choke point from the wrong side.
• On the topic of staging weapons around the home, this can be a double-edged sword. On one hand it can be useful to have a weapon within easy reach regardless of what part of the home you're in. On the other, if done improperly it can make it easier for an unauthorized person to access that firearm. If you're going to store guns in various rooms:
  • Use proper safes or steel-reinforced containers to secure the weapons when not in use
  • Don't store them in high-humidity areas such as the bathroom or laundry room.
  • Include other essentials with them that you will need in a defensive scenario - spare mags, mag carrier, flashlight, holster, etc.
• As an alternative to staging guns around the house, you could just carry a pistol with you while in the home - this will enable you to store all of your guns securely in a safe, and give you a means to fight your way to them in the rare event that a bigger gun is needed.
• A really valuable concept in home defense strategy is "Isolate the Family, Defend the Room" (IFDR) - this is a term coined by Jacob Paulson of ConcealedCarry.com. It basically involves analyzing your home layout and pattern of life of your family to identify positions where you can control access to your loved ones in case of a home invasion, both in daytime and nighttime scenarios. At minimum it's worth sketching up a floorplan of your home, marking where you and/or your loved ones spend the most time, and figuring out how you might isolate them from a threat in different circumstances.
• You may choose to harden one or more rooms in your home to provide additional layers of protection or to slow down an intruder. Most interior doors are hollow-core and open inward from the hallway. Replacing your bedroom door with one made of solid wood or steel construction and reinforcing it in the same manner that you would a perimeter door can buy you precious seconds in a home invasion situation. If you want to take it to a bit more of an extreme, you can buy doors with multi-point locking systems for added security.
• Some additional resources worth checking out:
  • LuckyGunner: Practical Tips for Home Defense
    I really like how this short video simplifies the concept of building a home defense strategy for the average person. Definitely worth taking 5 minutes to watch.
    
  • CPTED Strategies: Pleasanton Police Department
    This PDF contains some good advice on how to use CPTED concepts to make your home a harder target for burglars.
    https://www.cityofpleasantonca.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=24009

There's a ton more I could add, but it's late and this will be a long post as it is. If anyone has questions or needs help setting up a home or business protection strategy, I'm happy to help out - just shoot me a PM.

 

[Defense Minister]

The 3M is basically a vinyl film (a lot like window tint) that create a serious barrier to someone trying to smash the window in. It's very difficult to do and takes a lot of time.

I installed 3M's Ultra S600 security film on my rear glass slider and attached it to the frame with Dow 995, both Commercial Grade products.

I like a double deadbolt high security lock on my doors-- you need a key to get into or out of the house

I converted my standard Schlage deadbolts to operate in this manner to prevent someone from breaking the side-lite or door windows, and reaching in to unlock the door. I take the interior key out at night, and whenever I leave the house.

I also attached both strike plates with 3" screws and installed a door reinforcing plate at all exterior doors

-Removing the "emergency" pull down lever for garage doors.

I've gone back and forth on this one, although I've only secured it with cable ties, never actually removed it. My concern is that the door or operator will fail, and my wife won't be able to get out of the garage if needed.

I put these GE Glass Vibration Alarms on my front windows



I double latched my gates and secured the pull cords with combination key lock boxes, and gave NW Natural the combo so they can read the gas meter.




And I installed cameras, lights, and topped each gate with barbed wire on both sides of my house. The light/camera combination works well for the cheap 2MP cameras since their nighttime IR performance is marginal at best.



The back yard is 100% fenced, and while my neighbors undoubtedly don't employ the same security measures as I do, they do act as a buffer on all sides but the front.

 

[Member 53328]

I installed 3M's Ultra S600 security film on my rear glass slider and attached it to the frame with Dow 995, both Commercial Grade products.


I converted my standard Schlage deadbolts to operate in this manner to prevent someone from breaking the side-lite or door windows, and reaching in to unlock the door. I take the interior key out at night, and whenever I leave the house.

I also attached both strike plates with 3" screws and installed a door reinforcing plate at all exterior doors

View attachment 1372173


I've gone back and forth on this one, although I've only secured it with cable ties, never actually removed it. My concern is that the door or operator will fail, and my wife won't be able to get out of the garage if needed.

I put these GE Glass Vibration Alarms on my front windows

View attachment 1372168

I double latched my gates and secured the pull cords with combination key lock boxes, and gave NW Natural the combo so they can read the gas meter.

View attachment 1372169
View attachment 1372170

And I installed cameras, lights, and topped each gate with barbed wire on both sides of my house. The light/camera combination works well for the cheap 2MP cameras since their nighttime IR performance is marginal at best.
View attachment 1372171

I don't have vehicles in the garage so luckily that's not an issue for me or my wife. But I totally understand where you're coming from. Good on you for at least tying them up making it much more difficult to hook and release.

 

[edzz]

I like a double deadbolt high security lock on my doors-- you need a key to get into or out of the house

Medeco - 11TC624 - Maxum Commercial - M3 Biaxial - 6-Pin - Double Deadbolt - Optional Backset - DL Keyway Pinned - 26 - Satin Chrome - Grade 1

Specifications: - 26 Finish (Satin Chrome) - 2-3/8" Backset - 2x 6-Pin M3 Cylinder w/2 Keys & CardThe Medeco Maxum deadbolt exceeds Grade 1 ANSI/BHMA A156.36 standard for auxilary locks. Solid brass, free turning collar and 1/4 inch diameter mounting bolts resist wrenching, prying and hammering...

www.uhs-hardware.com

These locks weigh as much as my Desert Eagle

And in the event of a fire???

 

[Provincial]

Leve the key in the lock when home. See post #30.

 

[billdeserthills]

And in the event of a fire???

I leave my keys in the lock when I'm home

 

[Defense Minister]

And in the event of a fire???

In the room that the front door enters, there are 4 windows, a glass slider, and the door to the garage. I think I'm covered with other options...

 

[arakboss]

I am interested in ideas that apartment dwellers could take advantage of if things go south. We live in a condo complex that used to be apartments. We can only make changes from the studs in without approval from HOA.

 

[3MTA3]

I am interested in ideas that apartment dwellers could take advantage of if things go south. We live in a condo complex that used to be apartments. We can only make changes from the studs in without approval from HOA.

Start with food that does not give away the fact that you have food. No smells. Also, if everybody around you is going without then you should not loook like you are not losing weight like ev everybody else. Food can/will get you killed. Maybe baggy clothes to give the appearance of unwanted weight loss?

Any changes you make that the HOA can't see without removing sheetrock could have been made by prior tenants/owners. I would definitely reinforce the door screws and even look at some way to to accommodate a draw bar. In addition have something to prevent entry via windows. That's OK even in today's situation - would they allow window bars? If not, have sonme concertina to line the window frames when it all breaks loose.

Look lu "ferfal" and "selco" and read about how they survived urban collapse. Probably shoulf=d be your first move.

 

[arakboss]

Start with food that does not give away the fact that you have food. No smells. Also, if everybody around you is going without then you should not loook like you are not losing weight like ev everybody else. Food can/will get you killed. Maybe baggy clothes to give the appearance of unwanted weight loss?

Any changes you make that the HOA can't see without removing sheetrock could have been made by prior tenants/owners. I would definitely reinforce the door screws and even look at some way to to accommodate a draw bar. In addition have something to prevent entry via windows. That's OK even in today's situation - would they allow window bars? If not, have sonme concertina to line the window frames when it all breaks loose.

Look lu "ferfal" and "selco" and read about how they survived urban collapse. Probably shoulf=d be your first move.

That is a good point about weight and especially important if you remain visible to neighbors. Probably another reason to hunker down inside your home 24/7.

Starting out overweight might provide an advantage. Your body could survive longer on it's own stored energy and provide image cover. I think it would be harder to determine if a 250lb person lost 30lbs versus a 160lb person who lost 30lbs.

As for security improvements being owners of our condo allows us more leeway in making security improvements that do not impact the grounds around the building or the structures walls. It's a lot more likely we will experience an attempted break in/home invasion vs a true long term SHTF moment.

My plan is to stay put in any event. If I can make security improvements that will help in all situations that would be great.

The wife wants a Ring style camera system so that is something we might do soon. I would prefer a system that will also work with batteries and no internet.

Window film and window alarms are something else we might be able to use without HOA approval. Again, I would like alarms that don't require internet or grid power to function.

If a true SHTF scenario erupted all bets are off as far as asking for HOA approvals. Security supplies that could be hidden or adapted for normal use could be deployed if it became necessary. If they were never needed, that would be great.

 

[Camelfilter]

Simply safe doesn't require Internet, and has a battery backup in the base station.

For monitoring by their central station it does require cell connection (can get ATT or Verizon versions IIRC), or just normal internet connection. With cell backup for internet outage.

Cameras with SimpliSafe need internet.

Still works as a standalone system without internet or cell connection. Again, cameras won't work without internet.

Can hookup base station to UPS for extended power if an extended outage. Doing such will not alert you of a power outage in normalcy though, as the base won't flip over to its internal battery until the UPS is drained.

In short, decent system for normalcy. Cameras kinda suck (because of internet- can't simply have on a monitor/tv), but worthwhile if there's a deal/coupon/package etc.

Would be allrite in non-normalcy I suppose too, for entry/window sensors & such.

Have yet to hook up there version of ring type doorbell (for normalcy), so can't say yet firsthand if worthwhile. Or not. Reviews say to just go with ring for that though. Chose not to.

 

[arakboss]

Simply safe doesn't require Internet, and has a battery backup in the base station.

For monitoring by their central station it does require cell connection (can get ATT or Verizon versions IIRC), or just normal internet connection. With cell backup for internet outage.

Cameras with SimpliSafe need internet.

Still works as a standalone system without internet or cell connection. Again, cameras won't work without internet.

Can hookup base station to UPS for extended power if an extended outage. Doing such will not alert you of a power outage in normalcy though, as the base won't flip over to its internal battery until the UPS is drained.

In short, decent system for normalcy. Cameras kinda suck (because of internet- can't simply have on a monitor/tv), but worthwhile if there's a deal/coupon/package etc.

Would be allrite in non-normalcy I suppose too, for entry/window sensors & such.

Have yet to hook up there version of ring type doorbell (for normalcy), so can't say yet firsthand if worthwhile. Or not. Reviews say to just go with ring for that though. Chose not to.

I was just talking with my wife and told her I would be on board for camera system that didn't require internet or grid power to function. She says she did a ton of research and they don't exist. I am thinking that we put a man on the moon and we can't make cameras that work without internet or grid power??? Maybe a Bluetooth camera with battery backup would work? Maybe cell phones could be rigged up as cameras and send video via Bluetooth to another phone. Maybe web cams could be teamed up with cell phones?