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Home Security Information Series
Practical, impartial guides on common home security topics — written as knowledge-base reference material, not blog posts. Each article covers what matters, common mistakes, and how measures fit into layered security.
Official burglary statistics
Browse official residential burglary statistics by country. Every figure comes from validated publicly available government, police, and law enforcement datasets — the same sources used in the free assessment.
- Australia
- Belgium
- Canada
- Denmark
- France
- Germany
- Ireland
- Italy
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Poland
- Spain
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
- United States
Each country page lets you browse its official reporting areas — such as states, provinces, counties, municipalities, or equivalent geographies where published.
61 published 2 planned 11 topic hubs
Start here
New to home security planning? This is a curated onboarding path (not every guide). Read these in order, then browse by topic below.
Browse by topic
- Doors & Locks Deadlocks, strike plates, restrictors, smart locks, and external door hardening — practical entry security guidance.
- Windows & Glass Security Window locks, restrictors, security film, sliding glass doors, and accessible glazing risks.
- CCTV & Alarms Camera placement, buying considerations, alarms, doorbells, and detection layers for home security.
- Lighting & Visibility Exterior lighting, motion sensors, coverage planning, and reducing dark zones around your property.
- Perimeter Security Side and rear access, fencing, gates, landscaping visibility, and outdoor concealment reduction.
- Garage & Outbuildings Garage doors, internal garage access, sheds, workshops, and secondary entry points.
- Property Types Security guidance for apartments, rural homes, holiday absences, and property-specific layouts.
- Renters & Shared Living Rental-friendly security, apartments, balconies, and shared-building considerations.
- Burglary Prevention & Awareness How break-ins happen, interpreting local trends, holiday habits, and practical prevention without fear.
- Security Planning & Assessment Home security assessments, scores, layered security models, and prioritised improvement planning.
- Country Home Security Guides Country-specific home security context for live markets — linked to official crime hubs and the free assessment.
Entry & Door Security
Deadlocks, strike plates, restrictors, and external door hardening.
- Why deadlocks matter How deadlocks differ from latch locks and when they should be fitted on external doors.
- Reinforced strike plates and door frames How strike plates and frame reinforcement help deadlocks resist forced entry.
- Reinforced strike plates explained What strike plates do, why frames fail, and how long screws and box strikes help deadlocks.
- Door frames and reinforcement Jamb reinforcers, box strikes, long screws, and why frames fail before locks under kick-in force.
- Door restrictors and answering the door safely Supplementary restrictors when opening the door to unknown visitors.
- Security chains vs door restrictors Strength, installation, and visitor verification compared for chains and restrictors.
- Door viewer and peephole security Traditional peepholes, wide-angle viewers, digital options, and visitor verification.
- Letterbox security Mail slot risks, reach-through attacks, deflectors, lockable boxes, and entry-door layering.
- Sliding glass door security Lift prevention, anti-lift devices, track security, secondary locks, and film on sliding panels.
- Patio door security guide Outdoor living and patio access — door-type map, landscaping, visibility, and habits.
- French door security Twin hinged leaves — inactive leaf, astragal, multi-point locks, and hinge security.
- Smart locks vs traditional deadlocks Practical comparison of smart locks and conventional deadbolts for home entry.
Windows & Glass Security
Accessible windows, keyed locks, restrictors, security film, and glass risk.
- Window security guide Accessible windows, locks, restrictors, security screens, and common weaknesses.
- Security film for windows and glass doors How security film delays smash-and-grab entry and where it helps most.
- Security film for windows How window security film works, smash-and-reach limits, types, and installation.
- Security film vs laminated glass Compare applied film and factory laminated glazing — retrofit, performance limits, and pairing with locks.
- Keyed window locks and restrictors compared When to use keyed locks, restrictors, or both on accessible windows.
Screens & Physical Barriers
Security mesh, screen doors, and physical barriers that keep ventilation.
Lighting & Visibility
Exterior lighting, motion sensors, coverage, and reducing dark zones.
CCTV & Surveillance
Camera placement, field of view, recording, and visible deterrence.
- CCTV placement guide How to plan camera coverage for doors, driveways, side access, and rear yards.
- CCTV buying guide Impartial guidance on wired vs wireless, recording, resolution, and privacy before purchasing home cameras.
- Dummy cameras vs real CCTV What dummy cameras can and cannot do compared with recording systems.
- Video doorbells and intercom security Placement and privacy considerations for doorbells and entry intercoms.
Alarms & Detection
Alarm types, monitoring, signage, and detection layers.
Perimeter & Outdoor Security
Side access, gates, fencing, landscaping, and outdoor concealment.
- Side and rear access security Gates, fencing, and visibility for paths offenders prefer when front doors look harder.
- Fencing and perimeter security Boundary fences, gates, sightlines, and how perimeter design supports entry-point security.
- Reducing concealment around your home Landscaping, sightlines, and CPTED basics for residential properties.
Garages, Sheds & Outbuildings
Garage doors, internal garage access, sheds, and secondary entry points.
- Garage entry door security Why the door from your garage to your home should be treated like a main external entry.
- Garage side door security Pedestrian side doors into garages — locks, frames, visibility, and lighting.
- Garage roller door security Locking, openers, and weak points on the external garage door itself.
- Shed and outbuilding security Securing sheds, workshops, and detached storage that offenders may target first.
- Pet door security risks and options When pet doors create entry risk and how to secure them properly.
Property Types
Renters, apartments, strata, rural homes, and property-specific guidance.
- Rental property security guide Permission-friendly upgrades, temporary measures, and working with landlords.
- Apartment security guide Entry doors, shared access, intercoms, balconies, and ground-floor considerations.
- Balcony door security Apartment balcony risks, ground-floor access, hardware, and glass security.
- Strata and body corporate security Shared building upgrades, tenant requests, and common-area considerations. Coming soon
- Rural and acreage property security Distance, outbuildings, and perimeter challenges on larger properties.
- Landlord and tenant security responsibilities Who is responsible for what — locks, permissions, and reasonable upgrades.
- Home security for seniors Accessible upgrades, door safety, and practical prevention for older residents.
Planning & Assessment
Home security assessments, scores, checklists, and prioritised improvements.
- Home security assessment guide How the free assessment works — exterior doors, windows, garage, pet doors, outbuildings, lighting, perimeter, CCTV, alarms, and budget preference.
- Understanding your Home Security Score What the score represents, how layers combine, and how recommendations are prioritised.
- Layered home security explained How physical, visibility, and detection measures work together.
- New homeowner security checklist A practical first review when moving into a new property.
Burglary Prevention & Awareness
How break-ins happen, prevention habits, and practical awareness without fear.
- How burglars choose targets Evidence-informed patterns — without fear-based messaging.
- Home security while on holiday Practical steps before leaving your property unattended for longer periods.
- Understanding local burglary trends How to interpret area crime context when planning home security improvements.
- Safe package delivery security Parcel theft prevention, delivery boxes, CCTV deterrence, and safe drop habits.
- Neighbourhood Watch and community safety How community awareness complements physical home security measures. Coming soon
Country home security guides
Country-specific home security context linked to official crime hubs and the free assessment.
- Home Security in Australia Practical home security guidance for Australia — housing patterns, priority layers, and links to official crime hubs and the free assessment.
- Home Security in Belgium Practical home security guidance for Belgium — housing patterns, priority layers, and links to official crime hubs and the free assessment.
- Home Security in Canada Practical home security guidance for Canada — housing patterns, priority layers, and links to official crime hubs and the free assessment.
- Home Security in France Practical home security guidance for France — housing patterns, priority layers, and links to official crime hubs and the free assessment.
- Home Security in Germany Practical home security guidance for Germany — housing patterns, priority layers, and links to official crime hubs and the free assessment.
- Home Security in Ireland Practical home security guidance for Ireland — housing patterns, priority layers, and links to official crime hubs and the free assessment.
- Home Security in Denmark Practical home security guidance for Denmark — housing patterns, priority layers, and links to official DST kommune crime data and the Denmark crime hub.
- Home Security in Italy Practical home security guidance for Italy — housing patterns, priority layers, and links to official crime hubs and the free assessment.
- Home Security in Netherlands Practical home security guidance for Netherlands — housing patterns, priority layers, and links to official crime hubs and the free assessment.
- Home Security in New Zealand Practical home security guidance for New Zealand — housing patterns, priority layers, and links to official crime hubs and the free assessment.
- Home Security in Spain Practical home security guidance for Spain — housing patterns, priority layers, and links to official crime hubs and the free assessment.
- Home Security in Sweden Practical home security guidance for Sweden — housing patterns, priority layers, and links to official crime hubs and the free assessment.
- Home Security in United Kingdom Practical home security guidance for United Kingdom — housing patterns, priority layers, and links to official crime hubs and the free assessment.
- Home Security in United States Practical home security guidance for United States — housing patterns, priority layers, and links to official crime hubs and the free assessment.
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