The Connection Newsletter

Issue: # 2020-05 May 2020

May Newsletter

Welcome back to this month’s edition of The Connection Newsletter!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone on the front lines for the tireless work you are putting in: healthcare workers, service people, delivery people, first responders and everyone else who is responsible for helping us to move forward. Thank You! Let’s all do our part and make sure that we wear masks and socially distance when we do go out.

We would like to remind you we are open. Deemed an essential business by the State of NJ, we are continuing to provide the high level of service you have come to expect.

Please know that we remain available to service and maintain your security system. We are ready to service existing surveillance systems, access control systems and burglar and fire alarm systems. We are also installing new systems. If you have a need, please call us.

Your safety, and the safety of our staff, is paramount at this time. Only if you are comfortable will we enter your home or business and maintain a proper social distancing protocol at all times. To ensure safety for all of us, these are the steps we will take when arriving –

• We will sanitize our hands and put on a mask.
• We will ring the bell or knock and step back at least six feet from the door.
• We will thoroughly clean our work area and dispose of garbage.
• We also take our temperature regularly as a way of checking health.

We ask that if you or anyone in your home or business doesn’t feel well or is sick, please let us know and we will reschedule the appointment.

If we can help in any way, please call us.

Most importantly, stay safe and healthy.

Thank you for subscribing to The Connection Newsletter – every month, we strive to send you important and relevant news, updates, and other information about the best way to protect your home or business. If you ever have any questions about anything in The Connection Newsletter, or have suggestions for topics you’d like us to write about either here or in our blog, please let us know!

Our Blog

Don’t forget to regularly check out our blog that can be found on our website.

We tackle various security topics that you may be thinking about. If you have any ideas for future blog posts, please contact us.

Commercial Security

How Video Verification Can Help You Reduce False Alarms

It has been estimated that 94% to 99% of burglar alarm activations are false. This is a huge number, especially when you think about all the issues with false alarms – strain on local law enforcement and the chance that at any time the police may be dealing with a false alarm, rather than a true emergency.

With the impact of these false alarms, there are many jurisdictions that now impose fines on businesses that have too many false alarms in each period. The fines range from $25 to $100 for the first false alarm but go up quickly after several false alarms have occurred.

While prevent false alarms completely will likely never be possible, there are some steps you can take to help reduce their occurrence. One of these tips is to implement video verification.

Getting to Know Video Verification

Video verification is part of a video surveillance system that will replace a traditional alarm function by providing intelligent alerts that include a signal coming from the intrusion devices along with live video or clips that were recently recorded. The video can be sent via the internet to a CMS that is monitored by employees or a security company. The staff at the CMS will then review what is on the video to determine if police intervention is needed. If so, the staff will make the call.

Another benefit of video verification is that it is possible to provide much more information about the break in to the police. This includes the name and address of the business, how many intruders, where they gained access, and more. This makes the situation easier for the police to handle, too.

Benefits Offered by Video Verification

With video verification in place, you have fact-based responses that provide you with more value from your alarm infrastructure. Along with reducing or eliminating the potential fines for multiple false alarms, with a video surveillance system that includes video verification capabilities, you may also be able to reduce your business’s insurance costs and liability.

If you haven’t thought about implementing this technology, now is the time to do so. It offers an array of benefits that will help to improve your business’s security while reducing the likelihood of issues related to false alarms.

Residential Security

Tips to Deter Burglars as Warmer Weather Moves In

Statistics have proven – time and time again – that as the temperatures start going up, so do crime rates. According to the FBI, burglaries increase by approximately 10% when the weather gets warm.

A theory that supports this is that people tend to get more active as the weather warms up, which includes criminal activity. Another theory is that many people go on vacation during the summer. While things may be a bit different this summer with the residuals of the COVID-19 crisis, there is still a higher risk that your house will be targeted during the summer then during the cooler months of the year.

What you have to figure out is how you can increase security around your house. Some tips that will help ensure your home is protected from these warm weather opportunities are found here.

Hire a Pet Sitter or House Sitter

When things blow over and getting out and about and going to work becomes commonplace again, consider hiring a pet or house sitter to stay in your home while you are away. When you have someone there all the time, the likelihood of your house being targeted by a burglar is reduced significantly.

Avoid Leaving the Windows Open

If it is hot outside, you may be tempted to open up the windows and let some fresh air in. As tempting as this may be, don’t. You may forget to close them at night, which makes it easy for a burglar to get inside.

Install a Home Security System

If your home does not have a home security system, it is three times more likely to be broken into than a home with a security system. This is a smart investment and one that will pay off. Once the security is in place, make sure you arm it every night. This is a simple step, but one that may mean the difference in you being robbed or staying safe.

The summer months should be a fun time that you can enjoy. However, if you don’t take steps to ensure your home is protected, you may find you are the victim of a burglary. The best way to ensure this doesn’t happen is by using the tips found here.

Tech Corner

Effective Ways to Protect Your Smart Home Devices

More and more homeowners are opting to install smart home devices to help secure their family, home, and property. Devices like the Samsung SmartThings Hub, Wink Hub 2, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa can help make things safer and more convenient, but there could be security risks too.

For example, there are people who have hacked into these smart devices threatening people through baby monitors and more. There is no reason to have to worry about these things when you take the proper security measures, but if you don’t properly secure the smart devices you are using, you may find you are a victim, too.

If you want to mitigate these risks, now is the time to take action. Keep reading to learn more about what you can do to safeguard your smart home devices here

Read the Product Packaging

It is important to read the information provided by the product manufacturer on how to keep your device secure. There could be updated software or patches you have to download. If necessary, contact the device manufacturer to learn more, or just Google tips from other users.

Use Multi-Factor Authentication

While this may sound fancy, it works well. Multi-factor authentication means you have to have a text-message response and password to access your system.

Upgrade Your Device When Necessary

Consider the age of the device you are using. Is it more than six months old? If so, see if the manufacturer has taken steps to fix the security loopholes present. If they have, upgrade; if not, find a manufacturer that offers better security.

ROCK & ROLL TRIVIA

Question: In 1961, Ricky Nelson sang a song that told a story about a “Travelin’ Man”. Which of the following places is not mentioned in the song?

A) Mexico

B) Berlin

C) Paris

D) Alaska

PREVIOUS MONTH’S ROCK & ROLL TRIVIA

Question: Bon Jovi is very well known in the world of music. Which of these songs do not appear on his “Slippery When Wet” album?

A) Livin’ on a Prayer

B) Wanted Dead or Alive

C) You Give Love a Bad Name

D) Bad Medicine

OUR SERVICES

We offer a wide-range of Commercial and Residential Security Services that include:

• Surveillance Systems
• Burglar Alarms
• Fire Alarms
• Access Control

For immediate assistance or information on any of our services, please email us at customercare@perfectconnectionsinc.com or call: 908-722-2880.

OUR REFERRAL PROGRAM

Our referral program works like this. If someone you refer to us turns into a client, you get your choice of a number of $50 gifts!

All you have to do is email us at customercare@perfectconnectionsinc.com and put “Referral Program” in the subject line. Please be sure to include the name and contact information for the person you are referring, along with the $50 gift of your choice. Also, be sure to include your contact information so we can send you your gift, once your referral turns into a sale. If you prefer to call us with all the information, please do so at: 908-722-2880.

Thank you for reading our May issue. Don’t forget to read our weekly blog as well.

See you next month!