The most delightful time of the year is among us once more, and now that things are a little more normal, you may be planning a vacation or seeing family members for the big day. As a result, now is the time to be more attentive about home security, especially if you are highly organized and have already hidden all of your Christmas presents at home. It’s not pleasant, but it’s unsurprising that the number of burglaries increases during the holiday season, so read on for our top 5 Christmas security tips:

Hide the valuables

It is recommended not to leave valuables in plain sight of your windows all year. However, we advise against displaying all of your beautifully wrapped Christmas presents under your tree for all to see. We understand the need to demonstrate your expert wrapping abilities, but try to wait until the night before. Burglars prefer to get in and out of a place as fast as possible, so if you hide your gifts, they won’t have time to find them. Never leave your gifts (or anything else valuable) in plain sight of the windows. Many would-be burglars are enticed by the gleaming wrapping paper, and your property will become a target almost immediately.

Less information on social media

We all like to show off what our family have given us by posting images of our houses looking festive and full of gifts. If a burglar sees anything they want to steal on your social network, it’s shockingly easy for them to locate down where you live. We all know that individuals will upload a lot of Christmas images, so if you’re one of them, check your privacy settings on all of your social media networks. Make sure your privacy settings are set to private and that you are familiar with everyone on your friends list; remove anyone you aren’t sure you know.

Cyber security

At this time of year, it’s not only about the gifts; it’s also about your online transactions. Scammers know that many people conduct their Christmas shopping online, and they can target you to steal your financial information. You may receive more suspicious-looking emails in your inbox offering discounts or links to low-cost websites, but you must ensure that you are shopping safely. One thing to keep an eye out for is that the website has the correct URL. Look for a web address that begins with https:// rather than http:// to ensure you’re on a secure site. The S denotes that it is usually safe. Never open an attachment from an email address you don’t recognise, and remember that you should never be asked for your pin number when shopping online.

Christmas lighting

One of the best things about Christmas is the Christmas lights; seeing all the decorated houses on your walk home from work should cheer you up! If you want to decorate your own home with Christmas lights, be sure you don’t leave a window open while doing so. In order to obtain access to your home, a thief will be looking for stuff like these. If you don’t want to deal with wires, you can always use solar-powered Christmas lights, which will also save you money on electricity!

Don’t leave your door opened

We know you’ve heard it before, but it’s critical that you don’t leave your doors unlocked when you go out, at night, or even when you’re just hanging out at home. The majority of burglaries are unintentional, yet if you have an open door, an intruder will enter without hesitation. If a burglar gains entrance through an unlocked door, your homeowner’s insurance coverage could be voided!

Hero Locksmiths are professional locksmiths in Sarasota, FL. We provide all kinds of locksmith services including lock replacement, rekeying etc. Contact us at 941-229-8007 for any queries or bookings.