Spring break is an exciting time for students, and often the first time a young adult is traveling without parental supervision. This leap of independence can be scary for both students and parents. With some advance planning and an eye towards safety, spring break can be a fun and educational experience. Here are some spring break ideas to keep your young adult safe.

Do Your Research

Especially with international travel, it’s important to research your child’s destination. Make sure they are familiar with local laws and regulations, currency, and language.  Find out local emergency numbers, and have your child program them into his phone and put a written copy in his wallet. It’s also a good idea to look up any travel alerts for the region and find out if there are any scams common to the area.

Travel in Groups

Remind your child that there is safety in numbers. Especially in an unfamiliar area, it is important to stay with a trusted friend. If the group is splitting up for any reason, they should share information about their plans and check in with other group members periodically.

Food and Beverages

In many foreign locations, the water may not be safe to drink, and locally grown produce may cause digestive upset. Your child should be made aware of these risks, and how to minimize their exposures. You should also teach your child how to get help if they become ill, and provide them with the medical insurance information they will need.

Spring break is often equated with drinking alcohol. Young adults should be reminded that it is not ever safe to drink and drive. They should be mindful of how much they are drinking, and never leave drinks unattended. Even non-alcoholic drinks can be spiked.

Money

Travelers of any age can be the victim of pick pocketing and credit card theft. Teach your young adult to protect their credit card information and check all charges to ensure they are correct.   While carrying small amounts of cash can be useful, they should only carry a small amount and be discreet with it. Wallets, cell phones, and other valuables should be worn close to the body in a hard to reach place, such as a front pocket, to discourage pickpockets.

These spring break ideas will help your young adult learn how to be a safe and conscientious traveler for spring break and beyond.

For more information on your security, contact us. 800.444.1191

On Wednesday March 11th, Sonitrol operators received an alarm at 1:44 am at a local school. The Evansville Police Department were immediately dispatched to the location. At 1:48 am, operators started receiving other alarms in the building and were told by dispatch that the K9 unit had been deployed in the building. Suspect was found and apprehended before any damage could be done. With an amazing response time of FOUR minutes, Sonitrol appreciates our officers for their dedication to keeping the citizens and their property safe and secure.

Thank you EPD and Sonitrol operators!

Sonitrol Safe School

We at Sonitrol secure over 300 schools corporations. Using patented audio and video technology, Sonitrol can provide law enforcement with necessary detailed information to help them respond in emergency situations. Find out how Sonitrol Safe School program can secure your school.

If you would like more information on securing what you value, contact us.

Have a safe and Happy Holiday!

From your security team at 

Many users of wireless security systems in Evansville and surrounding areas are questioning the value of their security system after a recent news story on ABC News regarding the vulnerability to hackers.

SO ARE ALL WIRELESS SECURITY SYSTEMS TRASH?

The news story presented different threat scenarios which were based on criminals using:

1. Sophisticated engineering tools to fool or hack the systems wireless devices
2. Systems that rely on one-way communication
3. A narrow band communication at 300 MHz or 433 MHz.

But alas, NOT ALL SECURITY SYSTEMS ARE CREATED EQUAL!

Using two-way wireless technology creates a significantly more secure system then the standard system many subscribers receive with their “Free sign”. Here’s a little techno jargon for you: 2-way wireless technology uses a 900 MHz frequency hopping; spread-spectrum that is constantly changing the channel used by the system components every 32 milliseconds in a unique pattern to communicate with one another. In layman terms; scramble the signal like an omelet and then it will only arm when every piece of your system communicates back to the receiver. This makes it difficult for a hacker to find and access wireless devices. If you have a business with a wireless system, make sure that it contains the UL Commercial Burglary & Fire listing. To earn this listing a system must demonstrate anti-jamming capabilities.

Of course, it’s not impossible for a determined hacker to access a system, as demonstrated by regular reports of attacks at secured government buildings, major retailers and other organizations. But since most burglaries are a “crime of opportunity”, a little difficulty may cause the Christmas scrooge to seek his treasures elsewhere.

If you have questions regarding the wireless security system you are using in your home or office, please feel contact us for a free assessment.

Introducing the backbone of our company and the reason why many of us get up to go to work.  Thank you to all of our Sonitrol employees who shared these wonderful pictures with us!

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME IS ONCE AGAIN UPON US.

But have no fear; Your Intrusion or Fire Alarm system will experience minimal impact due to the time change. The clock on the panel at your location will pick up the correct time when the panel sends a periodic test to the Central Monitoring Station, or when you arm or disarm after:

2:00 A.M. ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND, 2014

If you experience problems after the time change, call your central station.

Access systems

Most access control/card reader systems have the dates for Daylight Savings Time pre-programmed into the system. However, some systems require a manual change.

• If you have restricted access to your location by the time of day and if the corrections are not made before the start of that restricted access period, some access cards may not work at their designated times because of the one-hour time difference.

Depending on the type of system, it may be necessary to preform an update.

• If you have a dedicated phone line for your system, NO ACTION on your part is required. The update will automatically be downloaded on November 2nd, 2014 to update your account.
• If you do not have a dedicated phone line for your system and a test is needed to make changes to your account, you will be required to send a test from your account on November 2nd, 2014 after 2 a.m. to update your system.
• If you are unsure whether you have dedicated line or not, please call your central station to determine if you need to schedule a service call to make these changes.

If you have a Sonitrol system, please feel free to call our knowledgable representatives if you need assistance. 800.444.1191

What Exactly Is Cell Backup And Do I Need It For My Security System?

A recent wave of commercial break-ins has unveiled a brazen, knowledgeable criminal. Telephone lines have been cut which has effectively disabled the security system by causing a communication failure back to the monitoring station. In some cases, the entire panel was ripped out. Cell back-up provides backup communication paths for reporting of alarms in the event of a loss or cut of your primary communication line. It is recommended that every alarm system be equipped with a cell backup device.

How does cell backup work?

When the communication line is cut, a signal is immediately sent via the cellular line to the Monitoring Center telling operators that the phone line is down. Because the cell backup unit maintains constant communication with the Monitoring Station, operators are still able to monitor the facility, providing continuous information to the police department in the event of an actual alarm.

Preventative Measures

It is important that you determine where your telephone or broadband IP infrastructure cables enter your building. If you have any exposed cables, take immediate steps to secure them. It is also important to secure the room that houses the control panel or the brains of your security system.  This box should be out of sight to your visitors and customers. You also want to make sure that the delay, or amount of time you are given to enter your building and disarm the system, is as minimal as possible. Remember, the longer the delay, the more time a criminal has to find your control panel and try to destroy the communication lines. Thirty seconds can be the difference between an alarm and an undetected burglary.

UPDATE:   Sonitrol is almost complete with this reprogramming. If you have missed our phone call, please contact us! We are going to continue to reach out to you to get your system updated!

Did you know that Indiana will be adding another area code – 930 – starting September 6, 2014? With the 812 area code changes, everyone will need to do things a little bit differently.

All the Numbers are Gone

The entire 812 area code has been largely unchanged since 1947. With the addition of cell phones, the available supply of phone numbers has dwindled. According to in.gov, this supply of 812 numbers will run out in 2015. To fix this issue the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission authorized phone carriers in Indiana to start using a 930 area code for all new numbers starting September 6th.

Helpful “Need to Know” Information

In order to make the transition smoothly, here are some things you need to know about how these changes will affect you:

1. If you live in the 812 area, ten-digit dialing will be required for all local calls after September 6th. So instead of using 555-5555 for a local call, you will need to dial 812-555-5555 or 930-555-5555.
2. Customers who currently have an 812 area code will keep their 812 number.
3. When the 812 area code changes on September 6, 2014, everyone receiving a phone number will receive a 930 number. This includes landline and cell phone numbers.
4. According to in.gov, ten-digit dialing will not increase your telephone rates. Calls that are free now will remain free after the transition.
5. If you currently have a residential or commercial security system that communicates over a landline, you may be receiving a call from your local provider to schedule a visit by September 6th. Before the 930 – 812 area code changes, your panel must be properly programmed to communicate with the central station. Security systems that use cellular and/or Internet communications will not be affected.

Preparation for 812 area code changes

Take a little time to prepare for these changes:

• Land lines – All local contacts that are programmed in your speed dial on your landline business phone must be changed to a ten-digit number.
• Cell phones – Review the contacts in your cell phone to confirm they are automatically converting all local numbers to a ten-digit number.
• Friends and Family – Longtime residents who choose not to engage in social media may not be aware of these new dialing requirements.  They may be quite confused and frustrated when they try to use a seven-digit number and receive an automated voice.  Help them to remain in contact with family, friends and important businesses like doctors and pharmacies by reminding them to dial a ten-digit number starting September 6th.

Hopefully, by taking some time and using these tips, we can all avoid the automated voice when the 812 area code changes!

Spending money on a camera system is only useful if you can review the footage the cameras record. Recently several Kentucky businesses who had installed camera systems were burglarized. When the owners attempted to view the recorded footage, they found the digital video recorders (DVR) were removed or destroyed. This deprived the owners and police of all footage that may have been useful in apprehending the burglars.

As technology evolves, so does the knowledge of criminals. Unfortunately, there has yet to be designed a “burglar proof” system. Spoiler alert for burglars: With modern day advancements, police can still catch you! For example, see the footage below:

This burglar in the state of Washington thought he was brilliant. During the night, he broke into a vacant store in a strip mall, and cut through the wall into a major department store. As you can see in the video, he disabled the camera in the office, and proceeded to remove the safe and destroy the DVR. So how was the main office of this department store, located in Maryland, still able to obtain clear recorded footage to provide to the Seattle Police Department?

With Cloud, you’re covered!

Cloud technology provides a trust worthy security solution for businesses and residential customers alike. In the example above, the police were able to distribute a picture from the footage to the local news media. The burglar was arrested a short time later. Advantages of using the Cloud include:

1.  Protection – In the cloud, video footage cannot be destroyed or manipulated.

2.  Cost-Effective – Since Cloud storage is stored off sight, there is no DVR to buy or maintain.  No software updates are required.

3.  Functionality – User friendly, remote access is available with any Wi-Fi connection. Easily view footage on a smart phone, tablet or computer. Download high definition footage to any computer to save or send when necessary.

These remote capabilities also allow business owners to view multiple locations and use the footage to improve day to day operations. Employees that are aware that the owner may look in on them from time to time are more likely to be productive and less likely to “goof off”. And with the ability to save high definition footage employees caught stealing any of your profits will have little defense when there is video proof of wrongdoing.

Though DVRs are still necessary in larger applications like schools and large warehouses, the Cloud should still be included as part of your security solution. As seen in our example above, a technical savvy intruder with knowledge of the building may attempt to destroy or manipulate DVR footage. One camera directed at the DVR, streaming dual footage to the DVR and the Cloud provided the department store with enough footage to help police make an apprehension. The intruder was unaware and unable to erase the cloud footage that was being recorded.

If you are interested in a security solution for your business or home, allow us to provide you with a free assessment.