Home security systems use sensors, cameras, and smart devices to protect your property from burglars and others with nefarious intent. Many also detect environmental hazards like smoke, carbon monoxide, and leaky pipes. Simple systems can be installed and monitored by the homeowner; more robust (and expensive) options may require professional installers and 24-7 monitoring services.
Modern home security systems provide much greater protection than the rudimentary, hardwired ones your parents may have used. Today’s internet-connected security systems are easier to use, too. Most send alerts directly to your phone, which can be used to control the entire system.
These are the home security basics you need to know.
What Is a Home Security System?
A state-of-the-art home security system is an interconnected network of devices designed to detect physical and environmental safety and security threats to a home and its occupants.
Just like old-fashioned burglar alarms, modern security systems usually sound a siren if a home intrusion is detected. They may also notify a central monitoring center of the apparent threat. However, that’s just some of what they can do.
Many of today’s systems use cameras and sensors to track unusual activity outside and inside your home, plus sensors to detect environmental hazards like smoke and carbon monoxide. Most security systems send immediate alerts to your phone or email to notify you of an apparent issue.
You can even integrate smart home devices like video doorbells and automation controls into many newer systems. With one of these systems, you can check a live view the moment you’re alerted that someone’s at your front door, or set the system to arm itself automatically at certain times of day.
What Are the Main Parts of a Home Security System?
Two key elements of a modern system are standard: the hub and its sensors. Others are optional, but each provides additional safety and security monitoring for your home. This list explains the details, as well as how home security systems work.
What are the Major Home Security System Components?
- Base Station: This is the programmable hub of your home monitoring system; it’s connected to the internet, receiving and sending signals and notifications. Most sound a loud alarm at a sign of possible intrusion, and notify a monitoring service if that option is chosen. Many base stations work with popular voice assistants to allow remote operation and programming.
- Sensors: Even old-fashioned alarm systems relied on sensors to detect break-ins, but modern systems may have many more.
- Door and Window Sensors: When contact between a door or window and its frame is broken, the base station is notified.
- Glass-Break Sensors: The sound or vibration caused when a window is broken triggers an alarm.
- Motion Sensors: Unexpected movement in the home sends an alert to the hub. Infrared signals or analysis of video is used to detect motion (many sensors can ignore pets), and some systems turn on lights or record video if desired.
- Environmental Sensors: Some home monitoring systems with smart sensors identify dangerous amounts of carbon monoxide or smoke, water leaks, and even frozen pipes. Others can interface with already-installed smart home safety products that monitor those issues.
- Security Cameras: Another popular home security component is a network of cameras that monitors outdoor and indoor activity. The cameras can record continuously or only when activated by movement, and the video they produce can be viewed on your phone. Simpler video doorbells provide the same basic functions.
- Floodlights: Floodlights installed outside the home can be added as well. They’re activated whenever motion is detected, adding another level of deterrence.
- Fobs and Panic Buttons: Key fobs are available for many home security systems, allowing you to arm or disarm the system without having to enter a security code. Panic buttons that trigger alarms and summon authorities are available on the fob or can be separately installed in the home.
The more system components you choose, the more likely it is that you’ll want to have a professional install them, and perhaps monitor their performance.
What is the Difference Between Monitored vs. Self-Monitored Systems?
Another way to describe a self-monitored home security system is “self-contained.” If an alarm goes off or you’re notified of a problem, it’s your responsibility to deal with it. By contrast, a monitored system is connected to a central station that’s manned 24 hours a day. It receives immediate alerts, and personnel can call police or firefighters if needed.
Looking at the monitored vs. self-monitored options side-by-side:
| Monitored | Self-Monitored | |
| Response: | Professionals contact you and call authorities if needed | Everything is up to you |
| Cost: | Monthly fee | Usually no extra fee |
| What happens if you’re not available: | Employees handle immediate issues and notify you | If you don’t see the alert on your phone, you’re out of luck |
| Best for: | Homeowners who want full-time, hands-off protection | Budget-conscious owners, renters, DIYers |
Should I Install a Home Security System Myself or Hire a Pro?
If you have a limited budget, you’re an experienced do-it-yourselfer, or you’re just renting, self-installation can make sense and save you money. Professional installation can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars but will save you time and work. A pro can also place components in precisely the right spots for maximum effectiveness.
Do an honest assessment of your skills, needs, and the amount you want to spend when thinking about professional vs. DIY security system installation. If you choose the DIY route, remember, you can start with a basic system and later hire an expert if you want to install cameras or other features.
How to Keep Smart Cameras and Devices Secure
Your parents didn’t have to worry about keeping their simple home alarm system secure. You do, because the components work through your Wi-Fi connection, and protecting your network is paramount.
Here are important steps that ensure cyber safety at home when using a home security system:
- Secure your Router: Virtually all devices in your home, including your security system, connect through your network router, so make sure it isn’t using the unit’s default administrator settings.
- Your network name, username, and password should all be difficult to guess. Random combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols are best; don’t reuse credentials you’ve used elsewhere. Turn on the firewall, enable the encryption system in the admin interface, and update all firmware and software regularly.[1]
- Secure Your Cameras: Enable encryption and a firewall for each camera if those options are available. If the cameras allow you to disable remote viewing, that’s a smart choice.[2]
- When storing video on the cloud, two-factor authorization should be turned on.
- Many routers allow you to set up a second network in your home. Using it for your cameras prevents anyone who hacks into your computer from accessing your camera feeds.
Are Home Security Systems Worth It?
Deciding whether to install a home security system is a decision that only you can make after considering the value of your property and your budget. Unfortunately, the government doesn’t maintain statistics on how security systems affect crime deterrence.
However, several studies have indicated that home security may contribute to crime reduction.
- The strongest evidence comes from a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Crime Science, which reported that “increases in the prevalence and effectiveness of house security have been a major driver of the domestic burglary falls in England and Wales.”[3]
- A five-year analysis of Newark (N.J.) Police Department statistics, conducted at the Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice, concluded that “a steady decrease in burglaries…coincided with an increase in the number of registered home burglar alarms.”[4]
- A University of North Carolina at Charlotte survey of 422 imprisoned burglars found that about 83% said they check for an alarm before attempting a break-in, and roughly 60% said they would look for a different target if a home had an alarm.[5]
None of that information is conclusive, of course, and the Newark and UNC Charlotte studies were both funded by the alarm industry. The best arguments in favor of security systems may be the added peace of mind you might feel, and the home insurance discount many insurers may offer after you install one.
How to Get Started
The best approach to home security is to understand your property’s needs and your budget, and then start slowly. A simple alarm system can provide greater protection than you currently have, and the “bells and whistles” like monitored camera coverage and environmental sensors can always be added later.
Assess your home’s most vulnerable entry points, determine what type of system would best protect them, and then explore your options. Most alarm companies offer free consultations, and shopping online for the initial components of a DIY home security system is simple. Once you’ve gathered facts, recommendations, and associated costs, you’ll be on the right path to a smart, affordable decision.
Even a smart doorbell and warning signs posted around the property can provide an inexpensive and effective start to increased home security.
FAQ
Do Home Security Systems Work if the Power Goes Out?
Yes, if your system has a battery or cellular data backup, or if you have a supplemental power generator.
Does a Home Security System Have to Connect to the Internet?
Modern ones do, although you can always opt for an old-fashioned, wired alarm system that won’t provide the same level of security and protection.
Can You Install a Security System in Your Apartment?
Yes, many systems are designed for that purpose. They aren’t hard-wired to your electrical supply or internet and can be removed at any time.
The Bottom Line on Home Security Basics
Home security doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Once you understand the main pieces, the hub, the sensors, the cameras, and the choice between monitored and self-monitored setups, you can put together a system that fits your home, your budget, and your peace of mind. Start simple, add features as you go, and remember that even a basic setup is a real step up from no protection at all.
Whether you go the DIY route or hire a pro, the best system is the one you’ll actually use and trust. Take stock of your needs, weigh your options, and move at your own pace.
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Sources Cited
1. Federal Trade Commission. Securing your internet-connected devices at home. Consumer Advice. August 2022. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/securing-your-internet-connected-devices-home
2. Federal Trade Commission. How to secure your home security cameras. Consumer Advice. February 2023. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-secure-your-home-security-cameras
3. Tseloni A, Farrell G, Thompson R, Evans E, Tilley N. Domestic burglary drop and the security hypothesis. Crime Sci. 2017;6(1):3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40163-017-0064-2
4. Rutgers University. Rutgers study finds alarm systems are valuable crime fighting tool. Rutgers Today. February 2009. https://www.rutgers.edu/news/rutgers-study-finds-alarm-systems-are-valuable-crime-fighting-tool
5. University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Researcher expands knowledge of what motivates, deters burglars. UNC Charlotte College of Humanities and Earth and Social Sciences. May 2013. https://chess.charlotte.edu/2013/05/15/researcher-expands-knowledge-of-what-motivates-deters-burglars/
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