Home Security
Burglary data is unusually clear about how homes are actually entered, and it does not match what the security industry sells. Most entries are quick, opportunistic, and through a small number of entirely predictable points. The measures that work are correspondingly dull, and most of them cost less than a camera subscription.
Nothing in this section is about confrontation. The useful work is making a house a poor target, and understanding the law where you live before buying anything intended to be used on a person.
What to work through
Grouped in the order they are usually needed, drawing on whichever pillar each guide lives in.
How homes are actually entered
Start here. It determines which of the measures below are worth anything.
Know the law first
Less-lethal options are regulated very differently from state to state.
If you only read one
What Burglary Data Actually Says About How Homes Get Entered
Most home security advice is built on a picture of a break-in that happens at night, by force, while the household sleeps.
Read thisVerified 29 Jul 2026
Most home security advice is built on a picture of a break-in that happens at night, by force, while the household sleeps.
Other problems
- Power OutageGenerators, battery backup, fuel and runtime.
- Water OutageStorage, treatment, rain collection and sanitation.
- Food DisruptionStorage, preservation, cooking and calories.
- Severe WeatherShelter, alerts and household resilience.
- Communication FailureAlerts, radios and offline information.
- Long-Term DisruptionSlow problems: supply, water rights, self-supply, and claims worth checking.