Nothing is more important than making sure you and your
loved ones are safe, which is why 63 million Americans have an active alarm
system in their homes. But
even a high-tech alarm system is only as good as the security code used to
disarm it. For example, burglars can easily crack these
weak alarm codes:
- Sequential
numbers like “1234” or “5678”
- Your
birthday or anniversary
- Repeated
pairs like “4040“
- Same
number repeated, such as “2222”
If you have alarm codes like these, then you need to change
them to something more secure. Here are 6 ways to set an alarm code that the
bad guys won’t be able to crack.
1) Use a completely
random set of numbers
Your best bet when picking an alarm code is to use numbers
that have no significance to you. Choosing four different numbers in a random
order makes it tough for anyone else to guess your code, because they can’t use any information about you to
guess it.
2) Pick a code based
on letters or words
Using the letters that correspond to the numbers on your
alarm system keypad, choose a code that spells a four letter word or the first
letter of each word in a sentence. You can also choose a word or sentence using
the first letters of the numbers themselves: o for one, t for two and three, f
for four, etc. If you spell a four letter word with your code, avoid names of
people and pets.
3) Use the last four
digits of a random phone number
If there’s a
phone number you know by heart besides your own, use the first or last four
digits for your code. This could be a friend or family member’s phone number, the number of your
favorite pizza delivery business, the phone number on a business card you keep in
your wallet, etc. If you already have the number memorized, you won’t have to worry about remembering the
code, but it will be difficult for anyone to guess it.
4) Use an exact birth
time, in military time
Whether it’s your
birth time, your partner’s birth
time, or your child’s birth time, this can be an
excellent choice because while personal enough for you to remember, very few
other people will be able to guess or find out your exact birth time or that of
anyone close to you. Using military time means anyone born after noon will have
a birth time with an hour between 12 and 00, which is more difficult to guess.
An example would be someone born at 4:23 pm would have a military birth time of
16:23.
5) Change your code
regularly
Keeping the same security code for a prolonged period of
time could lead to the buttons on your alarm system keypad wearing down, giving
away the code to anyone who looks at the buttons.
Just like your online passwords and cell phone passcode, it’s a good idea to change your alarm
system code periodically. Doing so will ensure that only people you give the
updated codes to are the ones who can access your home.
6) Use multiple codes
If your system allows you to program more than one access
code, using multiple codes is a good idea, especially if you live with other
people. Giving every resident of your home a unique security code helps you
keep track of who enters the home and when and allows you to delete a specific
code when the person using it no longer needs it, while keeping the other codes
active.
Using multiple codes simultaneously can also serve as an
alternative to changing your security code every six months if you live alone,
as long as you use a different code every time you enter and leave home