Home alarm systems are a great investment considering the fact that 36% of Australian homes have been burgled according to data collected by the AAMI Insurance Home Theft Survey. Of these homes, 78.8% did not possess a home alarm system. Unfortunately, home alarm systems are not as secure as they used to be thanks to advancements in technology. In particular, thermal-imaging cameras have become a useful tool for criminals.

Heat Emitted From Fingers Leave an Impression on Pin Pads

Unbeknown to the human eye, heat actually generates its own type of light emitted through infrared radiation. Heat from your fingertips transfers to the pin pads and leaves a heat signature, which can be detected by thermal imaging cameras. Heat signatures fade with time. As a result, thermal-imaging cameras can provide information regarding the order of the keys that were pressed, so no guesswork is required to figure out the passcode.

Thermal residue can persist over long periods of time, and last anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. This leaves your home alarm systems quite vulnerable to getting hacked, as criminals have a lot of time to easily snap a photograph of the pin pad.

Solutions to Prevent Hacking

To prevent your home alarm system from being hacked, there are several solutions that have been recommended:

• Install home alarm systems with a metal pin pad. Metal pin pads reflect the images captured by thermal-imaging cameras like a mirror, so it is difficult to detect a heat signature. In addition, heat dissipates quickest from metal, so the window of opportunity closes in a quicker manner.
• Place your fingers on other keys when inputting the code or placing your finger overtop all of the keys after the code has been inputted to leave a large heat signature that covers the entire area.
• Opt for home alarm systems that require a two-step verification process. For example, you may need to input a code twice or use an electronic key in conjunction with the pin pads.
• Have an additional security feature, such as motion detection surveillance cameras that will record activity within certain parts of the home. These features can help you identify who any intruders may be.

Thanks to advancements in technology, criminals are getting smarter and having more tools to help them do their dirty work. Fortunately, many home alarm services like Pro-Tect Security Management are aware of these issues and have developed solutions to combat them in order for you to get the peace of mind that you need.