Alarm System Security Basics

We get it. You don’t want to spend your valuable time thinking about your alarm system for your retail store or professional facility. But as an owner or manager, taking a little time to understand how your system works—and what it’s capable of—could ultimately keep you, your staff, and your merchandise safer.

Here’s what you need to know:

Your alarm system is providing you with three layers of protection:

Perimeter protection. This includes doors, windows and skylights where an unauthorized entry might occur. Pay extra attention to areas adjacent to adjoining property, which have been entry points for burglars lately.

Area protection. A motion detector will sense body heat or motion when an unauthorized person is onsite at an unauthorized time.

Object protection. This protects the safe/vault against tampering.

To provide this protection, your alarm system includes the following components:

Control panel. This is the “brains” of your alarm system. All perimeter detection is wired to the control unit, and it sends signals to the central station, which monitors the signals and contacts you in the event of an alarm condition.

Motion detector. It senses unauthorized movement inside the premises.

Door contact. Detects unauthorized opening of a door.

Glassbreak detector. A device that senses an attack on a particular surface.

Safe protection door contact. Detects whether a safe is open or closed.

Electronic vibration detection (EVD). A highly sensitive and specialized microphone attached directly to objects such as safes, filing cabinets and art objects, or to surfaces such as floors, walls, windows and ceilings.

Communicator. An essential part of your alarm, it sends signals to the control panel of the unit via cell signal or internet.

And when possible, choose an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certificated alarm installation. That way, you can feel confident that it meets the highest levels of quality for equipment, service design, and signal handling.

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