When you’ve taken the necessary steps to make sure your home or business is secure, you might be left wondering what needs to be done next. We know how these security systems are supposed to work, but sometimes we don’t have any evidence that they are working unless we run some tests. The following will explore several options you have for testing the quality of the security system you’ve had installed.
Before beginning, it is essential to note that as you test, you should not be doing it in a way that results in other people believing there is an emergency. Let your friends, family, neighbors, and security system provider know ahead of time of any tests to help reduce the risk of scaring people unnecessarily.
Make Sure All The Indicator Lights Are On
Most security systems are electronic, which means that the devices within the system have a little green or red light, which indicates that the system is connected to electricity and is on. Before you begin any of the other steps on this list, make sure that these indicator lights are on. If they’re not, check your electricity by plugging another device into the same outlet to see if there’s a problem with the outlet you have used.
If the outlet isn’t working, see if other electrical items in the room are working (the lights, other devices, other outlets). You may have overloaded the circuit system in that room and need to reset the fuse. This is easy enough to fix but might hint that you need to move some of your electrical items around. Things like microwaves and hairdryers being on the same circuit can require more power than the fuse can handle. If the electricity is otherwise sufficient, but your security system still isn’t on, call your security system provider.
Check That Your App(s) Are Working
Many security systems nowadays have applications that run simultaneously on your phone. These apps will track information about your home or property status and even track employees or vehicles for safety. Experts at https://securityrisk.com/ recommend that you open the app on your phone or computer once everything is set up and make sure you can access all the information you need quickly. Have a colleague take the company truck for a spin so you can make sure that the application is updating its location at the right speed. If the app isn’t working or you don’t know how to find the information you’re looking for, reach out to your security system provider.
Test Your Antivirus Software
Today, security takes many different forms. For offices and people alike, protecting their data and private information on their digital devices is a form of security. It can be scary to figure out how to test your software, however, because people’s first instinct is to download a virus and see what happens. But if it’s not working, you’ll be in big trouble. Instead, use an EICAR file. This is a file that you open or download that isn’t a virus but that antivirus software is designed to recognize as a virus. It will not harm your devices, but you’ll be able to see if and how your software responds.
Give Your Firewall A Practice Run
Firewalls are designed to protect your devices from other computers connecting to them via the internet. Like with antivirus software, there are programs designed to test Firewalls without any actual risk. If opened on your computer, some websites will run a port scan of your IP address and let you know whether the ports at your address are closed or open. You want all your ports closed for maximum security.
The above tips should help you run a test on the most common types of security systems a home, workplace, or device has. Of course, depending on your industry and the kind of security software or systems you have in place, you might need a more in-depth quality check. Ask your software or system provider what the best methods are of testing your security. You can also reach out to a secondary security team and have them take a look.
Competitors are often more than happy to have a chance to prove they’re the better option—you can bet that if there’s a flaw, they will find it and point it out to you. It is important to note that if you feel unsafe or have reason to believe you’ve been targeted for a digital or physical crime, you must reach out to the authorities in your area.
