Make your doors and windows as difficult to penetrate as possible. Although intruders prefer unlocked doors and windows, many can quickly and almost silently pry open locked ones. Some break a pane of glass so they can reach in and unlock the window or door. Only a few really determined burglars break out enough glass to walk or crawl through, or bash in a well-secured door, and they seldom try to pick locks.
• Get a security audit: Most police departments provide free advice and will send someone to evaluate your home for weaknesses.
• Lose lousy locks: Key-in-the-knob locks are inadequate. Install good deadbolt locks on all your exterior doors.
• Secure sliding glass doors: The locks on sliding glass doors are notoriously flimsy — many doors can be lifted right off their tracks. Numerous how-to videos on the Web can show you how to make yours more secure, or you can pay a locksmith to install reinforcements.
