The Personal Identification Number or PIN for your customer’s alarm system is a vital factor in ensuring optimized security for their home or office. The fewest number of people possible should have access to this PIN to make sure that security breaches are significantly reduced. Robbers trying to gain access to your customer’s home will attempt to disarm the system, so the PIN should be as challenging to identify as possible. There are several important tips that you can share with your customers to ensure that they choose the ideal alarm system PIN.

Steer Clear of Default PINS

One important first tip to hammer home to your customers is that unique PINs are the best defense against unwanted entry into a home or office. One basic way to be unique is to change the default PIN that was set when the alarm was being installed. Creating a unique PIN for the system is the simplest way to start the process of enhancing the security for their home or office.

Use Common Sense

According to Data Genetics, the most popular PIN is 1234. Some other common PINS include 0000, 1111, 7777, 4444, 2222, and 1212. Generally, people choose dates as PINS. One common sense solution for you to share with customers is to avoid using dates for the PIN for the security system. End users may not realize it, but important dates like anniversaries and birthdays are simple for burglars to decipher.

Don’t Use Patterns

Some commonly chosen PINs are considered patterns. These can be easily discovered by thieves, so recommend that your customers don’t use them. Patterns can range from numbers such as 3333 or 4321, as well as keypad sequences such as the “X”, “+”, or digits in the four corners. Using patterns, like 2580, makes it easier for criminals to guess the pattern numbers.

Avoid Using Personal Details

To stay more secure, your customers should avoid using personal details for PINs like the numbers in their home address. They should refrain from using any portion of their home, work, or cell phone numbers. Even using digits from the phone number of a friend can be identified by a savvy thief. Using personal information only makes it easier for thieves to identify customer PINs and quickly gain access to a home or office. Suggest that names of family pets with corresponding numbers are avoided as well. Advise your customer to keep the alarm system PIN separate from credit and debit card PINs and mobile phone access codes.

Finding the Ideal PIN

There are so many types of PINs to avoid that it can sometimes be overwhelming for your customers to figure out how to choose the right one. One key factor in finding the ideal PIN is for your customer to make it something that they’ll remember; however, not easily discovered by thieves. The customer should not have this PIN recorded in any way to help them remember it. The PIN should not be written or digitally stored anywhere on personal computers, laptops, cell phones, or cloud storage. The perfect PIN is one that is fluid. To optimize security for your customers, suggest that they implement a system to remind themselves to consistently alter the PIN to throw potential burglars off the scent of their keypad entry digits.

Your customers can significantly augment the security of their homes by having the right alarm system PIN. It is vital that they make this PIN number challenging to guess. Your customers have the security system installed to protect their home or office, so they don’t want to literally hand over the keys to the castle by choosing an easy-to-guess PIN. The PIN should be as customized and undetectable as possible in order to maximize the system’s effectiveness.