5 Signs Your Home Is an Easy Target — and How to Fix Them

Most break-ins aren't the work of master criminals. They're crimes of opportunity — a pro looking for the path of least resistance and moving on when a home looks hardened.

Here are the five vulnerabilities we find most often, and how to close each one.

1. A dark, unlit entryway

Burglars love shadows. If your front, side, and back entrances are dark after sundown, you're rolling out a welcome mat.

Fix it: Install motion-activated lighting at every entry point. Smart security lights tied to your ADT system can trigger automatically and send an alert to your phone the moment motion is detected.

2. Sliding doors with no secondary lock

Sliding glass doors are a favorite entry point. The factory latch is notoriously easy to defeat.

Fix it: Add a bar lock or dowel in the track, and pair the door with a contact sensor so any tampering triggers an instant alert.

3. Overgrown landscaping near windows

Tall shrubs give intruders a place to hide while they work on a window.

Fix it: Keep shrubs trimmed below window sill height. Window sensors with glass-break detection close the gap entirely.

4. An empty-looking house when you travel

Piled-up mail, dark rooms, and a silent driveway all signal "nobody home."

Fix it: Smart lighting schedules and a video doorbell let your home look — and respond — as if you're there. Your ADT app gives you live feeds from anywhere.

5. No monitored backup

A loud siren helps, but without professional monitoring, help only comes if a neighbor notices and calls.

Fix it: 24/7 professional monitoring means a trained operator responds within seconds of an alarm and dispatches emergency services — whether you're home or not.

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The good news: every one of these fixes is covered in your $1,200 free equipment kit. Claim yours today and an agent will walk your home with you to close every gap.