New Year, Safer Home: Security Resolutions for 2026
Last updated August 2026
Introduction
The start of a new year is the perfect time to reassess your home’s security. We make resolutions about health, finances, and careers, yet the safety of our homes and families often goes unexamined. In 2026, commit to making your home the safest it has ever been. This guide presents 10 actionable home security resolutions, each designed to address a specific vulnerability and provide concrete steps you can take. Whether you are a first-time homeowner, a renter in an apartment, or a seasoned property owner, these resolutions will help you build a comprehensive security posture that deters intruders, protects your property, and gives you genuine peace of mind. Let us make 2026 the year of the safer home.
Resolution 1: Get Professionally Monitored Security
If you do only one thing for your home security in 2026, make it this: subscribe to a professionally monitored security system. Self-monitoring through smartphone apps is convenient, but it relies on you being available, awake, and within cell service to respond to an alert. Professional monitoring ensures that trained agents are watching over your home 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When an alarm triggers, they verify the threat and dispatch emergency services if needed. This verification step dramatically reduces false alarms while ensuring real emergencies receive immediate response. Homes with professionally monitored systems are significantly less likely to be burglarized, and when break-ins do occur, losses are minimized because police arrive faster. In 2026, there are excellent options for every budget. Ring AI Pro offers professional monitoring at just $19.99 per month, the lowest price from a major provider. Cove at $22.99 per month includes a 60-day money-back guarantee and lifetime equipment warranty. SimpliSafe Core at $32.99 per month adds video verification and Intruder Intervention. For those wanting the gold standard, ADT operates six redundant monitoring centers and offers a six-month money-back guarantee. Choose a system, install it, and subscribe to monitoring. Your future self will thank you.
Resolution 2: Install Security Cameras at Every Entry Point
Cameras are both a deterrent and an investigative tool. Visible cameras tell potential burglars that your home is not a soft target, while recorded footage provides invaluable evidence if a crime does occur. In 2026, resolve to install cameras covering every entry point to your home. At minimum, you need a video doorbell camera covering your front door, which is the entry point in about one-third of all burglaries. Add cameras covering your back door, garage, driveway, and any ground-floor windows that are hidden from street view. Modern security cameras offer features that were unimaginable just a few years ago. AI-powered detection can distinguish between people, vehicles, animals, and packages, eliminating nuisance alerts. Night vision ensures clear footage even in complete darkness. Two-way audio lets you speak to visitors, whether they are delivery drivers or unwanted guests. For the best video quality, Arlo offers stunning 4K resolution. For local storage without monthly fees, Eufy’s cameras with BionicMind AI are unbeatable. Ring cameras integrate seamlessly with Ring Alarm and offer 180-day cloud storage. Set your resolution this year: no blind spots, no excuses.
Resolution 3: Upgrade to Smart Locks on All Exterior Doors
Traditional keys are a security risk. They can be lost, stolen, copied without your knowledge, or left in locks. Every time you hand a key to a house sitter, dog walker, contractor, or cleaning service, you create a potential vulnerability. Smart locks eliminate these risks. With a smart lock, you unlock your door with a code, your smartphone, a fingerprint, or a key fob. You can create unique access codes for different people and delete them instantly when they are no longer needed. You can check whether your door is locked from anywhere in the world and lock it remotely if someone forgot. Most smart locks integrate with your security system, automatically locking when you arm the system and unlocking when you disarm it. In 2026, smart locks are affordable, reliable, and easy to install. Vivint includes smart locks as part of their integrated packages. SimpliSafe, Ring, and ADT all offer compatible options. Make this the year you never have to wonder whether you left the door unlocked.
Resolution 4: Secure Your Home WiFi Network
Your WiFi network is the digital backbone of your smart home security system. If a hacker gains access to your network, they can potentially disable cameras, unlock smart locks, and disarm your system. In 2026, resolve to lock down your network like the security asset it is. Start by changing your router’s default administrator password to a strong, unique passphrase. Enable WPA3 encryption if your router supports it, or WPA2 at minimum. Create a separate guest network for visitors and IoT devices, keeping your security devices on your primary network with a different password. Disable remote management on your router unless you absolutely need it. Keep your router firmware updated, as manufacturers regularly patch security vulnerabilities. Consider upgrading to a modern mesh WiFi system from Eero, Netgear Orbi, or TP-Link Deco, which includes better security features and stronger coverage for all your security devices. Enable the firewall on your router and consider adding network-level security software that monitors for suspicious activity.
Resolution 5: Test Your Security System Monthly
A security system that does not work when you need it is worse than no system at all, because it creates a false sense of security. Resolve to test your entire system on the first day of every month. Walk through each door and window to ensure sensors register in the app. Trigger motion detectors to confirm they detect movement. Test glass break sensors using the manufacturer’s recommended test procedure. Check that cameras are recording and that footage is accessible. Verify that your monitoring center receives alarm signals by calling them before testing and placing your account in test mode. Replace any low batteries immediately. Clean camera lenses and motion detector covers quarterly. Update firmware on all devices when updates become available. This monthly ritual takes less than 15 minutes and ensures that when a real emergency occurs, every component of your system will perform exactly as intended.
Resolution 6: Create a Family Emergency Plan
Technology is only part of home security. The human element is equally important. In 2026, create a comprehensive emergency plan for your household and practice it until everyone knows it by heart. Your plan should cover multiple scenarios: a break-in while you are home, a fire, a carbon monoxide alarm, a medical emergency, and a severe weather event. Identify two exits from every room in the house. Designate a meeting place outside where everyone will gather after evacuating. Assign roles: who calls 911, who helps young children or elderly family members, who grabs the emergency kit. Establish a safe word that family members can use to alert each other to danger without alarming intruders. Post emergency numbers, including poison control and your monitoring company’s direct line, where everyone can find them. Review and practice the plan quarterly, just like a fire drill at school or work. A plan that exists only on paper is not a plan at all.
Resolution 7: Get to Know Your Neighbors
The most effective security system ever invented is a community of neighbors who watch out for each other. In 2026, make a conscious effort to build relationships with the people who live around you. Exchange contact information and establish a neighborhood communication channel, whether that is a group text, a WhatsApp group, or a platform like Nextdoor. Agree to watch each other’s homes when someone is away. Pick up packages from porches before porch pirates do. Report suspicious vehicles or unfamiliar people walking through the neighborhood. Consider organizing or joining a Neighborhood Watch program, which establishes formal coordination with local law enforcement. Communities with active Neighborhood Watch programs experience significantly lower crime rates than comparable areas without them. Your neighbors are your first line of defense, and you are theirs. Invest in those relationships this year.
Resolution 8: Add Motion-Activated Lighting Around Your Property
Burglars are creatures of darkness. They seek homes where they can operate unseen, hidden by shadows and overgrown landscaping. In 2026, eliminate the darkness around your home with strategic motion-activated lighting. Install floodlights covering all entry doors, pathways, driveways, and dark corners of your yard. Aim for a combination of permanent fixtures and solar-powered options for areas without easy wiring. Modern motion lights use efficient LEDs that provide brilliant illumination while consuming minimal electricity. Many include built-in cameras, combining lighting and surveillance in a single device. Ring Floodlight Cam and Eufy Floodlight Cam are excellent options that activate on motion and begin recording automatically. Set your lights to activate at dusk if your model supports it, ensuring your property is well-lit every evening. The goal is simple: anywhere a burglar might approach your home, they should be bathed in light.
Resolution 9: Secure Your Garage
The garage is one of the most overlooked entry points in home security. Many homeowners invest heavily in front door security while leaving their garage virtually unprotected. In 2026, give your garage the attention it deserves. Install a garage door sensor that alerts you if the door is left open for more than a few minutes. Upgrade to a smart garage door opener that allows remote monitoring and control from your phone. Secure the emergency release latch with a shield or zip tie to prevent the common fishing technique burglars use. If your garage has a service door, install a deadbolt and a door sensor just as you would for any other exterior door. Cover garage windows with frosted film so burglars cannot see what is inside. If your garage is attached to your home, the door between them should be treated as an exterior door with a deadbolt, reinforced frame, and door sensor. Your garage likely contains valuable tools, bikes, and vehicles, and it may provide direct access to your home. Secure it accordingly.
Resolution 10: Review and Update Your Insurance Coverage
Insurance is the financial backstop of your security strategy. Even the best security system cannot prevent every possible loss, which is why adequate insurance coverage is essential. In 2026, resolve to review your homeowners or renters insurance policy thoroughly. Verify that your dwelling coverage matches the cost to rebuild your home at current construction prices. Review your personal property coverage limits and ensure they cover the actual value of your possessions. Check whether you have replacement cost coverage or actual cash value coverage, replacement cost is significantly better. Identify any sub-limits on valuable categories like jewelry, electronics, and firearms, and purchase additional riders if needed. If you installed a security system, confirm that you are receiving the 5% to 20% discount that most insurers offer for professionally monitored systems. If you completed major home improvements or acquired valuable items in the past year, update your inventory and adjust your coverage. A current, detailed home inventory with photos and receipts will make any future claim significantly smoother.
Putting It All Together: Your 2026 Security Calendar
Turning resolutions into reality requires a plan. Here is a suggested calendar for implementing your security resolutions throughout the year. January: Install your professionally monitored security system and subscribe to monitoring. February: Add security cameras at all entry points. March: Upgrade to smart locks on all exterior doors. April: Secure your WiFi network and update router firmware. May: Install motion-activated lighting around your property. June: Mid-year system test and maintenance check. July: Create your family emergency plan and practice it. August: Secure your garage with sensors and smart controls. September: Meet your neighbors and establish a communication network. October: Review your insurance coverage and claim your security discount. November: Full system audit and battery replacements. December: Year-end review, assess what worked, and plan improvements for 2027. By spreading the work across the year, you avoid overwhelm while steadily building a fortress of security around your home.
Conclusion
New Year’s resolutions are easy to make and hard to keep. But these 10 security resolutions are different from typical goals. They do not require willpower, diets, or gym memberships. They require only a decision to act and a modest investment of time and money. Each resolution you implement makes your home measurably safer. A monitored security system provides round-the-clock protection. Cameras and smart locks control access and create evidence. A secured network, regular testing, and an emergency plan address the human and digital elements of security. Neighbors, lighting, and garage security extend your defenses outward. Insurance ensures that even in the worst case, you are financially protected. Start with Resolution 1 today. Your family’s safety is worth it. Welcome to 2026, your safest year yet.