This is a pretty philosophically loaded question, but I’m not going to go into Maslow’s hierarchy of needs right now. Security means a lot of things: physical safety, a feeling of assurance that your needs are being met, and safety for your property. Suffice it to say, security is more of a state of mind than a physical fact. Asking what security costs depends totally on the kind of security you are hoping for. In today’s post-coronavirus world, “security” is truly a mental concept, not a physical one. So the cost of security isn’t always just money, and the benefits of security aren’t just physical.

In this post, I’d like to discuss a few different kinds of security. Some are physical, some are emotional, and some are virtual. All of these kinds of security are key to helping you achieve full-life security. I’ll also provide recommendations for ways you can achieve the different kinds of security I’m discussing.

Home Security

Since this is a home security company, I’ll lead off with home security. Home security comes in many packages and can incorporate everything from locks on your doors to state of the art cameras and sensors. Here are a few different levels of home security:

Level 1: Making sure your doors and windows are locked at night and when you leave your home during the day. Keeping your personal documents locked in a safe.

• Costs: Installation costs for locks, purchasing a safe.
• Benefits: Security of knowing your home is not totally vulnerable, people won’t be able to just walk in and steal everything you own without a good amount of effort.

Level 2: Installing a professionally-monitored DIY home security system, like Cove’s. This incorporates as many sensors and cameras as you feel are necessary for your home. Cove’s system has a few things going for it: its sensors all talk to one central control panel, the security cameras are easy-to-use and backed up using a 4G cellular connection, which means your system will never just stop working. It also incorporates a medical button for health emergencies.

• Costs: Equipment costs, which range anywhere from 150 dollars to 1,000 dollars. A monthly fee, which is usually between 15 and 35 dollars a month.
• Benefits: Sleeping more soundly at night. Professional monitoring, fully integrated security for medical emergencies, burglaries, and environmental disasters including floods, fires, and carbon monoxide poisoning. Texts if there are any issues with your home. Homes with security systems are 75% less likely to be burgled than with no system in place.

Level 3: Hiring an unarmed guard (or an armed guard) in addition to a more intense security system, these will generally be in the 10’s of thousands of dollars range.

• Costs: Salary for the security guard, equipment costs, upgrade costs.
• Benefits: You have both professional security guards and basically the same benefits as with level two. Even harder for people to get past the security guard.

Level 2 security is about what you’ll be looking for in a single-family or even an apartment. Most of us can’t afford security guards, but a security system is always within reach, especially one like Cove’s, with DIY installation and low monthly fees.

Cove Home Security and Costs

Cove is a DIY-only home security company with home automation, incredibly competitive pricing, and great customer service. We will ship all security system orders within 1 business day, and the security system usually arrives at your home between 3-5 days later. We also offer a 60-day money-back guarantee. If you find that you are dissatisfied with your security system, you can send it back for a full refund within 60 days of purchase.

Cove's packages are customizable. The set packages range in cost from $229-$389, with a $0 down option also available.

If the provided packages don't seem right for your situation, no problem! You can build your package. Cove’s security systems incorporate the following elements:

• Central Touch Alarm Panel: Set up is quick and easy, and can take as little time as 10 minutes to finish. With 4G cellular monitoring, we’ll always have an eye on your home security, even if your phone lines go down.
• Cameras: Cove offers a YI indoor camera with good surveillance capabilities, night vision, and baby crying detection.
• Motion Sensors: These sensors will detect movement within your home.
• Door, Window, and Glass-break detectors: These will monitor any unusual activity around your doors and windows.
• Environmental Detectors: Cove offers a fire detector, flood detection, freeze sensors, and carbon monoxide detectors. The freeze detector acts as a sort of smart thermostat to catch if your home drops below a certain dangerous level.
• Medical Button: Cove is a full-life security system, meaning that we also want to take care of your health as well as your safety. With our medical button, you and your loved ones are just a touch away from emergency help.
• Alarm Monitoring Service: Cove offers a professional monitoring service with all the benefits of a professional security system and for the price of a DIY system.

Each sensor and camera is individually priced if you build your own package, which has the potential to save you a lot of money in the long run. Cove also frequently has sales on equipment, which can allow you to build your ideal system for an even lower price.

Cove's monthly monitoring costs range from $14.99-$34.99. This is much cheaper than the industry average, making Cove a great option for anyone hoping to get home security on a budget.

Virtual Security

Cyber security is becoming more and more important in today’s world, where not just our banking information, but our likes and dislikes, can be found online. Here are a couple of ways you can take your virtual security to the next level.

Level 1: Setting different passwords for all of your accounts. Too many people use the same password for every website. This is dangerous because it means that if someone hacks into one of your accounts, it is incredibly easy for them to hack all of your accounts. It’s a good idea to use random numbers and symbols within your password to throw people off, and to help you remember your password.

• Costs: You’ll need to remember a lot of passwords, or keep them written down in a secure location.
• Benefits: You’ll be better protected in case someone does hack into one of your accounts. Your information won’t be totally accessible to anyone who wants it.

Level 2: Two-step authentication systems. These systems are those in which you have to confirm your identity through a text message or an authentication app in addition to using a password. This means that it will be much harder for someone to simply guess your password and hack into your information.

• Costs: It takes longer to log in, and you have to have your phone on you.
• Benefits: You can be less intense with your passwords and still receive a higher level of security. Hackers cannot simply guess your password to get into your accounts.

Level 3: Full data encryption. This is when all data related to your life is scrambled and can essentially only be unscrambled by a specific key code.

• Costs: Unless you’re a computer-programming whiz, you’ll have to hire someone to do this for you.
• Benefits: Pretty intense security, extremely difficult to hack into.

Emotional Security

Emotional security is an extremely important part of life, and in many ways, it ties into all of the other categories discussed here. Physical, home, and virtual security is all tied to your feelings. For this section, though, I’d like to focus on emotional security in regards to different needs.

Level 1: Having safe places and safe people to talk to. This is important for everyone’s emotional security. If you don’t have places and people that help you to feel safer, this can interfere with your ability to function and fulfill your responsibilities. Try and find at least 3 places and 3 people that make you feel safe, and turn to these resources when you find yourself stressed out.

• Costs: Only the effort of finding a friend and a place to go.
• Benefits: Better mental health and stress management, better moods, and the ability to unwind and feel safe in certain places.

Level 2: Visiting with a professional therapist. I honestly believe this is important for everyone’s emotional security as well, but more specifically during those times in life when your usual safe places and people aren’t available. Trained therapists provide the emotional security many of us require to get through the hardest parts of life.

• Costs: Paying a therapist, finding time to attend regular appointments, being willing to make yourself emotionally vulnerable.
• Benefits: Therapists are professionally trained to help you see yourself differently and work through the issues you are having.

Level 3: Hospitalization surrounded by medical professionals and loved ones. This is important when your other options for emotional security are not working. If you find yourself struggling with the urge to commit suicide or other acts of self-harm, it’s okay to go to the hospital.

• Costs: Getting to the hospital, possible hospital bills (but these are unimportant when your physical safety is at risk)
• Benefits: Your life could be saved and you can use lower level methods to solve emotional problems.

Physical Security

Home security is important, but there are other kinds of physical security that it is important to be aware of as well. Physical security while walking alone at night is especially important if you are diminutive in stature or could be perceived as a weak target. Here are some ideas to increase your physical security

Level 1: Try to never be alone at night. Take a friend with you if you are going out. Make sure that your phone is always charged when you do go out alone, and that your location is on. Tell a friend or family member where you are going so they can come find you if you are gone for too long. Have a safe word established with the bartender if you are going to a bar or club alone on a date.

• Costs: Effort of finding friends to go out with, making sure your phone is charged, and telling the bartender your safe word.
• Benefits: If someone does try to attack you, you will be easily located and you will have people to turn to. Police are not the only people who can stop crime from happening. Help yourself by allowing others to help you.

Level 2: In addition to the precautions of level 1, carry some kind of minor self-defense tool. Good examples include pepper spray and tasers. These kinds of weapons can incapacitate an attacker quickly without causing too much damage, enabling you to get away. You can also take a self defense class and learn the best moves to get away from an attacker.

• Costs: Paying for a self defense class, purchasing minor weapons.
• Benefits: You will be better able to incapacitate an attacker yourself in order to get to help and safety quicker.

Level 3: Carry a larger and more lethal weapon, such as a handgun. This kind of weapon can definitely decrease your likelihood of being attacked, but you must be fully trained on how to use such a weapon, and your weapon must be registered. Purchasing a gun can take several days, as you will need to pass a criminal background check to receive the weapon.

• Costs: Most guns cost in the range of hundreds of dollars. You must pay for classes to get trained on proper firearm usage. Getting a gun can take a good amount of time. If you do shoot and kill someone, there is often guilt associated with the action.
• Benefits: You will be able to defend not only yourself, but others as well, from attackers in a variety of settings.

The Bottom Line

I’ve tried to demonstrate in this post the different kinds of security, as well as the costs and benefits associated with different levels. I hope you’ll take the initiative to improve your physical safety by investigating home security, as well as ramping up your virtual and emotional security. Please take a look around while you’re here. We want you to feel safe.