Every firearm holder has a thousand reasons to worry about gun safety. At the same time, the majority of people invest in purchasing guns for security. However, insecurity thoughts hoovers in mind on how safe is the gun, and do you practically need it. Different press reports show unintentional shootings involving minors in a time of every 36 hours. Statistics showing that at least 100 children die each year (America) in unintentional shootings. Besides the children’s safety, guns act as a personal defense weapon, they play significant roles in many homes. They should be safely stored not to land in the hands of burglars. For these reasons, the firearm should have safe storage places and but not far from reach when the need arises.
The gun market has developed different gun safe ranging from high-tech, mobile safes, fireproof safe and extra-large safe to protect all kinds of firearms. One can also hide their gun in simple disguise places which are far from the thought of children or thieves. The idea is safe until one wrong move. The original classic gun storage is highly recognizable. This means everyone will know where you hide your gun. Fortunately, the disguise methods and the classic made safe help put away the gun securely.
Factors to consider when purchasing a gun storage
The locking mechanism is important when choosing the type of gun storage. The safe should have a high-end quality lock such as electronic, mechanical, redundant and biometric locks. You can select from the wide range though some are expensive but worth it.
Considering the many emergencies that can occur in homes. Fire eruption should be the first to come to mind. While everything burns down, quality gun storage should withstand the furnace. Choose a fireproof safe; however, not all gun safe is fireproof. Some have a high ability to withstand fire while others don't. Some storages can survive for an hour or more which makes them the best choice.
The steel thickness should be strong to deter thieves from breaking the safe. Get a heavily constructed steel gun storage. The metal gauges are measured in reverse such as an 8 or 6 gauge is better than a 12 -15 gauge thickness.
Safe, high tech made gun storages
-
The Gun box
This type of storage fits in one handgun only. The gun box is made of strong steel metal. This prevents it from getting damaged when dropped (height of 15 feet) to any concrete or hard material. The box can also withstand a run over from a truck. It’s unique and installed with a radio-frequency identification reader or a biometric reader. They can only open under the authorization of the user's fingerprint. The gun box also possesses more safeguards such as motion sensors and alarm, which is linked to your phone. You will get an alert if the box is tampered with, it has a GPS tracker making it easy to find if stolen.
-
Gun vault
A gun vault has an option of different sizes and mounting options. There is various biometric gun storage in the vault. The safe also has extra safeguards such as a fingerprint scanner for identification. The feature has a no eye keypad which is used to input the numerical password in the dark. The tech industry has introduced drawer vault biometric fits which work on standard drawers. The vault is designed for handgun storage can be used for other important valuables.
-
Sentry safe
Sentry Safe is a large fireproof safe which can store enough firearm collection. The safe can take 51 guns at once. There are different options for Sentry safes. The safes have UL listed electronic locks, 14 extra-large three-way locking bolts. To help protect the firearms it well build with strong steel of 2.5 mm.
-
Browning
For more secure storage, you can have a whole room as gun storage. You can use the room as a display gun center and also a secure safe. Use a vault door to secure the place; there are two types of doors. The first type has a formal look while the other is vault designed.
Disguise ways to safely store your gun at home
Besides the high tech safe ways to store the gun, you can settle for simpler disguise ways. These help you reach the gun easily without anyone's knowledge. The storage should be safe but hard for anyone to think about.
Dirty clothes are the last place one can think of when searching for a gun. Thieves, children, or even guests will never have an idea of going through dirty clothes. It would be best if you did not reveal to anyone about the gun; it’s easy and fast to pull it from the pile of clothes during an emergency.
There is a great place to hide a handgun; thieves don't have time for the kitchen. The place is best since most people spend time in the kitchen. In case of an invasion, you can easily pull the gun out instead of running to other rooms.
No thieve or guest would have time to go through cereal boxes in a home. However, it risky for kids as they can go through anything from cookie boxes to cereals. Select a box they really don’t like and hide the gun safely.
Nobody will have the interest to go through old stuff such as shoes and boots. You can easily slide the gun in and hide it until a need arises.
Guns are valuables which if well use them serve a great purpose. However, they are also dangerous weapons which we should store safely for the family's sake. Ensure to use the best method for your children and the whole family.
Online Threat Alerts Security Tips
Pay the safest way
Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.
Guard your personal information
In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.
Be careful of the information you share
Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with
Know who you’re dealing with
Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.
Check your accounts
Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.
Don’t believe promises of easy money
If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.
Do not open email from people you don’t know
If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.
Think before you click
If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.
Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond
If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.
Be careful with links and new website addresses
Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.
Secure your personal information
Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.
Stay informed on the latest cyber threats
Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.
Use Strong Passwords
Strong passwords are critical to online security.
Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs
Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.
Update the operating systems on your electronic devices
Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.
What if You Got Scammed?
Stop Contact With The Scammer
Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.
Secure Your Finances
- Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
- Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:
- Equifax
- Experian
- TransUnion
Check Your Computer
If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.
Change Your Account Passwords
Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.
Report The Scam
Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.
Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:
- Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
- Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
- Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.
How To Recognize a Phishing Scam
Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.
Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:
Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might
- say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
- claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
- say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
- include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
- want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
- say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
- offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real
About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)
Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.
By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.
With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.
Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.
Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).