Thanks to technology you can make your home safer than ever before for you, your family and your possessions.

The standard home protection for decades has included smoke detectors, window locks, a basic home security system and sometimes a neighborhood watch program. But, we now have sophisticated alarms and multiple cameras that you can monitor with your smartphone, as well as other devices that are not too expensive and that can give you peace of mind.

Oftentimes too, insurance companies will give you discounts on your homeowner’s insurance for installing these devices.

If you want to make your home more secure and smarter, you may want to consider these new technologies:

Smart doorbell – Smart doorbells come equipped with an HD camera that can film anybody that comes to your door; they don’t have to ring the doorbell. If they do, the device allows you to see who is arriving at your home regardless of where you are in the world, and to communicate via two-way audio with visitors.

This is a great way to also catch video of any thieves stealing packages from your doorstep. There are number of brands of smart doorbells, including ones by Amazon.

Smart locks – There are two types of smart locks:

• Ones that use a 9-digit keypad into which you enter a preset code to unlock the door.
• Ones that connect to a smartphone app to unlock the door. With the apps you can send a “virtual key” to guests and other visitors (like repair people) so they can enter on their own. The app version also will let you know who used the virtual key and when they did so.

Smart lights – With smart lights, you can control every bulb in your home from an app – whether or not you’re nearby. It’s perfect for when you have left home and suddenly realize you left your bedroom light on. You can also remotely turn lights on at night if you are not home, to give the appearance that someone is home.

Smart detector – Smart detectors come with the same smoke sensors and carbon monoxide detectors as any other regular alarm. They will alert you through a smartphone app that there is smoke or carbon monoxide in the air. A smart detector will tell you whether it’s smoke or gas – and where it’s coming from.

Smart surveillance – If you have children or pets, you may have thought about using home video cameras to keep an eye on them. And while it’s wonderful to have a live feed you can watch remotely, that’s not all it can be used for.

With smart surveillance cameras, you’ll also be notified if an intruder is in your home. Sensors will detect a break-in through glass doors or windows, then show you where that person is, so you can alert the local authorities.

The takeaway

All of the above can give you peace of mind when you are not home, and there are surely other devices on the horizon that will be even better.

But the other benefit is that your homeowner’s insurer may give you a discount on your coverage for installing any of these security devices in your home.