The holidays are a time of great cheer and relaxation. You likely have time off work and are enjoying soaking in the Christmas season and all the good vibes it brings, or you have a summery vacation planned where you can just ditch all of the stuff that’s been weighing you down. However, don’t relax just yet.

While crime doesn’t happen every day, it does happen quite often. Sometimes, it’s not just any crime, but the worst kind: intruders targeting your home, endangering your family, and stealing or damaging your belongings, some of which can be exceptionally expensive or of significant sentimental value. Most people, though, don’t spend too much time thinking about it.

Although most home burglaries are opportunistic, they’re never random. Reports suggest that most home burglaries take less than 10 minutes, which indicates that they want to enter and leave your home as fast as possible. As such, their focus is on getting away with valuable items that are easy to carry and sell to make the risk and effort of breaking in worthwhile.

Burglars are mostly opportunistic, which means that they don’t have a lot of time to search for valuables in a home to steal. Any successful burglary occurs when opportunity meets a lack of preparation.

When dealing with home security, deterring potential burglars or home intruders is the most effective way to protect yourself. While it’s important to make sure you are prepared for when the unforeseen happens, the best possible outcome is avoiding those situations altogether with proper alarm systems for homes.