Can Burglars Disable Alarms By Cutting Cables?

Can a burglar disable your alarm system by cutting cables? Short answer: yes, but it depends on what kind of alarm you have.

Keep reading to get the long answer about how burglars disable your alarm and how to prevent that from happening.

A burglar can cut your power source or phone line to disable your wired alarm. And as cellular systems become more popular, thieves are finding ways to bypass those too.

In the past, most alarm systems connected to a landline. With the advent of the cell phone, home phones have gone out of vogue, and so have the burglar alarms that use them.

Still, some providers have landline options, notably ADT and Protect America. The signal is more reliable with these hardwired systems, so they’re especially good for rural areas.

If you have a phone-line-based security system, a savvy burglar might cut the power, or telephone line, or both. They may cut the line, then enter the home and disable the alarm for good. They could even wait nearby for the alarm to use up all its backup battery before they loot the house.¹

We generally consider wireless, cellular alarms to be safer than landline-based ones. It’s much harder to disable a wireless alarm (like those from Frontpoint or SimpliSafe) than a wired one. But don’t get too comfy, because it’s still possible.

First off, data breaches are a threat to your wireless alarm systems. And we don’t mean that you just need to be careful if someone hacks your security provider’s databases. If you continuously repeat password-email combos, a data breach of another site could expose your alarm.

You’re also vulnerable to signal jamming. It isn’t easy to jam the signal and disrupt the alarm transmission, but it happens.²

After learning all this, you might feel pretty jaded about your home security system. Don’t worry; it can still protect you. You just have to take some steps to protect it from bad actors.

Landline-based system owners need to be cautious. Keep your alarm turned on so that if someone cuts the power, the backup battery kicks in. That may sound like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many people neglect to arm their security systems.

Check with your provider about cellular backup for your alarm. With cellular backup, your burglar alarm can still send a signal to the central monitoring station, even if someone cut the phone line.

Finally, when the alarm goes off, make sure someone responds right away. Usually, that’s the police, but if your system is self-monitored, you need a person with eyes on their notifications at all times. If someone shows up at home immediately after a breach, that’ll limit the burglar’s damage. And good news is, home security providers like Frontpoint and Vivint provide some decently-priced monitoring plans.

Signal jamming is more complicated. It also requires special equipment, so it’s unlikely to happen to you. But just in case, ask your security company how it guards against jamming. Some systems, like SimpliSafe and Nest Secure, say they have preventive anti-jam features that alert the user.³

We also suggest getting some cameras and investing in professional monitoring. Even if your system is jammed, your cameras will still record footage that can help you catch the intruder. With professional monitoring, you can always have a second pair of eyes on your property. 

A burglar might disable your alarm by cutting wires or using other tricks. Still, there’s always something you can do to stay one step ahead of intruders. Keep your system on, schedule light timers, check your home for any potential weaknesses, make sure you have a backup, use a strong, unique password, and/or invest in some cameras.

Sources