The holidays are on the way. You'll soon be decorating your home, heading out to the malls, and getting ready for the gift-giving frenzy. If you're not planning for the protection of your home, you should be. This is the time of year when criminals come out of the woodwork looking for an easy target. If you haven't taken steps to protect your home, you could become the target. Here are four steps you can take to safeguard your home and family:

Give Yourself the Gift of Security

If you haven't upgraded your home security measures, this is the perfect time to get started on that. The best place to start is with a phone call to your locksmith. They can come out and assess the vulnerability of your home security, including on-site security systems, and the door locks. If you don't have a home security system, your locksmith can help you choose one that will work best for your situation. If your locks have not been changed in a while, and you have the standard lock and key system, your locksmith can install new keyless entry systems on your doors.

Avoid Leaving Your Key in an Unsecured Location

If you've decided to keep your keyed locks, you'll need to take steps to secure your doors during the holidays. Many people prevent lockouts by hiding their spare house key under the doormat, or somewhere near the door. Unfortunately, that's exactly where criminals look first when trying to gain access to the home. Don't fall prey to criminals by making your spare key accessible. Instead, leave your spare key at a neighbor's home.

Put Your Home on a Timer

If you're going to be spending a lot of time away from home this holiday season, you've got to make sure that criminals don't know it. Leaving the lights off – or on – or letting the mail pile up can alert criminals to the fact that you're not home. Before you leave for an extended period of time, be sure to put a hold on your mail, put your lights on a timer, and have your locksmith adjust your security system to allow for constant video monitoring.

Have Deliveries Made to an Off-Site Address

If you're going to be receiving packages in the mail, avoid having them delivered to your home. Packages on your doorstep make your home a ready target for theft. When ordering packages, arrange to have them delivered to a P.O. Box. It's also a good idea to have family and friends use the P.O. Box when sending holiday packages to you.

Contact a company like A-Able Locksmiths for more information and assistance.