Could a Burglar Disable My Alarm?

No, a burglar cannot disable your alarm. The only way to disable an alarm system is to provide a valid user code or the Master Code. This will disarm the system and stop the delay countdown. Once a delay period expires, an alarm will be sent out, and the central station will be notified.

If you fault an Entry/Exit Zone while your system is Armed, then an Entry Delay Countdown will begin. This time period gives you a chance to Disarm your system before an alarm occurs. Since you know your system codes, you should be able to provide a valid entry in time. But an intruder trying to guess a valid code will most likely not be able to do it in time. Just don't make your code something super obvious. For example, keeping the Master Code at the default is definitely a bad idea!

Many people wonder what happens if a burglar destroys the control panel or the communicator during a delay period. Alarm manufacturers thought of this problem, and they offer a great solution. This solution comes in the form of Advanced Protection Logic for AlarmNet Systems and Crash & Smash for Alarm.com Systems. When the system enters a delay period, it immediately sends a notification to the AlarmNet Servers or the Alarm.com Servers. This alert lets the servers know that the system has entered a delay period.

If a system enters a delay period, then logically one of two things must happen. Either the system will be Disarmed, or it will go into Alarm. If neither of these events occur, then the only possibility is that the panel or the communicator has been destroyed. The AlarmNet Servers and the Alarm.com Servers are smart enough to know this, and they will recognize that the system has been destroyed. If this happens, the AlarmNet Servers or the Alarm.com Servers will send an alert to the central station indicating that a presumed alarm has occurred.

There are a few things about Advanced Protection Logic and Crash & Smash that are important to note. First is that they go into effect during any transmission delay in which an alarm can follow. This includes Alarm Report Delays. Some systems are equipped with Alarm Report Delays where the system will wait a short period of time (usually less than a minute) before sending out an alarm notification. If an intruder destroys the system or the communicator during this time, APL or C&S will still take effect, and the alarm signal will still be sent out.

Additionally, APL and C&S only work with systems set up for central station monitoring. Users with self-monitoring plans cannot utilize these features. This is because neither Total Connect 2.0 nor the Alarm.com Interactive Platform are notified when APL or C&S go into effect. The end user will not receive an alert through text or email when an APL or C&S event has occurred. You need a central station monitoring plan if you want to take advantage of these features. To learn more about alarm monitoring, please check our alarm monitoring page.