The alerting and notification aspects of home security need to be taken into consideration as well. Alarm.com offers a system in which the security panel communicates with the monitoring system via cellular network. So it's not like a typical land-line or cable connection that can be defeated by cutting an exposed cable. That company also offers remote viewing and other home security and automation features, albeit at a price. Disclaimer: I know some people who work there. I am not a customer though because I do not consider myself to be sufficiently rich, paranoid, or threat-exposed to justify the additional cost.