As darker nights draw in and break-ins reach their annual peak, countless UK households are relying on security cameras for peace of mind.
But, according to home security experts, many of these CCTV systems have serious flaws that criminals know exactly how to exploit.
To help deter burglars, security specialists from Telcam have named the three blind spots "burglars love most".
Urging Britons to address these common concerns, the experts cautioned that even the most advanced cameras can't protect homes when they're positioned incorrectly.
Too high, too wide
The first mistake homeowners make with their CCTV system is mounting cameras far too high up on walls.
You may think you're getting better coverage from elevated positions, but this approach actually creates major security gaps, experts warned.
"Keep cameras at a height that captures faces and entryways clearly, not just rooftops and driveways," the specialists advised. "Sometimes lower is smarter."
The issue with lofty camera positions is that they produce "birds-eye" shots that completely miss the places criminals actually use to break in.
Doors, windows, and ground-level side passages all become invisible from a great height, but it's these entry points that matter most for home security, not sweeping views of empty driveways.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Burglars will look for blind spots and 'exploit' them
| GETTYDark zones
The second major weakness in our CCTV setups involves shadowy areas around homes where criminals can hide from view.
Telecam warned that these dark zones don't need to be pitch black to provide cover for intruders, just dark enough to conceal troublemakers.
Common problem areas include the sides of houses, spaces under tree branches, and areas near garden sheds.
Without proper lighting, cameras in these locations simply capture useless footage of darkness.
To avoid this, the security gurus told Britons to pair their CCTV with motion-activated lights, "so intruders are lit up the second they step into view".
'Always test your system by walking your property as if you were the intruder' | GETTYOverlap gaps
The third vulnerability that criminals "exploit", according to the experts, is coverage gaps between multiple cameras.
When security systems have more than one camera, there are often small spaces where the viewing areas don't fully connect.
The experts advised: "Always test your system by walking your property as if you were the intruder.
"If you can move between cameras without being picked up, burglars can too, and the angles need adjusting."
They explained that these "blind alleys" between cameras create invisible pathways that experienced criminals can spot straight away.
They use these gaps to cross gardens and reach doors without ever appearing on the footage.
Security expert and owner of Telcam, Carlos Dhunay, concluded: "CCTV is a powerful deterrent, but only if it's set up correctly.
"Most burglars don't break in through brute force – they exploit small mistakes in how people use their cameras.
"The good news is, with a few simple changes, you can close the blind spots and make your home far less attractive to thieves."