Want to prevent your home from being broken into? Expert details ways to scare off burglars

Thieves are finding creative ways to break into homes across Southern California, but experts say homeowners can better protect themselves by taking certain measures.

Don Moore is a certified security professional and owner of Moore Protection. His job is to make sure his clients' homes don't wind up on the news as victims of a break-in .

"One thing I don't want people to do about it is panic," Moore said. "I would like them to be empowered."

In what feels like the summer of burglaries, Moore said the key to securing your home is to focus on three areas of your property.

"You start with an alarm system on the structure of the home itself," he explained.

The Riverside Police Department says there are additional online tools you can employ to protect your property and stay one step ahead of thieves that are using technology to case potential targets.

Start by having a robust home security system and then an early warning system.

"If you want to be alerted and you want the perpetrator to be alerted before they even get to the structure of the house, we have several different technologies of early warning systems," Moore explained.

"The third technology, in the last 18 months, the analytics of cameras have gotten so good that we can use it residentially where it recognizes the human form."

And even if you don't feel you can afford cameras, motion sensors or around-the-clock monitoring, Moore said there are simple things you can do to secure your property and your piece of mind.

"I recommend to my clients to have intrusion drills," Moore said. "What are we going to do if we hear breaking glass at 2 o'clock in the morning? What are we going to do if we hear footsteps and voices downstairs, or in the other room? And then walk through what you would do."

Meanwhile, some homeowners are increasingly going online in an effort to deter potential burglars and blurring the images of their homes as they appear on Google Street View.