Interview with Scott Ledterman of Myfox: Preventing Break-ins Before They Occur

Shawn Kim

May 17, 2016

For the majority of us, family matters the most. Just the mere thought of having a loved one get hurt by the hands of unsavory elements on the street is enough to send one spiraling into a state of misery. Worst of all, bad people will even target homes—the very places that most families consider as their safe sanctuary.

However, automated smart technologies can help keep our homes secured the way we want and need. One of the companies that has been making innovative progress in this field is Myfox, which is represented in today’s interview with Scott Ledterman.

COO & SVP Sales and Marketing at Myfox, Scott Ledterman, is here to give us some insights about the home security business, plus a bit of background on how the company is transforming the way people secure their homes.

To start things off, would you mind telling us a little bit about Myfox—the company’s origins, background, and such—plus why it stands out among the rest of its competitors in the home security market?

For over a decade, Myfox has been committed to redefining home security with simple, unique solutions. Unlike traditional detection systems, Myfox offers true security and peace of mind through proactive deterrence. Almost 11 years ago, the company envisioned there was a smarter way to protect families and their homes. The security industry has been accepting outdated technology for too long without new developments. After years of research, Myfox successfully developed and patented the world’s first 1-piece door & window sensor that through a combination of integrated motion sensors and intelligence can actually detect and trigger the alarm BEFORE the burglar can enter your home!

Myfox is already well established in Europe for more than a decade now, and it has just recently expanded into the US. Are there any more international markets that you are eyeing right now? How do you find the tech scene in the US?

In 2H 2015, we launched in North America (US & Canada) and 10 Western European Countries. Our packaging, quick start guide, and app (iOS & Android) support seven languages and we are experiencing significant growth due to it. Right now we are focused on the U.S. market, which is always tough for a new brand without a history in the market. We have set up U.S. operations, hired local teams to oversee the business and invested in U.S. based customer support to better serve our customers. We are committed to listening to the specific feedback from the U.S. customer to define the products capabilities.

Is deterrence more important than detection when it comes to securing one’s home and belongings? The Myfox Home Alarm System seems to be founded on this idea. Would you mind expounding on it?

Absolutely. By detecting break-ins before they occur, we’re keeping intruders outside of the home, not detecting them once they’ve had the opportunity to come in contact with our loved ones or possessions. This is a critical difference in our vision, as with a traditional security system the alarm will go off after the burglar enters the home. Even if you don’t lose any belongings (or worse), you will still have to deal with a broken window/door and insurance companies in many cases. Or at the least, your privacy’s been violated, which is a very unpleasant feeling. We are committed to giving you peace of mind that your loved ones are protected by the latest in technology that can prevent the break-in before it happens.

From your website, we can see that there are three types of Myfox Home Alarm systems that your customers can choose from. Can you give more details about what kind of customers these packages are perfect for? For example, is the basic Myfox Home Alarm pack (which includes 1 IntelliTAG and 1 Key fob) enough for someone who lives in a small apartment? What kind of customers should go for the Comfort and Premium packs?

Of course. Yes, the basic kit is perfect for small homes and apartments. Those with larger spaces will benefit from added security by placing an IntelliTAG on each door and window. These packages are also perfect for families—allowing each member to have a key fob, which recognizes them and will automatically disable the alarm when they enter the home.

How does one go about setting up a Myfox Home Alarm system in their home?

The system is DIY—it’s easy to set up, requires no tools, no contract, and takes only about 15 minutes.

The Myfox app will walk users through each and every step. We also have a great video on this here: https://www.getmyfox.com/us_en/support/home-alarm.html

To start:

Our readers are particularly interested in the technology behind the IntelliTAG. How exactly does it recognize “ordinary” movements from potentially dangerous ones that can compromise your home’s security?

The IntelliTAG uses vibration analysis perfected through years of research. This is our 4th generation sensor and it’s smart enough to tell the difference between ordinary events, like a ball bouncing against a door, and a break-in attempt.

And speaking of security, how secure is the Myfox system? What are the chances that unsavory elements can tamper with the devices or hack into its network?

The entire system was built with our customers’ safety in mind, and that is definitely applied here. Each connection uses a special level of encryption. For example, the connection between Myfox devices and Myfox Cloud is opened using an SSL 2048bits encryption key and device to cloud uses 2048b TLS. Transmission from smartphones uses the same level of encryption (SSL/TLS) when connecting to the Myfox cloud. The data video folders use AES 256b encryption with a unique key refreshed every 30 seconds (bank-level security). Encrypted radio protocol is used between devices and each device has individual tamper protection. Security is our top priority and many layers of precaution have been taken in terms of safety to ensure our customers’ security is our primary focus.

Of course, a lot of us here would buy a home security system with the hopes that we wouldn’t have to use it one day. However, have you any success stories with which Myfox has been successful in staving off an intruder or a thief from a home? Care to share some of the feedback that you’ve received from customers?

I would love to share that with you. With almost 200,000 IntelliTAG’s in the market, we have surveyed our customers and found that almost 1,000 people had experienced a break-in attempt. 80% of our customers reported that their Myfox Alarm prevented the intruder from breaking into the home, saving their family and belongings. 20% of the thieves were obviously determined to enter whether or not the siren was going off, however, that is no different than what would happen with a traditional alarm system. Our customers are thrilled as we have saved so many families the heartache that comes with being robbed or having their privacy violated.

What are Myfox’s future plans? Any new smart devices in production?

Myfox is always continuing to innovate. We have a number of new updates to announce throughout 2016—our most recent being our new professional monitoring service. Users can now activate the affordable 24/7 service whenever they choose, simply by turning it on/off on a monthly basis through the Myfox app for only $9.99 month. Most insurance companies offer a discount that will pay for our annual service thus giving customers Free 24/7 monitoring! Imagine the peace of mind of protecting your family with 24/7 professional monitoring that your insurance company will pay for? This combined with many new developments in the coming months will make for a great 2016.

For our readers who wish to purchase their very own Myfox Home Alarm system in their homes, do you have any discount codes that they can use?

Yes. The coupon code is “VIP15-P1B-JKK” It is a 15% coupon code, valid for 30 days from today.

Thank you for your insights, Scott! We’re pretty excited to see how Myfox can give us peace of mind and help us keep our homes, and most of all, our families, safe. You guys are doing great work in this regard. In this day and age, it always pays to keep one’s guard up at all times.

Readers, please share your thoughts about Myfox! Comments, inquiries, and suggestions can be posted below.

Note: This interview is neither sponsored nor paid for by Myfox. HSL is an independent company, and these interviews were conducted to give our readers pertinent consumer information about these brands, which could help them in their future purchasing choices.