I think that "mindset" is different than some. For "home defense" the mindset should be to keep the aggressor out of the home instead of first thinking of weapons to respond to the aggressor in the home. Keep them out and you have achieved the best goal. Then you have to consider how to do that. It isn't just build a wall and a gate, but how you make aggressors want to go somewhere else. How do you become less interesting or appear to be not worth the effort or too difficult a target. There have been threads on this before, but they can be summed up as
Practice good information security and stay away from people and practices that are sketchy.
Define the boundary of your property and erect a fence or wall. It is more a psychological barrier than physical.
Make the property less attractive to approach. Remove place to hide, put out a large dog house (even if you don't have a large dog), salt the property with a couple of kid's toys (people with kids are less able to afford valuable "stuff").
Light the property with automatic as well as timer lights.
Harden your access points. If nothing else use long deck screws to mount doors and use long throw dead bolts with security plates, pin double hung windows, apply anti-shatter film. Use metal or fiberglass doors if you can.
Install an alarm system with video.
Practice good information security and stay away from people and practices that are sketchy.
Define the boundary of your property and erect a fence or wall. It is more a psychological barrier than physical.
Make the property less attractive to approach. Remove place to hide, put out a large dog house (even if you don't have a large dog), salt the property with a couple of kid's toys (people with kids are less able to afford valuable "stuff").
Light the property with automatic as well as timer lights.
Harden your access points. If nothing else use long deck screws to mount doors and use long throw dead bolts with security plates, pin double hung windows, apply anti-shatter film. Use metal or fiberglass doors if you can.
Install an alarm system with video.