- Joined
- Dec 1, 2009
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Confession: I knew how to pick locks. These only extend to cheap ass "master" padlocks - you know the ones with the cheap flimsy key? Not too hard, as raking them usually works.
So I was on the internet, looking for cheap ways to bypass a combination padlock, and came around a way to make a padlock shim with the metal from a can. Not too shabby, as I knew what padlock shims were. (They are pieces of metal that you force close to the shackle, and use a tab with release the spring loaded bolt that holds your lock shut.) I make a couple, and now I can wait to try them at home - I think I'd buy a couple of cheap combo locks to try them on campus! (I have a padlock shackled to my desk, and I've forgotten the combination.)
And, I came across something called lock bumping. Same idea as raking, only you bounce the pins with a specially made key, and at the precise moment they let you open the cylinder, you turn, and it catches, and you can easily make the key needed by hand. (If you have a blank/a key that fits.)
The scarey part? Looking at all the locks in dorms/residence, the locks are all of the easily bumped Kwikset brand. My house key also tells me that it's from the Kwikset family as well. (3 distinctive triangles on the top.) Fortunately, the dorms also have a harder to bump Medeco keylock in place - basically, putting more pins in the keyhole at different profile sections, making it impossible to bump without damaging the lock traditionally.
So, why aren't all crooks using a "bump key" to get into your house? It takes skill to learn how to use it, and requires special tools. (The key must fit into the target lock, and that means matching up your keys and stuff.) Apartment complexes will probably be more vulnerable - one key fits into all doors, and it makes noise if you are trying to bump it multiple times. Interestingly, the bump keys themselves aren't illegal in Canada (the popo just need to prove intent), but some states only allow you to carry them if you have a locksmith's license. But still, scary stuff!
Ideas not to be vulnerable to it:
- don't lose your house keys
- don't flaunt money/goods eg. plasma screen televisions/other stuff
- don't rely on one method of security (My house has an alarm and bars on the lower windows - pretty good deterrent because the crooks look for easier ways into the house.)
- destroy your house keys
So I was on the internet, looking for cheap ways to bypass a combination padlock, and came around a way to make a padlock shim with the metal from a can. Not too shabby, as I knew what padlock shims were. (They are pieces of metal that you force close to the shackle, and use a tab with release the spring loaded bolt that holds your lock shut.) I make a couple, and now I can wait to try them at home - I think I'd buy a couple of cheap combo locks to try them on campus! (I have a padlock shackled to my desk, and I've forgotten the combination.)
And, I came across something called lock bumping. Same idea as raking, only you bounce the pins with a specially made key, and at the precise moment they let you open the cylinder, you turn, and it catches, and you can easily make the key needed by hand. (If you have a blank/a key that fits.)
The scarey part? Looking at all the locks in dorms/residence, the locks are all of the easily bumped Kwikset brand. My house key also tells me that it's from the Kwikset family as well. (3 distinctive triangles on the top.) Fortunately, the dorms also have a harder to bump Medeco keylock in place - basically, putting more pins in the keyhole at different profile sections, making it impossible to bump without damaging the lock traditionally.
So, why aren't all crooks using a "bump key" to get into your house? It takes skill to learn how to use it, and requires special tools. (The key must fit into the target lock, and that means matching up your keys and stuff.) Apartment complexes will probably be more vulnerable - one key fits into all doors, and it makes noise if you are trying to bump it multiple times. Interestingly, the bump keys themselves aren't illegal in Canada (the popo just need to prove intent), but some states only allow you to carry them if you have a locksmith's license. But still, scary stuff!
Ideas not to be vulnerable to it:
- don't lose your house keys
- don't flaunt money/goods eg. plasma screen televisions/other stuff
- don't rely on one method of security (My house has an alarm and bars on the lower windows - pretty good deterrent because the crooks look for easier ways into the house.)
- destroy your house keys
like a 250 dollar kit back when DDR4 was Intel only
