August 6, 2006
Working at an IT Support Centre has given me the privilege to look at security from a different perspective. Although it is more sophisticated than a typical ‘lock and key’ type of security, I have seen how easy it is for security to be compromised in the computer world. I guess security is a topic I’m interested more than most, but the following video you’re about to see (or already have seen as it is more than a year old) is quite shocking, due to the simplicity of it’s technique and how an untrained person can be able to pick a lock in a matter of seconds.
The technique is called bump keying. It requires a special key which can be acquired quite easily via online, made by a professional locksmith or even you if you have a knack for tinkering with things. Basically, with the right type of bump key, you can open a lock with a couple taps of a mallet on the key.
Many of you might be wondering why I would show such a video, I am not encouraging theft by any means, and although I may be the type that looks into the dark underground world a little too much, I wish to spread this information to help keep yourselves aware of your vulnerabilities.
I’ve been reading a lot of comments because I too became a bit concerned about the security of my own house after watching this video. There isn’t a solid solution to this, as the locksmith in the video said, “A $10 lock will protect you just as much as a $100 lock”. In Canada we may be able to breathe just a *little* bit better than other residents in other regions because it is illegal to own such a set of keys (not totally sure if these types of keys are outlawed in the US). However if you’re a thief, you probably wouldn’t give a crap about the laws anyway and find yourselves finding a set of these keys, or even a pick gun which works even better. However if you really have a real concern, you may want to look into purchasing better locks for your door which aren’t as easily bumpable. I’ve seen the brand Medeco appear many times. Based on their website, their locks were designed with bump keying in mind so it would be more difficult to pick those.
People have also expressed concerns if thieves did break into your home using this technique because it pretty much leaves no traces. If you’re really worried about getting no compensation from your insurance company because they said you probably left your door open, some people have commented that you should take a minute before you phone the cops to break open one of your windows. Personally if I lost something very valuable that could be replaced, I would probably do the same thing. It could be seen as a fraud if you do that (technically it is a felony), but you could also see it as a fraud that you’re paying big money to insurance companies to cover yourself and they won’t help you if you’ve honestly been robbed.
At the end of the day though, I think the best thing to do is just keep yourself aware and try to prepare yourself.
Related Links:
- Link to original Digg
- Bump Keying Instructions
- Medeco (Specializes in residential locks against bump keying)