Anyone buying a padlock they hope will actually protect anything really needs to research the vulnerabilities of the locks to various attacks. Almost none you casually come across in the store, no matter how formidable in appearance, or bombastic in their claims, are “secure”.

+1
https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/dont-buy-this-lock.149804/

 

+1
https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/dont-buy-this-lock.149804/

I have yet to find a "smart lock" that is useful for anything where a real lock is needed. First, they all stink as locks, and have various mechanical vulnerabilities. Second, technologically, they are crappy, and while there are a couple with decent designs, most are just trying to be able to say they are "smart" so put fingerprint sensors, BLE, WiFi, or whatever into the design.

All locks are RATE LIMITERS, eventually they can all be compromised, the better the lock the longer it resists. "Smart locks" are among the very worst, almost universally.

Here's the real truth: you can't make anything "tamper proof", you can make it tamper resistant and/or often more importantly tamper evident. Locks are to "keep honest people honest" and to make dishonest people think twice or get caught.

 

and to make dishonest people think twice or get caught.

... and to at least make them do a fair amount of hard work for their mischief ...

 

Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn sometimes...
Alberta man opens safe in Vermilion museum on first try after it was locked for 40 years

https://globalnews.ca/news/5364175/alberta-man-safe-vermilion-museum-locked-for-40-years/

 

... and to at least make them do a fair amount of hard work for their mischief ...

Well, what I didn't add is that physical security is only one part of a security strategy. Since we know it is only rate limiting, it has to be something that allows the time to react to he attempts to compromise the lock.

 

Here's the real truth: you can't make anything "tamper proof", you can make it tamper resistant and/or often more importantly tamper evident. Locks are to "keep honest people honest" and to make dishonest people think twice or get caught.

We once had a very secure military safe (with another safe welded inside the first safe) that contained nuclear launch targeting information. It was under two man control so I had the combo to the outer safe and the other senior guy had the inner safe combo using decoded keys from a nuclear launch EAM. The first thing we were told was the safes were all for show. The real security was the group of Marines with loaded guns with orders to shoot any one person who had the code instead of the required two people.

 

EAM...

SKYKING SKYKING DO NOT ANSWER...

I miss Big Ear.

 

EAM...

SKYKING SKYKING DO NOT ANSWER...

I miss Big Ear.

All of that was mainly for the Cold War security strategy show with the USSR. We never even received actual test messages via that system. Surprise exercises used the GENSER regular autodin message networks.
genser

actual test messages: EAM traffic that has valid authenticators to test launch procedures.

 

I have one lock that is pretty commonly known as unpickable at least by the local locksmiths, the Swiss locks used on Vidmar cabinets.

 

I started dabbling with locks and wiring when I lost my key to my motorbike at work (never found it)
I have only made my own poorly constructed picks and tension tool, but after all this chatter am considering upgrading and honing my skills
I've tried picking the locks on the inside and outside of my house, but have been unsuccessful.

 

Skip around to the lock picking clips.

Defeating Locks in movies.

 

Defeating Locks in movies.

That would be a result of poor installation on that style of lock, They forgot to install the security insert and latch!

 

I have one lock that is pretty commonly known as unpickable at least by the local locksmiths, the Swiss locks used on Vidmar cabinets.

That’s a slider lock. Far from unpickable if you know the methods. It’s not a tumbler lock, so it has to be done differently, but it’s pretty much the same idea with slightly different tools.

 

That would be a result of poor installation on that style of lock, They forgot to install the security insert and latch!

It's on a single-wide trailer. The big bad wolf would only need to whistle to open it.

This also works when noise is not a problem.

 

I started dabbling with locks and wiring when I lost my key to my motorbike at work (never found it)
I have only made my own poorly constructed picks and tension tool, but after all this chatter am considering upgrading and honing my skills
I've tried picking the locks on the inside and outside of my house, but have been unsuccessful.

YouTube. There are many good channels but Lock Picking Lawyer and Bosnian Bill will keep you busy for a long time.

 

It's on a single-wide trailer. The big bad wolf would only need to whistle to open it.

This also works when noise is not a problem.
View attachment 191642

Well, of course, it’s movie nonsense, but, it wouldn’t be possible to do for a variety of reasons including the intense recoil it would cause to his hand even if the other problems didn’t exist (and they do, such as the latch being physically in the way of the cylinder and the thumb turn being a separate piece).

Look at it this way, even if he swung a hammer with the right diameter as hard as he could at the cylinder face, he couldn’t do anything like it so the energy that supposedly comes from the cylinder would blast his hand way from the lock with great force.

I know it‘s a movie, but it’s silly. It’s a destructive entRyan anyway, just kick the door or spread the jam.

 

I have recently gotten a bit more serious about building my lockpicking and locksmithing skills, dropping some cash on some better picks and a few practice locks (American 1100s and a could of Abus).

Anyone here interested in locks, manipulation, theory, and repair?

I was a locksmith, and still have all my equipment. If you want more information PM me.

 

@Yaakov only experience I have with _locksmithing_ had 2 do with tension wrenches and picks kludged from shed street sweeper brush bristles! But since it almost got me stint in __juvy hall_ I totally swore off

 

I do it when I have to. Besides physical locks I sometimes have to do computer ones.