A "message" from Message - Lock Bumping
You may want to think twice about the locks that protect your home. Many news outlets are now reporting there is a simple technique to pop open a lock called bumping. It has been getting so much attention, even licensed locksmiths have decided it is time to talk about it, and show you how to stop it.
What is "Lock Bumping"
It's a method of very quickly popping open a lock... It sort of opens eyes and drops jaws when people see it being done.
The only thing needed was a bump key, which is just a regular key, cut a certain way, something to hit the key with and a little practice.
The fact that it's so easily done, and perhaps done by someone without skill, is the threat people worry about.
A group in the Netherlands called the The Open Organization of Lockpickers or TOOOL, has blown the lid off this lock busting technique.
It's all over the internet with detailed diagrams and even web videos. And bump keys aren't hard to get.
Post office boxes are the most at risk. It's pretty serious, especially when you consider that more than five million post office box locks can be bumped open in the same fashion, which is perfect for identity thieves. Most hardware store locks are easily bumped, but there are bump-resistant locks out there.
The cost of a pick-resistant or bump-resistant cylinder is more than a conventional lock cylinder that you're going to buy at a home center.
The only way to combat the problem is by acknowledging that it exists.
It's only by publicly discussing, not keeping knowledge in closed circles, by publicly discussing security flaws that the average John and Joe Public can arm themselves against knowledge that certain criminals may already have.
It's not clear how often locks are bumped, because it's usually untraceable. The best way to arm yourself is to get a bump-resistant lock.
There is a video report on YouTube. "Click here" to view it.
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Hugh Message - www.HughMessage.com
Macdonald Realty 1st Pioneer
22424 Fraser Highway, Langley, BC V3A 8N3