Are they as easy as they look?

Yes, when they work. I have A LOT of years picking and defeating locks, I've even competed (yes, national and international groups exist), and own a side business that caters to the sport lock picking industry. Bump keys work 50% of the time with practice and they work fast when they work.

What do you think of them?

I think they're neat-o-keen. The theory is the same as lock pick guns.

Should we get a set, and if so which ones?

They're worth playing with. You'll get the best prices on ebay.

How can we protect against them?

There are bump-proof locks that were created to beat them. Basically, the spring pins are all of a different toughness.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or advice !

Learn to pick locks. A good set of picks will work more often than a bump key and lock picking will work on locks that you don't have the right bump key for. I can pick hundreds of different key profiles. Bump key sets usually come in no more than a couple of dozen.

 

Thanks MaintenanceGuy for the thorough response !
I find it fascinating and scary all at the same time. We're really not locked up then when we lock our front door and go out for the day.
When I think of all of the money I've spent over the years on locks and locksmiths.......
I'm going to investigate the actual lock pick sets/method as you describe. Eh, it'll keep me from being bored for a while that's for sure.
And I can definitely see a use for this skill in a SHTF scenario too.

 

The most important thing to know about locks is that locks only keep honest people out.

 

Yea, I had heard that expression before, but I never knew how easy it was to open lock with a bump key until I watch a couple of you tubes.
They opened a locked door as fast as I do with the right key!
I'm glad I have two large dogs to help out
I'll be looking into bump proof locks now...
The least I can do is make a burglar work a bit I hope, I do have a bar across one door so it can't be kicked in as easily.
Thanks again

 

agree with maintenanceguy a good pick gun,and a nice decent set of picks. rainy afternoon entertainment!

 

A foot and a shotgun are all you need to get thru most doors, If im going thru a locked door I'm not going to be worried about a lock.

 

You forgot OPSEC.

 

It's probably a good skill to know.
However, lock picking tools possessed by someone who is not a locksmith or a non-professional are considered burglar tools by law enforcement.

 

Check your local and state laws. They are not illegal to own in my state.

There is a law prohibiting the possession of burglar tools, but you would have to be charged with burglary in order to be charged with possession of burglar tools when it comes to legal tools to own.

In my experience as a security professional for many years, it is very rare for a criminal to pick a lock. Almost non existent.

Az

 

About 8 years ago I saw a youtube on how to make a simple lock pick and tensioner from and old wiper blade. I tried it out and being a complete novice opened the kwikset door to my house faster than with the key.

I recently replaced the contractor grade Kwiksets with Schlage hi security locks.
At least they will have to try a bit to open those.

LOL
Just did a search on the locks I bought. Takes this guy about a second to pick it. Also reveals the misleading advertizing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOkOF9BI9pY

 

It will cost some money, but you can get some locks that are difficult to pick. Medeco locks are the industry standard for commercial applications and they have several pick proof locks, as well as a proprietary keyway that requires keys that they control. It makes it very difficult for someone to make a copy of your key when you're not in control of it.

I use a Simplex mechanical combination lock on my front door. No keys required, it's easy to change the combination so I can give it to someone to get in and change it when they're gone. Pickproof since it has no keyhole. It's great if you have kids because you don't have to worry about them losing keys and the subsequent security issues from where those keys have gone. They're also handy for walking the dog, jogging, etc so you don't even need to take keys with you.

But these are all substantially more expensive than your contractor grade Quickset and Schlage locksets.

Az

 

Bump keys "work" but they do take a little skill and practice. They only work if the bump key fits the keyway in use, so you'd have to carry multiple, even if you go with the five main keyways in the US that's five keys you are carrying. They DO NOT work on every kind of lock and even with skill on a lock they should work on they can be finicky and not open that lock. They do damage the lock if you have not set them up with a buffer and they are the easiest thing used to notice outside of impressioning due to the marks they leave. There a decent tool to keep around and use but the truth be told if you can bump it you can rake it with a pick set. Tension wrench and a diamond is all you need for any lock you can bump and that alleviates the need for multiple bump keys. I've got a set in my kit but I've never used them outside of training someone howt o use them. A pick gun works a lot better, but it is loud, can damage a lock beyond being able to be opened if you do it wrong.

All that said they are a fad in the lockpicking community and usually anytime they are mentioned is about thieves and the passing fad a few years back that every little crook thought they could use them. Really helped the lock industry sell some "bump proof" locks due to the scare.

 

There are two main ways of getting thru a door with out the key. The first is to defeat the lock and the 2nd is defeat the clasp. It is much easier to defeat the clasp then to defeat the lock. picking a lock takes time when I can use a credit card and get thru anything but a dead bolt. I am not going to fumble with a set of picks when I can shim the clasp or I can take a screwdriver and take off the hinges if the door opens out. If I have to be subtle then things have not gotten bad enough for me to have to illegally enter a place.

 

A lot of commercial lockets are dead latch. This means they operate like a dead bolt and can't be pushed back with a credit card.

But I always recommend dead bolts for all exterior doors and interior doors that need to be secure.

Az

 

if you are being pursued, it can be helpful to be able to get inside a place, without showing signs of forced entry. there are several other applications, too. I favor the lockpick "gun" myself. slowpicking is a lot more of a pita than I am willing to undergo.

 

My son was telling me about bump keys. How there are these keys that can supposedly be used to open any locked door.

Is this true? What can be done to protect against this?

 

What can be done to protect against this?

...and...

I can almost 100% promise a sound nights sleep no matter what keys are floating around...

EB

 

I had no idea what a bump key was so I went and looked it up. Found these little tidbits on the wiki site.

"Time locks, combination locks, electronic locks, magnetic locks, and locks using rotating disks, such as disc tumbler locks, are inherently invulnerable to this attack, since their mechanism does not contain springs. However, some electronic locks feature a key backup that is susceptible to bumping. Warded locks are not vulnerable to bumping, but they are vulnerable to a similar attack called a skeleton key, which is also a filed-down key.

Changing the spring tension can help reduce bumping. A few sources inside the industry offer stronger top springs for conventional pinned locks. changing one or two top springs to a firmer spring changes the ricochet tuning of the top pins. making it hard to bump."

 

It is true that bump keys can be used to momentarily line the pins up in a lock and open it. Many of the locks on the market these days come with the option of, or come standard with a bump guard design to protect against lock bumping techniques.

As far as I know, there is no way to modify a current lock to protect against bumping. I have since changed all of the locks in my house to the "bump proof" design with the exception of the storage shed which has a specialty handle with no bump proof option. That is however alarmed.

The locksmith that keyed all of my locks alike for exterior doors confirmed with me that the new lock designs make it more difficult to pick and bump but not impossible. He also advised me against "Smart Key" technology as the reset tool is common, not illegal to possess, and makes the locks quickly defeat-able by damaging the reset mechanism.

 

Here's my bump key...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halligan_bar

 

i just made something out of a 1"x2", drilled a few holes and ready to go tonight.

 

What's on the the other side of the door is NOT worth the life of a person trying to use that bump key. :headshake:

 

Yes, lock bumping is a serious issue, mainly because it leaves no trace that entry was gained. There are plenty of videos that demonstrate how and how quickly it can be done.

Short of installing new locks that are bump proof and/or a security system, there isn't much that you can do.

 

I did electronic entry codes with the deadbolt key hole blocked off. Only way in is entering of code. All my exterior doors (2) have them. The door from garage is electronic with the key passage in case battery dies in others, but you gotta go thru fido in the yard/garage to get int there. If you pass the big fido my chihuahuas will be barking like nuts and I will gladly meet you with a 12 gauge as you open the door.

 

These days all locks can be defeated including the electronic high security locks.

Just assume your locks can be defeated and do your planning with that assumption.

http://www.wired.com/2009/08/electronic-locks-defeated/

 

Battery back-up, straight to internet/cloud, motion triggered concealed cameras.

Won't keep anyone out, but puts their face up on the evening news (the local news loves "caught in the act" video - an instant story) so that LEO's get the guy quick and maximizes the chance to get your stuff back.

That said, new (and more expensive) locks are more bump-resistant. Ask yourself, however, if someone kicked in your door would anyone hear/respond? If not, protecting against bumps are pointless. Kicking in the door is still the method criminals use most often.

 

Can see where these alarms that are placed over the door knob could be handy.

 

Deadbolts and bars on the door work. Quick, ugly but effective, and if breached provide plenty of time to have the shotgun positioned at head level

 

There are locks that are bump proof.
Here's a good video on bump keys and how to avoid them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpH_t0u5Ybg

 

I have a device on the front and side doors called a secure-a-lock which secures to the door knob and the deadbolt to keep the deadbolt from moving. Even if they bump the locks the deadbolt can not be retracted so they will have tokick the door down to get in, giving me a few seconds to meet them with my welcoming party of 16.