Using
Digital Door Locks
If
you are looking into digital door locks, you will soon find that there are ample
reasons why they are beneficial.
First and foremost, digital door locks provide you with a high level of
safety that is not provided by typical locks and alarms. This article will explore some of the
reasons why digital door locks are gaining fast in
popularity.
Digital
Door Locks Prevent Keys from Being Copied
First
of all, with digital door locks, no keys can be copied. With regular keys, it is all too easy
for someone to quickly make a copy of your key. After all, anyone with access to your
key could simply take it to a hardware store and have it copied. It only takes a few minutes for a copy
of a key to be made.
Unfortunately,
it is all too easy for anyone to copy keys these days. Even people with no experience can do
so. If you doubt this fact, just do
a quick search of the terms “copy keys” on youtube. You will quickly see that there is a
wide array of videos that demonstrate to potential thieves how they can make
copies of keys. There are even
videos that demonstrate how to copy keys in just seconds. The bottom line is that if you lose your
keys, someone can copy them without too much trouble.
Who
Has Access to Your Keys?
Plus,
of course, with regular keys, there are always other people who might already
have access to copies of your keys.
When you start thinking of all the various parties who have access to
your keys, you can quickly start to feel very unsafe. For example, there are previous tenants
who may have lived in your current residence. Also many people have ex-sharemates who
might still have their copy of the key they once used. Keep in mind that even if they returned
the keys to the landlord, they could have always easily made copies. Further, when you go to a locksmith, he
can easily make copies of your keys as well.
Replacing
Locks Can Add Up in Cost
When
you lose your keys or if you suspect that someone has made copies, the only safe
measure to take is to completely replace your lock. However, the cost of replacing locks is
surprisingly high. For example, in Australia, the average cost for calling a
locksmith to replace door locks is $250.
Obviously, if this were to happen more than once, the costs would add up
quickly.
The
Safety of Digital Door Locks
With
digital door locks, the keys cannot be copied. If you lose your smart card or key tag,
a thief won’t be able to make copies.
Further, even if a thief were to arrive at your door, he wouldn’t be able
to get past your unique keycode on your digital door locks. The sad fact is that there is a great
deal of crime in today’s world.
However, with digital door locks, you and your family can be protected.
Bump
Keys and Why They Necessitate Digital Door Locks
Many
people have never heard of the term “bump keys.” However, this term is something
that you should be familiar with.
Unfortunately, bump keys pose a serious risk to your safety and that of
your family as well.
As
it turns out, a bump key will allow an intruder to enter anyone’s home with just
a single key. As more homeowners
are finding out about the dangers of bump keys, they are increasingly turning to
safer alternatives like digital door locks.
The
name “bump key” was first used in the 1920’s. In fact, a patent on the bump key was
filed in 1928. In about 2004,
European communities rediscovered this easy way to open locks. In recent years, these keys have been
getting more and more attention. In
2006, an American Security expert named Marc Tobias began speaking about how
these keys work and their threat to personal security.
How
Do Bump Keys Work?
A
typical lock is made up of stacks that are spring loaded. They are called pin stacks and are made
from the key pin and the driver pin.
When your key is inserted into your door, the key pins and driver pins
align. The result of this is that
the cylinder turns and your door opens.
When the wrong key is inserted into the door, of course, your door won’t
open because the pins are not aligned.
However,
bump keys override the typical way in which door locks work. First, the key is
put into the door one notch short of total insertion. The user then can bump the fake
key inwards. The bump key has teeth
that are specially designed to provide an impact to the pins that are on the
bottom of the lock. This
motion causes the driver pins to “jump” due to the elastic motion. During this separation, the cylinder
will turn and the lock can be violated.
As soon as most people realize how easily bump keys can open a locked
door, they immediately become interested in digital door locks.
Why
Digital Door Locks are the Solution
The
sad truth is that anyone can easily make a bump key if they know what they are
doing. Any regular key can be
quickly filed down in such a way that a bump key is created in just about 30
minutes. Once a bump key is in the
hands of a criminal, he can have total access to your home.
Today,
many people are installing both video intercoms and digital door locks for an
extra safety precautionary measure.
With digital door locks, you have a completely permission based system
that works through the means of a code, a smart card, or a touch key. If you are looking for a way to prevent
against potential thieves with bump keys, digital door locks are the answer.
