Locksmithing Blog

Followers of this blog will probably recall our whitepaper on combination padlocks, and the mention of the mechanical keysafes available, especially the poor security of some of them.

Today I received another keysafe. This unit is branded Asec, and also some are branded Burton. At first glance, it looks like the high security Supra keysafe unit, but with a rounded base. Retailing for about half the price, this unit is clearly a direct copy, but made in China rather than the USA. The code setting is nearly the same, the code entry, opening and reset are the same, as is the rubber weather cover design. Even the mounting holes are exactly the same, barring one additional one.

All they left out was the security!

This cheap Chinese copy can be opened without a trace in seconds, with barely any practise. It is, almost unbelievably, easier to open than the Sterling keysafe, itself an insecure joke. And, should someone be inept enough to be unable to open it, they can fairly easily prise it from the wall, due to the 2 rawlplug fixings.

Please, save yourself a fortune in insurance rises and/or the nightmare of an insurance non-payout, and don’t buy this cheap copy keysafe.

Discreet Security *only* recommend and install the genuine Supra/GE keysafe range seen at http://www.keysafe.co.uk/ . Don’t be a fool.

Discreet Security now has both the skills and equipment to repair all your uPVC “plastic” doors and windows, from failed or jamming locks and locking strips, right through re-glazing a failed unit, to repairing both structural and cosmetic damage to both white and wood-effect PVCu windows and doors.

Repairing a frame made of unplasticised PolyVinylChloride, which is the “white plastic” door and window (and, increasingly, barge boards, soffits, fascias and gable ends) seen on many houses build or remodelled in the last 30 or so years, is now possible, with repairs from just £50 for minor repairs, up to around £200 for major work*. While £200 might sound like a lot, it is still less than half the cost of replacing the entire door!

The Konig repairs system is ideal for the repair of crowbar damage, drill holes, even large cracks and the sometimes brutal holes left by the un-sophisticated 2-day course locksmiths. Rather than being forced to buy an entire new uPVC unit, you could get it repaired by us for rather less. And the results are, in skilled hands, mind-blowing, with even large damages flawlessly repaired.

Repairs are also possible to the “woodgrain” finished PVC systems, those that look like wood but are uPVC underneath. Damage to these normally shows through the skin to reveal the white material underneath. Again in skilled hands the results are amazing, with the repair visible only under the closest scrutiny.

*The most extreme example we have seen was a double door that was hit by a reversing builders lorry, which shattered the entire base and both doors. This was fully repaired and the glazed units replaced, for around £500. The replacement costs for these newly fitted units in the brand new house were over £2000!

Last week I went on a training day hosted in London at Alridges, a specialist lock and hardware suppliers, to learn the in’s and out’s of the Austrian company EVVAs range of locks.

The range of products available are second-to-none, and we (6 ICL members) all got to play with the very highest security locks currently available for the average door. We were treated to a tour of the premises, as well as some freebies, but the high point was getting to play with, and re-pin, the newer high security systems such as the DPI, DPX, EPS, EPX, Dual, 3KS+ and MCS EVVA locks.

Believe me when I say that these are locks that few would enjoy having to get past, and at the moment, a lock such as the Dual, with 12 sliders and two sidebars, anti-bump, anti-snap, drill resistant, pick-proof and so on, gives you complete assurance that your door has not been compromised. The 3KS system, which stands for “3 Curves System” is an amazingly beautiful yet simple and robust system, which seemingly owes much to the artisan - even the keys are works of art!

Even large suites of mastered cylinders can be had, across a wide range of profiles, such as Scandanavian, Euro, Oval, rim cylinder and mortice, even padlocks, allowing the widest range of flexibility and ease of use immaginable in a high security mechanical key system. If you are interested in any of these high end locks, which are available with clever features such as master keying, suited operation, over-rides, classroom locks (which can only be locked with the key, and unlocked with the inside handle) and many other bright ideas, please drop us a line.

There have been many people who have reviewed and tested safe combination locks, including large organisations such as Underwriters Labatory and the British Standards Institute. It is the same with door locks, and insurance grade keyed padlocks. However, when I was recently asked to provide a secure combination lock for a set of factory gates, there was nowhere to turn to.

After buying and testing several combination padlocks, I decided to publish my notes, and at that point, I decided that it would be worth testing some of the lower end locks too.

If you use any of the locks given a poor score, you should probably think about upgrading them if your security is important to you. The advice for opening them is limited to very basic manipulation, the kind of thing that most people could work out in a few minutes if they were so inclined. No fancy tools are needed.

I am releasing the paper as “linkware” - you may have a personal or business copy, in exchange for a link back to here. If you are a locksmith, and would be interested in a full copy of this paper, please leave a comment with your website details, and, please link to this site. I will verify it and send you a full copy of the paper to your registered email address, which contains the manipulation process for each of the locks featured. Feedback, as ever, is welcome.

combo-padlock-white-paper-public

Seems there are a few rogue locksmiths running around down near Essex and London, and by charging over £200 a time to open simple - no, trivial - locks to gain entry for lock-outs, they got picked up and set up by Rogue Traders. You can watch the action at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00fztby/b00fzl3c/Rogue_Traders_Series_7_Emergency_Call_Out/ and trust me, it is worth it!

There are at least 4 ways to open that door without damage to the door or the lock, 5 if you include smashing the window. Don’t get me wrong, there are some locks that look like the two featured locks that are quite hard to open, and sometimes you will get one that for whatever reason will not play, but in the last 100 doors I’ve opened of that style, I haven’t had to drill a single one.

I can honestly say I’ve never charged more than half what either of the featured Rogue Traders for opening a door. And, don’t forget, if I did drill your lock, I’d be replacing it free, under the ICL guarantee.

(Locksmiths who cannot pick a simple lock are, however, not as scary as the fake CORGI gasmen, though. At least with the locks it was just money, and not money and your life at risk when it turns out they are cowboys.)

The new British Standards require you to have higher security on your doors of your home for your insurance to be valid, as the bolt throw increased from 14mm to 20mm a few years ago, and with the recent economic downturn and subsequently increased burglary rate, especially of commercial property, many locksmiths are reporting a surge in work.

Things like good locks and having the keys for your window locks add to your peace of mind. On commercial property, things such as steel grilles over windows and steel plates over doors are frequently a requirement, as are anti-ram bollards.

Please call us to arrange a security survey, with no obligation. A professional eye will help ensure that you are as safe as you feel you should be.

I helped in the execution of a warrant yesterday, one where the previous attempt to get in had left the lock butchered and inoperable after about 2 hours without access being gained, and two pretty big holes through it. I spent some time working on this one to open it and sort it out, before replacing the lock and fixing the handle. (Click the images for the larger versions.)

Once inside the alarm tripped. And that brings me to the real subject of this post.

I silenced the alarm within 20 seconds. I used most of the time the trigger gave the normal user to punch in the code to insert my ear plugs, and still had it quiet within 10 seconds of the sounders going off. It wasn’t some amazing magic trick, nor anything destructive. Take a look at the alarm panel, and see if you, too, can work out the code digits. (Again, you can click on the image for a larger version, but you might not need to!)

I figured that 4, 6 and 0 figured in the code, and since most codes are 4 digits, the fourth try turned it off. Not really rocket science on this one!

If you get into the habit of changing your alarm code every time you notice the digits you are using are starting to wear or get dirty, then you will effectively stop this trick cold. And, if you have an alarm or safe that are insurance rated, you should get your codes changed every 6 months regardless, to comply with the insurance requirements.

Discreet Security Solutions offers this service, along with many other locksmithing and security related services. We will probably find security issues you weren’t even aware of, but that could be exploited to leave you and your business or home in a far worse state than when you locked the door and went on your way. And, normally, there are low-tech, low-cost solutions to your security problem. Give us a call on 0845 355 0945 or drop us a line today.

New regulations to clamp down on unfair trading

This is great news, and will help put a lot of the rogue traders out of business. And there are few places with more cowboys than the “Driller Killer” locksmiths, whose work I am so frequently seeing. Even some of the large locksmithing organisations support drilling as the first resort, as they see the profits of their members as being more important than offering value for money. The ICL are different - we replace your lock for free if we destroy it (as long as it was working beforehand) so that quote won’t suddenly be “and another £40 for the new lock”.

Details:

On 26 May, new regulations affecting all UK businesses that trade with consumers are set to come into force, if they are approved by Parliament.
The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations will protect honest businesses by targeting the underhand practices of ‘rogue traders’.
The new regulations will ban 31 types of unfair commercial practices outright. They will also establish a general principle not to trade unfairly, use aggressive selling techniques or mislead consumers, helping to close loopholes that have previously been exploited.
For more information on the new Consumer Protection Regulations, please visit the following website:
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/unfairtrading

If you haven’t heard of the line of keysafes from Supra™ then click on the link just there.

Seriously, Discreet Security Solutions is now an accredited installer for Supra keysafes, a task which we fulfil with our high levels of care and no little pride. Over one and a half million of these keysafes have been sold in the UK since they were introduced, and they keep safe hundreds of thousands of people’s keys. In the event of an emergency, say a fall or a fire, those attending can quickly gain entry without damage.

Of course, even if you are not a typically vulnerable person, one of these mini-safes will save you the cost of a call-out should you lose your keys. We don’t charge quite as much for a call-out as one of these safes costs, but then it won’t take you as long as it takes us to get to the scene and help you get in! And, of course, should you call some other locksmith, who can say how high your bill might turn out to be?

If you live in the Discreet Security catchment area, give Supra a ring, and just a few days later you get to meet me (most likely) and we will get your spare keys locked up securely, somewhere more useful and more secure than your bedside or kitchen drawer!

Regards,

Nigel the locksmith

A site I frequent, Lockpicking101.com, recently had a small competition, wherein one member challenged the rest to find out his first name, for prizes based on the time it took. He doesn’t use his firstname, and goes by his second name at all times, even on legal stuff.

So a lot of people started trawlling through the 1500+ posts he had made on the board, and the like. However, the challenge post included his place of work. But you could hardly just call him up and ask him his first name, though, could you? The challenge was only 2 hours old, and he’d never fall for that.

You could. Listen to this.