Last Updated on May 13, 2024
Why Are Locks Easy to Pick? | Why Do People Release Lock Picking Information? | What Can I Do to Stop Lock Picking? | One Lock is Pickproof
We recently started our YouTube Channel where I discuss our favorite locks. Often we’re talking about the best locks for a specific targeted need.
For example, “What’s the best lock to stop lock bumping,” What’s the best padlock to just keep honest people honest,” etc…
We see a lot of comments about how a specific lock can be picked, “That lock can be picked using XYC….” or “So and so shows how to pick that lock.”
The reality is that nearly every lock can be picked and if not picked, bypassed using some other method. The secret to security is having locks that are extremely difficult to pick. There are plenty of pick-resistant locks. There is even one we know to be pick-proof and bypass-proof.
Why Can Nearly All Locks Be Picked or Bypassed?
It’s that dang internet. It’s not that locks are easier to pick, in fact, they’ve become much harder to pick. But with the internet information is more widely available now than ever before.
In our Lock Bumping video, we talked about how to open a lock using lock bumping. This technique was used by locksmiths for many years and practically no one knew of it. But with YouTube and other information being posted online, now anyone with $5 for a key and an internet connection can get everything they need to get into your home in just a few seconds (if you haven’t protected your home from this break-in technique).
There are YouTubers who make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year by creating videos showing people how to pick locks and bypass locks.
The LockPickingLawyer is one of the most popular. He will get a lock, tear it apart, figure out how to bypass it, and then post that information in a video for everyone to see. If you’ve got a lock, he likely has a video showing how to pick it.
When they can’t pick it, I’ve seen them create tools so that they can pick it! These products are designed to get past specific locks and/or lock brands. They then sell these tools, for a profit.
Why Do People Release Lock Picking Guides?
Depending on who you ask, you’ll get one of these three answers.
- Education. Even I have shown videos on how to pick locks or get into homes using a variety of techniques. Homeowners and business owners should know where their security flaws are. The main difference between what I, a licensed locksmith at ACME Locksmith, do and what others are doing is that in each video I release, I show the viewer how to STOP someone from using that technique to bypass their locks. This piece of information is so important. It is what separates those who put you at risk from those helping you solve a problem.
- To Drive Technology. Someone releasing these videos might say that they are pushing lock manufacturers to improve their locks and drive technology to create better security. I don’t really buy their argument though. Why? Because as soon as a new product is released to fix an existing issue, they get the new product, tear it down, and figure out how to pick or bypass the lock. So whatever jump in technology is made, money grabbers just figure out how to get passed it and then release that new information.
- Money. The prime motivation. There is a lot of money to be made on sites when you can achieve millions of followers. One site estimates the LockPickingLawyer can be making as much as $50,000 per month from his online lock-picking videos. And, though he may have one, I haven’t found a single video of him recommending products that are the best for a given application or price point. You need this information to make sure your locks are the best you can afford for your situation.
How to Stop Lock Picking and Bypassing
You can spend hundreds of dollars and not have a pick-proof lock.
Think about pick-prevention as a 90/10 rule. 90% of the locks out there today can easily be bypassed by someone with limited skills. It may be lock picking or it may be using a bypass tool or other technique to get past the lock.
The other 10% are locks that require a LOT of skill to pick or they are the locks that can’t be picked and require other types of effort to get past (drilling for example).
If you want locks that are in the 10%. Forget about buying anything you can get at a big box store. You need a locksmith and a specialty product or high-security lock.
Here are Locks That Can’t Be Easily Picked
For pick-resistant locks, you need high-security locks. We recommend several brands in our article Best door lock products.
Our favorite most-secure brand is by Mul-t-lock. Their interactive lock has been bypassed using a custom specialty tool and a few extremely practiced and skilled locksmiths, but both are VERY rare and require an extreme amount of practice and patience. Most professional locksmiths will work their entire lives practicing their skills and not be able to pick a Mul-t-lock.
You most likely won’t run into someone trying to get into your property that has experience with them either.
Your local locksmith may carry the Mul-t-lock product and that is the best place to get it since you’ll have a local source for the high-security keyway required, but you can also find Mul-t-lock priced extremely well on Amazon.
The Best Deadbolt Lock – A Truly Pick Proof Lock
There is one 100% pick-proof that is also bypass-proof. However, unless you have experience prepping doors for new locks, you will want to hire a local locksmith to install them.
Half deadbolts are the best deadbolts. They have NO keyhole on the outside of the lock. In fact, there is no indication from the outside of the door that a lock is even installed! Because of this, it is extremely bypass-resistant because there is no visible place for someone to attack the lock.
It is the best lock you can put on your home to stop lock picking.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.