Blog for Door Knobs

Kwikset and Weiser locks have been sporting “Smart Key” technology since 2009. This innovative new design makes locks more secure and easier to key yourslef without removing the lock from the door. In 2011 Schlage introduces the similar “SecureKey” technology. The easy re-keying technology of both of these systems has obvious convienience advantages. However, the big breakthrough is the increased security they both provide. You might think that easy re-keying means easy to defeat. Actually, the opposite is true.

Traditional lock cylinders utilize a variated spring loaded pin design where each pins length corresponds to the “cuts” on a key. Larger cuts on a key accommodate longer internal  pins and shorter ones to shorter pins, with the pins each being spring loaded. This traditional cylinder design has been utilized by Kwikset, Baldwin, Schlage, Weslock, Emtek, Nostalgic Warehouse, Omnia and many othersfor nearly 100 years.

Burglars have found a way to exploit this design by “bumping” the lock to gain entry. A specially cut key is inserted into the cylinder and the key is systematically “bumped” (lightly struck by a small blunt instrument like a screwdriver) causing the pins to retract against the springs and allowing the key to turn in the lock and open the door. Demonstration videos of this technique populate the web. Kwikset and Wesier Smart Key defeats bumping making their locks safer than others. Most Kwikset and Schlage keyed products offered at www.DoorKnobDiscountCenter.com come with the new, more secure technology.

Tags: bump guard, Bumping, dead bolt, deadbolt, kwikset, lock bumping, lock picking, re-key, rekey, Schlage, SecureKey, smart key, smartkey

This entry was posted on Friday, March 25th, 2011 at 4:41 am and is filed under Security Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.