Whether it's home, business, or just assorted property, it's natural and logical to want to keep places we own safe. Most of us quite wisely go out of our way to ensure the security of our homes, taking precautions like installing full featured systems and plugging any weak spots we determine. But that often isn't enough. Only a professional locksmith knows the full extent of a weakness, and the best way to help ensure that it cannot be exploited. You could easily have any of these vulnerabilities and never even know it.
Lock Bumping Can Happen To Anyone Without High Security Locks
Lock bumping is one of the most recent innovations among criminals. It's a proven and very effective technique to gain entry to a home. The basic idea is that they use a screwdriver to "bump" the lock, pushing against it and rendering the mechanism fairly useless. It is faster and easier than traditional picking, which makes it tremendously dangerous. Plus, it might not overtly look like someone was doing something nefarious - onlookers might simply think the person was opening the door with a key.
The only known ways to combat bumping are either through high security locks, increased video security presence, or both. High security locks are designed not to have the slight structural weakness that allows bumping to work in the first place. They are virtually bump-proof by design. If you don't want to replace what you currently have, finding a way to better monitor what's going on is your best option. CCTV systems work well, especially if you publicize that you have one present. They can be quite a good deterrent, and if someone does try something, you'll likely have a record of it making them much easier to catch.
Too Many Keys Makes Too Great A Risk
Did you know that simply having a lot of keys around is a security hazard? Any locksmith will tell you that the more keys you have, the more likely it is that one or more of them will fall into the wrong hands. Even if you just distribute them among family in case of an emergency, how will they be stored? Most people won't put something used so little on their key ring. Instead, it is left loose to potentially fall out of a wallet or purse. Add to that the fact that many people mark spares with the name of the person who owns it, or even with the address, and you have a recipe for a breach.
If there are already many copies floating around, the only way to remedy the situation is by installing something totally new. It is usually too much work to individually reclaim each key, and you don't want to insult the people you gave them to in the first place. However, re-installing every lock in your home does the job quite nicely. In addition, high security options can help add to your overall safety profile.
Old Systems Are Vulnerable Systems
Over time, anything metal tends to wear down and grow less effective. The same is true of security systems, which have the added problem of criminals innovating against them. An example of this is bumping: it didn't exist a few years ago, and those older designs just aren't equipped to handle it.
However, that isn't the only danger that comes from having outdated technology protecting you. There are many other problems with it. The fix is easy: simply replace what you have with something more current.
A lot of homeowners and businesspeople never know these conditions put them at risk until it is too late. Protect yourself in advance with knowledge and timely intervention.
Affordable Locksmith combines experience, customer service, and advanced knowledge to provide better security for customers throughout Florida. From high security locks to security analysis and more, Affordable Locksmith delivers.
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