Bump keying anyone?

[atgcpaul]

This weekend I was researching ways to remotely monitor my detached
garage/shop with webcams. Anyway, I stumbled on this article today on
CNN which then led me to read up a very easy and interesting way to pick
virtually any lock. Maybe I should just get a big dog. I'm actually curious
to see if I can do it.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/08/06/p....ap/index.html

http://www.toool.nl/bumping.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Uv45...rch=bump%20key



Paul

[Stormbringer]

This weekend I was researching ways to remotely monitor my detached
garage/shop with webcams.

Paul

Just curious. Did you find any?

[bmyers]

Oh man, that sux. Lucky I work from home.

My S&W works well for bumping bumpers..


Thanks for that...

Bill

[atgcpaul]

Just curious. Did you find any?

Not really. I was hoping to get a cheap webcam and hook up an extra PC with
wireless to monitor the shop remotely. Some webcams can be motion activated.
There are some wireless cameras but they either don't have good images past
10 feet or don't work well in low light. I haven't looked into X10 yet. Wireless
Internet cameras go from about $200+.

Anyway, this new house is wired for security inside the house. I may have the
shop added on, too. This'll require the least amount of thought on my
part.


Paul

[MilDoc]

Fascinating. Guess mean, fast dogs are the only better protection. Alarms hardly help - had a house broken into years ago. Alarm sounded. Still took the police 10 mins to get there and by that time thousands of $ in stuff gone.

[atgcpaul]

Fascinating. Guess mean, fast dogs are the only better protection. Alarms hardly help - had a house broken into years ago. Alarm sounded. Still took the police 10 mins to get there and by that time thousands of $ in stuff gone.

Well, I suppose one of the major points of the stories is that it's very hard to
prove that you've been burglarized because very little evidence of a break-in
occurs with a bump key. An alarm might at least help your case when you
need to file a claim with the insurance company. I still want to have some
kind of camera system. That's at least some kind of documentation. I guess
bite marks on the perpetrator's rear end would do, too.

Paul

[Stormbringer]

I like the sign my neighbor has:

"My Pitbull can make it from the yard to this fence in three seconds. Can you?"



Regards,
Greg

[kwgeorge]

I have 4 cameras around my house and they are hooked into a PCI card that I bought for this reason. I can monitor all 4 cameras on my computer at one time and can configure for motion activation and recording. The software will also send me an email with frame captures at work if one of the cameras becomes active. It has the ability to be remotely controlled and viewed via a web interface but I have not used that feature. The cameras were purchased at an electronics dealer and I picked up the video card with software at Frys for around $90.

One thing that I find interesting is the burglar knows they are there and just dresses appropriately and the local law enforcement is still unable to do anything even with the pictures and video of the entire event.

Ken

[just4funsies]

A cop friend of mine who knows that I play extensively with both swords and guns once asked which I would use if someone broke in. I explained that I would first use the sword, and then shoot the pieces...

Bottom line is that anyone who wants in your house can get in. The best defense is vigilance (and very nosy neighbors who will call the cops if your yardman shows up on the wrong day). A big, ugly, mean dog is good too, but comes with its own liabilities.

Stay safe, give 'em what they want without hesitation, and then kill 'em as they leave...

[Black wallnut]

I've been aware of a similar method for years. Locks only keep honest people out anyway so why worry about it! Two simple things you can do to lessen the risk is become best friends with your neighbors (be very visable in being a good neighbor!) and double lock all doors with both dead bolts and knob lock sets. Abundant exterior lighting should be simple enough to go without saying.

[Pappy]

Got a good combination.....

Little dog that barks at noises, big dog that greets in silence. Those are backed up by a woman that has a gun and scares easy...you don't to mess with the last line of defense!

[Jim Boyd]

Got a good combination.....

Little dog that barks at noises, big dog that greets in silence. Those are backed up by a woman that has a gun and scares easy...you don't to mess with the last line of defense!

[maxparot]

Locks I only need them to protect myself

Multiple security layers is the best defense.
First are locks they keep honest people honest.
Next are my 2 70 lbs dogs they make dishonest people worry
Third is the alarm system it alerts the police and maybe the neighbors.
Finnally if someone is foolish enough to select my home while I'm home, I'm ready willing and able to eliminate the need for society to deal with another criminal.
Thank goodness AZ has adopted the Castle Doctrine which presumes that a criminal commiting a felony would do you or your family bodily harm and allows you to use deadly force if they are armed. And to think that before adopting the castle doctrine the burden of proof would have been again the person protecting themself. Now it rests with the prosecution. Oh and for anyone that is interested a screwdriver is a deadly weapon so someone that is in the process of stealing your's is armed!

[Jeffrey Schronce]

An alarm might at least help your case when you
need to file a claim with the insurance company. Paul

The only burden you have is to report a theft the loss to the police. This is primarily for the purpose of getting the mechandise back in the hands of the rightful owner or back to the insurance company, in those rare cases where a recovery is actually made. An insurance contract is a contract of "utmost good faith" which means you promise to tell the truth and the insurance company promises to pay your claim.
You can leave your front door wide open by accident with no forced entry and coverage for theft would be provided. There is no exclusion for stupidity! LOL!

[scorrpio]

Like many media stints, that particular story is totally overblown - that is, in respect to the fact that 'any' lock is vulnerable.
And it is fudged, too. The real laughable part is the very end where a guy is holding 'a high security lock' that supposedly has pins on sides - he is holding a regular lock, there are no pin housings on sides. And here's the clincher: Look carefully at some 'bumpings'. After hitting the key a couple times, they turn the key one full turn and keep going - never mind the fact that pins would lock on a real bump key after one full turn. Also, at very end, a guy proceeds to casually wiggle the key back and forth afet 'bumping' - again - it should lock the moment key is in initial position. Bumping might work, but I am convinced that in this particular shot, all 'bumpings' were done with real keys.

Off the top of my head, I can think of a number of methods to kill this technique.
1. If principle is indeed of like those bouncing balls (hit first ball, only last one bounces) - so, use 3-part pins. Petween top and bottom sections, you got another loose section. You bump the lock, top portion bounces up, middle section stays put, just like with those balls. Sear line being between bottom and middle sections, lock stays locked.

2. Bump applies force in one direction only, really. Make a lock that has multiple pin rows not in same plane - then, you'd have to apply bump force in multiple directions at once.

3. Helical key. Key is not straight, but twisted - sort of like a spiral router bit. First pin is vertical, and others are angled so middle pin is horizontal, and last pin is essentially upside down. The key twists as it slides into lock. Not to mention that creating a key of that shape would require rather complex machinery.

And all three above techniques could even be combined. A helical key with multiple ridges and a 3-part pin lock. Bump away!
Ant then, there are also the non-mechanical means - like a chip imbedded in a key. Proper chip and proper key shape must be present for the lock to open.

Far as this insurance thing - really, if I come home to find it robbed, and lock is not damaged - well, so WHAT? Who would insure their home against theft if insurance companies would refuse claims saying it's homeowner's fault? If it were me staging the theft, I can always take a sledge hammer to the lock anyways. Really, a pro picking a lock will leave no traces anyway. And a would-be thief needs to get hold of my keys for just 1-2 seconds in order to nake an imprint. Or, he could just set up in a nearby parked car with a camera and a telephoto lens zoomed in on my lock from side, and catch the picture of my key as I am inserting it into the lock.

All that said, multiple security layers are good. Cameras, alarms, watchful neighborhood, guard dogs - anything that makes your house harder to rob than that of your neighbor's.