From Lock Pickers to Safe Crackers - How to Prevent Theft

FROM LOCK PICKERS TO SAFE CRACKERS HOW TO PREVENT THEFT Theft can happen at any moment, and in the United States, the vast majority of stolen goods is due to easily picked locks. Here's how it's done, and what to do to avoid it. THE TOOLS OF A LOCK PICKER • A. TORSION WRENCH B. HALF DIAMOND PICK The most commonly used tool is also called a tension wrench, and is used to apply torque inside the plug of a lock. The other most common pick is found in all basic picking kits. Is mainly used for picking individual pins. This works to hold the picked pins in place. Is about 0.1 to 0.5 inches long. After the pins have been picked, the wrench then turns the plug and opens the lock, Each end of the triangular half diamond shaped pick will either be angled steep or shallow. Typically, the wrench is shaped like the letter "L" C. HOOK PICK D. RAKE PICK Similar to the half diamond pick, although the tip is shaped like a hook and not a diamond, This type of pick works by raking the pins, sliding past all the pins rapidly and repeatedly until they fall in line. Occasionally called "a feeler" or "a finger." This pick requires less skill than individually picking pins, but tends to only work on cheaper locks. This is all a professional needs to pick a lock. E. WARDED PICK F. THERMAL LANCE Also known as a skeleton key, it is used for opening warded locks. Works by heating and melting iron by incorporating pressurized oxygen, in order to create very high temperatures needed for cutting. The pick is made to resemble the general shape of an actual key. The lance comprises of a long iron tube packed with iron rods. This simplified shape makes it easy to do internal manipulations. One end of the tube is stuck in a holder and oxygen is fed through the tube. The maximum temperature may reach 4,770 K (4,500 °C). The device is often used in movies to cut a hole into a vault or a safe, and although it is plausible, it is also deemed impractical. FAMOUS SAFE-CRACKINGS • ROY WATTERS Watters is well known for being an expert safe cracker - and a law abiding one at that, using his skills only for good. During his career, he's successfully cracked 15,000 - 20,000 safes and vaults. This year, he finished second in the international Safe and Vault Technicians Association's Harry C. Miller Manipulation Contest. Recently, he was flown to Harrah's Lake Tahoe casino to attempt to open a mystery safe hidden in a secret room - something which 5 previous crackers could not do. BAKER STREET ROBBERY Back in September 1971, robbers broke into the vault of Llyods Bank on Baker Street, London. SAC They managed this by tunnelling 50ft underground from the shop next door. -50ft- Their final haul was believed to be Initially they tried using a thermal lance to break into the vault, but had to use explosives instead. £3m (or £33.1m in 2010) CREDIT LYONNAIS PARIS BURGLARS In March 2010, burglars broke into this high profile Paris bank and emptied over 100 of its safety deposit boxes. The criminals tunnelled in from the bank's neighbor. They used a thermal lance to cut a small hole in the vault big enough to They then set fire to the premises in an attempt to eliminate any evidence. enter. THE STATS OF BREAK-INS IN THE US • HOMES 2,000,000 home burglaries are reported each year in the United States. Homes without security systems are up to 34%. 70 of thieves break in through the 300% more likely to be broken into. front door. 23% 22% use a ground-floor window, use the back door. In 2011, Americans reported $4.8 BILLION in stolen property. The average loss per break-in: $1,675. in stolen property. STORAGE UNITS .18.2% of storage unit facilities reported break-ins. 2010 In 2010, Since then, major preventative measures have been taken to reduce this number. Most storage units have 24/7 security and surveillance as well as many other means of ensuring the safety of your possessions. In addition, the use of locks that are less easy to crack have increased the safety of these units. 2012 In 2012, the number of units reporting break-ins was only %. Compared to the number of home invasions a the US, this makes storage units far safer to store valuables. TAKING PREVENTATIVE MEASURES THE LEAST SAFE LOCKS OUT THERE Easily the least safe method to keep your bike safe. 30 The typical combination lock can be cracked in 30 SECONDS by a novice. A simple online search will give you dozens of tutorials on how to crack your own bike lock. లో ల లో లో లోల STANDARD BICYCLE COMBINATION LOCK 1.5 MILLION bicycles are stolen in the US annually, mostly because these locks are very easily picked. Most notably the Kaba series of push-button safes found in hotels are known to be virtually useless. With the exception of their series 5000 safe, the Kaba safes can be cracked using a strong magnet. Although they cost upwards of $300, these safes have been proven to be so ill-adept at their job that the company is currently being sued. HOTEL ROOM SAFES GUARD YOUR HOME WITH THE BEST LOCKS Up to half of home burglaries begin with the front door being picked, so make sure to use a superior brand lock on your door. The most popular security locks in the US are.. SCHLAGE 1920 Founded in 1920 by Walter Schlage in San Francisco. Their most popular lock is the Schlage Primus, which In addition to having six cuts for standard locking mechanism, has five side finger pins to operate the secondary sidebar lock, making it extremely safe. ASSA ABLOY This Swedish lockmaker founded in 1994 1994 is the world's largest in sales. In 2012, their revenue was SEK 46,619 billion (or US $71,606,784). GUARD YOUR STORAGE UNITS WITH THE BEST LOCKS Although these days storage unit companies have often implemented different ways to protect their customers, you should still utilize a more robust and durable lock. CYLINDER LOCKS DISK LOCKS CLOSED SHACKLE PADLOCKS 1 Flat and often round, the user inserts a key and turns it to move the bolt to gain entry. Built like regular padlocks but are round in shape. Similar to the traditional U-lock but has a heavy duty cover for the U-portion. The shape prevents break ins. 1 Cannot be cut by bolt cutters. 1 Cover helps prevent any cuts. CONCLUSION Remember to guard yourself and take preventative measures. The safety of your personal belongings need not be a concern, so long as you know what to do. 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