Mechnical Locks Useless?
Written By: Joseph Gillespie
IMPORTANT NOTICE: This article is being published for educational and informational reasons only. eKibitz nor the author of this article in any way shape or form condones the use of bumping for any unauthorized purpose. Picking locks in any unauthorized manner is ILLEGAL EVERYWHERE. No information found within in this article is to be thought of as any type of instructional material in any type of lock picking!
Imagine if I gave you a simple key and said it could open any lock in the world. I would seem rather crazy, wouldn't I? Well, welcome to the new century. A new method commonly referred to as the "bump key" or "999 key" allows anyone with a key, a metal file, and a hammer to open any mechincal/keyed lock currently known to man. This means your front door, pad locks, gates, all of them are completely pointless. Quite the fear inducing prospect.
How could this be you may be thinking. Well, the concept is quite simple actually. First let's take a quick and basic look at how most mechincal locks work. When a key is inserted into the lock, the "teeth" of the key move various pins up and down into the predefined postion. When all of the pins in the correct position the inner cylinder of the lock is able to move freely, and thus open. Until now, opening these locks, without the proper key of course, required a complex skill known commonly as "lock picking". This involved inserting specially designed bits into the lock, and manually moving each pin into the proer location, and holding them all there. This was no easy task, and required not only much time training, but was generally slow even for the experienced lock picker. Apart from the lock smiths, and criminals, lock picking also has become a type of sport. There are lock picking clubs and leagues that regularly meet to test their wits against the latest and greatest locks to see who can crack them faster. In addition to simple lock picking tools, there also exists a lock pick "gun". This device uses the same basic principles as the bump key. By creating a fast and powerful snap inside the lock, it attempts to force all pins into the correct postion at once and open the lock. However, the lock pick gun has been all but made useless by lock manufacturers. With narrower key holes and far tighter pins, the lock pick gun is not nearly as effective as it once.
Ok, that takes care of the brief lesson on locks and lock picking, let's move on. Using a bum key, also known as "Bumping a lock" or "Rapping a lock" has actually been a known technique for over 50 years. However, it was commonly used nor discuseed, though various lock and security publications do contain references to the method. The first step to bumping a lock is to create a bump key. A bump key is made of any standard key (manufactured for the type of lock that it to be used with) is simply shaved down to it's maximun depth (9, hence the term 999 key), which could be done with many common tool appliances. A bump key can be made for both pin tumbler locks, and "dimple locks". A bump key does NOT need to be a "blank" key. It can be made of out any key that fits the lock, even the original key itself.
The bump key is then inserted into the lock, tapped with a small hammer, butter knife, handle of screwdriver, or any solid but not too heavy object, and turned at the right moment. Voila, the lock opens and the process is complete. The concept is simple, imagine a Newton's Cradle (aka: clacking balls) when one ball hits another, the ball on the far side is moved away. This is the same concept used with the bump key. The pins in the lock are positioned in the proper place using the specially filed key, and then tapped to create a chain reaction opening all of the pins, and the lock, for a split second. If the key is turned during this time, the lock, and attached door/padlock/etc opens right up. Any mechincal lock can be opened in less than 30 seconds, and even faster by experienced bump keyers.
But I've got a top of the line expensive lock, surely this method won't work on my lock? Sadly, this is wrong. Research performed by various lock pickers has actually shown that the more expensive the lock, the EASIER it is to bump it! Some reasons for this sad fact is that the higher end locks are made of more solid metals, allowing less deformation during the bump and better transfer of energy. Since the bump method uses the same keys manufactured to open the lock, the narrower key hole on the more expensive locks is also made void. In short, the sad fact is that the higher quality the lock, the easier it is to bump it.
Beyond the fact that bumping locks provides a great security risk to anyone relying on mechincal locks, it also provides a serious probelm when it comes to insurance claims. Bumping a lock, in most cases, leaves no evidence. The correct key is used to open the lock, and there is no damage to the lock when done correctly. Thus, most insurance companies will have no way to validate a theft claim based on the fact that the lock appears to be working order and there are no signs of forced entry! This opens up a very scary can of worms indeed.
So, what can be done to upgrade your locks to make them bump proof? Well, any standard mechincal pin tumbler type locks will be useless against a good bumper. Even the highest grade and model. However, that's not to say all locks are useless. Locks which incorporate a "sidebar" mechanism would work
well against bumping. Also locks which incorporate magnets, rotating disks, and certain specially designed locks which "lockup" when bumped are good choices. Of course, getting electric or electro-mechanical locks would ensure the ultimate in anti-bumping protection. Another good way to deter a bumper would be to get multiple standard locks, but all manufactured by different companies. Thus requiring the bumper to have many different bump keys available. However, this would not provide much more security and is a simple deterrent. When purchasing a lock, ask the retailer if the lock has any anti-bumping protection built into it. Also look around online for the latest lock developments that may include further anti-bumping technology.
As stated in the begining of this article, bumping has been around for nearly 50 years, and lock manufacturers haven't done much to combat it. However, with the advent of the internet information about bumping is quickly reaching the mass population, and lock manufacturers will have to start taking notice of the security threat sooner or later, if even just to profit from the marketing.... So if you are concerned about the ease of which your locks could be opened by unauthorized persons, do a little digging to find a lock that mentions it's bumping defenses.
Last Modified: August 23rd, 2006
Comments on This Article:
Charlene Smith
20 Dec 2007, 11:36
I am having a consent intruder and the police come and say no forced entry. I took a half of bag of locks to the police dept there is no use in me changing my locks if someone has assess such as this. I bought a almost $500. lock and it did no good. The intruder still comes in. Has acess to my private shed locks, public storage locks, you name it she has acess and I know she has help.
She is a co-worker and she was the one who told me about it before I even heard about bump locks on the radio. I now see her wearing my cloths to work and they do nothing about it. She has furnished half her house I'm sure. I have no proof, I'm hearing they didn't make just one thing. It's a darn shame. It's really scary, I can walk in my houe one day and everything will be gone.
Try to explain this to the police and they say it can't happen. They can do it to a car but they can't do it to your house/apt. Someone needs to teach this to the police department in DC, MD and VA.
Thanks for your time.
beachdude101
12 Apr 2007, 14:23
Public service site about lock bumping and how to protect yourself against it!
http://www.lockbumping.org
John Clifford
21 Feb 2007, 10:24
It is total rubbish to state that any pin tumbler lock can be bumped. It is possible to make ANY pin tumbler lock totally immune. The US public are being conned rotten into buying locks they simply dont need. I wonder if the solution will receive the same amount of news coverage, probably not because it is not being driven by very large vested interests.
John Steckowich
16 Dec 2006, 15:21
Bumping is what I formerly taught as "rapping a (lock)cylinder". The same 999 key was used but the cylinder was rapped on the top of the pin chambers with a tool handle. This is viable and only now it is more widely known. I do have my preference in high security locks (read:bump resistant) and that is Medeco. To reply to the comments by "Simpy", ask your local bank if they stack all the money on the counter, then go outside and set the alarm. No, they lock it in the vault and lock the doors to provide physical security, then set the alarm. Simpy, what does an alarm clock do at 6AM? It may ring its alert that 6AM happened. It didn't prevent 6AM. Start with physical security first.
Simpy
30 Aug 2006, 19:21
Right -
There are ways to protect your home\self though. Good alarm system are a must... And if someone wants into your house.. they'll get in no doubt about it.
What's even worse is there's sites out there that are simply selling these things to anyone who wants them. I mean with sites like http://www.bumpkey.us anyone can buy one... who knows who is actually getting them... thats scary.
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