
Competitive lockpicking growing in US popularity - robg
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/07/28/competitive_lockpicking_growing_in_us_popularity/?page=full
======
djacobs
One of the more striking points of this article (for me) was not so much about
lockpicking. It was this statement:

"Some lockpickers observe a code of responsible disclosure by providing
manufacturers information on weaknesses they discover in locks they defeat --
_just like responsible computer hackers do when they detect security flaws in
software_."

I'm thrilled to see a statement like this coming from the mainstream media.

~~~
baddox
Yeah, and both types of responsible whistleblowers probably end up getting
arrested.

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proee
I'm surprised there are not more digitally controlled locks on the market -
something that has an embedded microcontroller that releases a solenoid if the
right code is entered.

What's a locksmith hacker to do with such a lock? There's no keyhole to use a
diamond pick and so its basically a metal brick. I don't see too many ways to
open it without destroying it physically.

Maybe I'm missing the big picture, but a traditional keyed lock seems about as
high-tech as an ancient model-T car. It's completely out of place given the
latest technology available today.

~~~
shabble
The big problem with digital and electronic locks in general is maintaining
the power source. Mechanical locks have extremely low maintenance
requirements, and could be left unattended for months or years without issue.
Even if they then stick, a quick shot of WD40 will usually allow entry.

Electronics, on hte other hand, rely either on external power, or some sort of
internal battery. A battery is ill-suited to heavy duty-cycling when the lock
will be opened/closed regularly, and an external source is potentially subject
to tampering.

There do exist many electronic locks, typically for fairly low-security shared
access doors, or where various additional requirements make them more suited
(such as easily rekeyable card-locks for hotel rooms)

There's an interesting article at
[http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/08/electronic-locks-
de...](http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/08/electronic-locks-defeated/)
regarding some work by Marc Weber Tobias and others in defeating hybrid
electro-mechanical locks and their built-in audit logs.

Electronic locks on the whole don't magically ensure security, and open up a
whole new set of attack surfaces, whereas mechanical locks have been around
for centuries, and have well-defined failure/exploitation modes.

~~~
sabat
Problem, yes. Engineering problem to solve. The real issue is that these
companies don't feel they need to innovate much, and so we're still stuck with
technologies invented in the 19th century.

~~~
jerf
Handwaving at a problem and declaring it's just an "engineering problem"
doesn't actually do anything to solve it... hey, wait, are you my manager?

The power problem is actually a big deal and shouldn't be minimized. Take the
hotel situation; what happens when the hotel loses power? You _can't_ have the
locks fail closed, you end up with people trapped away from their stuff.
Failing open is of course a bit of a problem, too. Locks by their nature tend
to congregate around things that are actually important so you actually have
some serious problems with a lock that is "down" even five minutes a year.

~~~
sabat
I'm hand-waving at it because this industry has had 40-50 years of high
technology at its beck and call and has done little or nothing with it. This
_is_ an engineering problem, and making excuses for them ("Failing open is of
course a bit of a problem, too") does not change the reality. They have failed
to innovate, and the world is going to pay for that. The power problem? So
don't use traditional power: experiment with something else. Try. They've had
half a century, at least. If that industry had tried at all, it would've come
up with more than this.

~~~
jerf
You deny my point, then just go on to reinforce it. The lock industry should
just create a new magical power source? You just moved around the "mere
engineering problem" label but if anything you've made your problem worse by
being more clear about what you want to have magicked into existence, not
better.

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piramida
Non-destructive lockpicking is a sport these days; burglars would use bumping
or other destructive technique like crowbar (with a much shorter path to
success) since they won't care about the clean result. Maybe only relevant for
spies/intelligence/other areas where you need to hide the fact that the lock
has been picked.

And the fact that weak lock mechanisms are publicized encourages manufacturers
to invent, it's all good.

~~~
blhack
I'm sorry, but this isn't completely true. (The part about burglars not using
lock picks).

I am an amatuer locksmith, and I can open Masterlock No. 3 or No. 5 (which are
used _everywhere_ ) incredibly quickly (less than 10 seconds, typically
[especially on No. 5, which are horrible).

A half diamond pick and a torsion wrench are tiny, I can keep them in my
pocket and nobody will ever notice... I can't do this with a huge bolt cutter.

Now, do I steal things? Absolutely not. Has getting into picking caused me to
be much much more careful about what I lock up, where, and with what?
_definitely_.

I'm all for locksports, I think the fact that people are getting into picking
is awesome, but the idea that using a bolt cutter against a padlock is faster
and more conveinient than using a pick is just plain wrong.

~~~
aquateen
I remember first seeing the MIT guide and it sparked my interest, however I
didn't want to make homemade picks. Can you recommend a good lock pick set?

~~~
bmalicoat
I have this set [1]. Though mine has a plastic handle so it was about half the
price listed there. It's a nice set, quite small and very pocketable.

There's something deeply satisfying about picking locks, hearing each pin tick
and feeling the barrel give just _a little_ bit more than the last time you
torqued it. I love it.

[1] [http://www.southord.com/Lock-Picking-Tools/Jackknife-
Pocket-...](http://www.southord.com/Lock-Picking-Tools/Jackknife-Pocket-Lock-
Pick-Sets.html)

~~~
blhack
Ha! YES! That little snapping feeling. I still remember getting my first lock,
:). I was on the phone with a friend and just raking the crap out of it until
finally _POP_.

She did not understand my excitement.

