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Lock Picking – A Basic Guide

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Re: Lock Picking – A Basic Guide

#11

Post by jheriko »

mynoseknows wrote: post #8

This is why my deadbolt uses an Abloy Protec2 cylinder (custom ordered from Bay Area Locks: http://www.bayarealocks.com ). It's drill resistant, and it's disk-based so it's bump and rake proof. Abloy also claims it's pick proof. Whether that will remain true in the future I'm not sure, but I do know that at the very least it has yet to be successfully picked. If someone did figure out a way it would likely be extreme…

> After watching some videos that showed just how easy it is to simply kick a door in, another thing I did was replace my strike plate with a heavier duty one, and replace the worthless 3/4" screws that "hold" most strike plates in with 4" screws that actually go into the 2x4's of the house frame.

This is good advice. I did this on my own door frame after being broken into on the first day where the door had simply been kicked in. I can not kick the door in now - I tried. Although the quality of the door is important too - mine bends really quite far before breaking. :)

If you are really security conscious and you don't have them already - I suggest brushes at the door frame edge and the letterbox to prevent approaches other than picking.

Re: Lock Picking – A Basic Guide

#12

Post by pirateking »

mynoseknows wrote: post #8

This is why my deadbolt uses an Abloy Protec2 cylinder (custom ordered from Bay Area Locks: http://www.bayarealocks.com ). It's drill resistant, and it's disk-based so it's bump and rake proof. Abloy also claims it's pick proof. Whether that will remain true in the future I'm not sure, but I do know that at the very least it has yet to be successfully picked. If someone did figure out a way it would likely be extreme…

What about your windows?

Re: Lock Picking – A Basic Guide

#13

Post by rlt3 »

runjake wrote: post #3
herbig wrote: post #2

I was really into this back in high school but never got proficient in it. The concept is simple to understand but actually executing it takes a LOT of practice. Raking can open a lot of older locks pretty quickly, but that doesn't mean you're skilled. Also, just owning the tools is illegal in some states.

> Raking can open a lot of older locks pretty quickly, but that doesn't mean you're skilled. I disagree. Raking has opened a lot (most I've tried) of locks in my experience. So, I'd say I'm pretty skilled at picking locks.

Was Michael Jordon considered good because he beat a lot of high school kids?

Re: Lock Picking – A Basic Guide

#14

Post by lowglow »

I'm trying to prototype something called The Hacker Pen and wanted to get some community feedback. It's basically a nice heavy pen, with lock picks on the inside. It will also include a USB key with a digital penetration testing suite on it.

What are your thoughts?

Re: Lock Picking – A Basic Guide

#15

Post by Blahah »

jheriko wrote: post #4

A much cheaper and easier approach that works for most locks is to get a coke bottle and tear a strip out of it, then use it to do the 'hollywood credit card trick'. unlike a credit card it doesn't snap or break very easily - the type of plastic will become softer when placed under pressure and is very flexible but strong - if you continue to force it in the right area it will work its way around hard corners and int…

When I was a teenager I often forgot to take my housekeys when I went to school. If nobody was home when I got back, I would take a stick from the garden and open the latch with it through the letterbox. Around the age of 16 my wrist became too big to fit through the letterbox and swing the stick, so I had to start remembering my keys.

Re: Lock Picking – A Basic Guide

#16

Post by jheriko »

sillysaurus2 wrote: post #9
jheriko wrote: post #4

A much cheaper and easier approach that works for most locks is to get a coke bottle and tear a strip out of it, then use it to do the 'hollywood credit card trick'. unlike a credit card it doesn't snap or break very easily - the type of plastic will become softer when placed under pressure and is very flexible but strong - if you continue to force it in the right area it will work its way around hard corners and int…

You opened your door by putting something through your letterbox? That's awesome. Did you catch the doorknob or the lock turner? Was the door handle flat instead of round, or...? Hard to imagine the logistics.

it was one of those ellipsoid shaped twisty things. and there was no deadbolt on the door. (i.e. there was one bolt, no separate lock to doorknob)

it took a lot of effort, my intent was to hit the far side of the spinny thing and hope that the momentum would be enough to get through the catch and click it - i did this by extending my arm through the letterbox as far as possible then angling the spanner back and twisting my wrist to provide the impacts - feeling through the spanner if i was hitting anything and trying to guess from the response if it was the right thing. i found the right thing quickly by feeling around it and working out that it wobbled and made little clicks in the right ways.

the biggest problem was that the spanner was quite fantastically heavy when wielded this way - although the impact that knocked it open was not especially hard or directed I was quite tired by that point and it was a pleasant surprise when it popped open so i can't honestly say it was the technique that worked more than the determination. my arm was struggling to continue raising the spanner and i was probably 20 minutes at most away from complete exhaustion and giving up... my arm was quite fantastically stiff and painful the next day - both the elbow and the wrist, and lingered a couple more days after that as a mild irritation.

I had no expectation that it would actually work it was just desperation... but it was 2am and nobody inside would answer their phone... I was not in a good enough situation to afford an expensive locksmith and similarly breaking the door in was not an option.

Re: Lock Picking – A Basic Guide

#17

Post by jheriko »

Blahah wrote: post #15
jheriko wrote: post #4

A much cheaper and easier approach that works for most locks is to get a coke bottle and tear a strip out of it, then use it to do the 'hollywood credit card trick'. unlike a credit card it doesn't snap or break very easily - the type of plastic will become softer when placed under pressure and is very flexible but strong - if you continue to force it in the right area it will work its way around hard corners and int…

When I was a teenager I often forgot to take my housekeys when I went to school. If nobody was home when I got back, I would take a stick from the garden and open the latch with it through the letterbox. Around the age of 16 my wrist became too big to fit through the letterbox and swing the stick, so I had to start remembering my keys.

cool. i'm surprised a stick would work - but i'm guessing it was quite chunky. :)

Re: Lock Picking – A Basic Guide

#18

Post by freehunter »

rlt3 wrote: post #13
runjake wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Raking can open a lot of older locks pretty quickly, but that doesn't mean you're skilled. I disagree. Raking has opened a lot (most I've tried) of locks in my experience. So, I'd say I'm pretty skilled at picking locks.

Was Michael Jordon considered good because he beat a lot of high school kids?

If his goal was to beat high school kids and he did just that, then yes. If your goal is to pick locks and you successfully pick the locks you want to open, then you're good at picking locks.

Can you be a good programmer without being the best programmer or even a world class programmer?

Re: Lock Picking – A Basic Guide

#19

Post by emhart »

Pardon the self-promotion, but this hits a bit close to my area. If you'd like a much more comprehensive guide:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL66CD42F86F3A1F85&feat...

I also cover disc detainers, and a bunch of other stuff. I'm shooting a new series on lock forensics presently, just got a great microscope that can take my DSLR for high def microscopy.

Re: Lock Picking – A Basic Guide

#20

Post by jheriko »

logfromblammo wrote: post #5

A good place to start is office furniture locks. They usually aren't very well made, and therefore easy to pick. The nearby office supplies can be used as your tools. You can use the large wire from one side of a binder clip as-is as your torque wrench, and a bent paper clip as your rake pick. First, straighten the clip, then bend the middle into a triangle shape. Bend the ends outward for better control over depth a…

actually i find that 'mechanically' opening these kinds of things is usually easier - I remember getting into one of those lockable little cashboxes (that every office seems to have) when I lost a key for it by prying the lid open and bending the case just enough to get one of my fingers far enough in to unhook the catch from the inside with it - pointless little boxes really.
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