Instrument and home security
- Thread starter Al Stevens
- Start date
I don't think I singled anyone out. I didn't mean to. I said:
and then
Those comments were meant to address all the gun stuff being said here. I apologize if it seemed like I targeted your words alone. That was not my intent.
Apology accepted. I also apologized before the topic went off after my post. DAVE
Would the armed guards make good coffee in the morning too? ;-)I often think that it would be great if I could have the kind of security for my house that we have at the data center that the company I work for uses. Multiple man traps. Card access and biometrics. An armed guard. Lots of cameras.
<checks>
Duh. The most expensive horn around here cost 500, at least that's what I can prove with the sales slips. Market value? Duh, how much does a Marigaux 351 run these days?
I fooled around some with bump keys. I see three problems:
- It takes a different key blank for each kind of key
- You need to know whether the lock has four or five pins so you know how many notches to file out. That's not obvious without seeing the actual key.
- If the notches are not filed at the correct angle, the bump key can get stuck in the lock. You have to disassemble the lock to retrieve it.
I agree with the big dog approach. That should discourage most burglers. Plus you have a nice dog to care for. In Virginia we bred and raised German Shepherds for the K-9 cops. Nobody messed with our house.
In case you are thinking of getting a combination lock that can't be picked, think again. I just learned how to crack the combination to the typical combination padlock you buy at the hardware store. I bought one to test and had my wife remove the package and hide the instructions from me. It took about five minutes to decifer the combination. It could have taken longer, maybe a half hour, but I got lucky.
Like lock-picking, the method I used is widely available on the Internet.
Like lock-picking, the method I used is widely available on the Internet.
Dude, you are such a criminal. Most times a hammer is the fastest way to get around a padlock. And if you doors are uber secure, it can be easier to go through a window. If not a window then some theives go through the wall.
This technique is handy for when you find that old combination lock you used on your locker at the gym 30 years ago. When you don't remember the combination.
Most serious buglars would use a bolt cutter.
But for my writing project I'm thinking about breakins where the intruder doesn't want the victim to know anyone has been there.
Al: I don't mean to parse your words, but offer this as an "editor" . . . remember, for accuracy in your writing project, burglaries may not involve a "break-in" . . . merely entering with the intent is sufficient for a burglary to have happened. Nor does anything have to be stolen in this process - just the entry is enough. At least that's how it is in most states.
For instance, when a shoplifter enters an open business building to commit a theft, a burglary occurs the instant the thief walks in the open door. Proving the thief's intent may be difficult but it can be done.
What prosecutors charge in court is another matter and they often refuse to file certain charges merely to protect their conviction record (subjective reasons) rather than a cold interpretation of the statute(s) alleged to have been violated.
It is surprising just how many victims fail to secure their property - so, it often happens that burglars walk right into houses, businesses, garages, etc. without having to open a lock. Plus, many folks don't look at stored items for months or years. Thus, if there wasn't some evidence of entry, it may take days, weeks, or months before the loss is discovered. Even a small broken window pane may not be immediately discovered.
I agree that picking a lock or having a key may be the most efficient way to cover up an entry, assuming the building or automobile was locked before the crime. If you wish to run some scenarios by me (as a technical advisor), I'd be glad to assist. E-mail or PM will work. DAVE
For instance, when a shoplifter enters an open business building to commit a theft, a burglary occurs the instant the thief walks in the open door. Proving the thief's intent may be difficult but it can be done.
What prosecutors charge in court is another matter and they often refuse to file certain charges merely to protect their conviction record (subjective reasons) rather than a cold interpretation of the statute(s) alleged to have been violated.
It is surprising just how many victims fail to secure their property - so, it often happens that burglars walk right into houses, businesses, garages, etc. without having to open a lock. Plus, many folks don't look at stored items for months or years. Thus, if there wasn't some evidence of entry, it may take days, weeks, or months before the loss is discovered. Even a small broken window pane may not be immediately discovered.
I agree that picking a lock or having a key may be the most efficient way to cover up an entry, assuming the building or automobile was locked before the crime. If you wish to run some scenarios by me (as a technical advisor), I'd be glad to assist. E-mail or PM will work. DAVE
The part of my writing project that involves illegal entry is about industrial espionage. Information is the target. The victims exercise due diligence to protect their data, but the interloper knows more than they do about security. (It is not set in contemporary times, so today's dynamics and demographics mostly do not apply.)
It was during my research for this project that I learned that what, in times past, had been guarded techniques about locks, is now public knowledge. Anyone could become a locksmith back then but it took money and study to master. Nowadays, you can learn how it all works by never leaving your computer.
I am not concerned that such information is freely available to people. I am surprised, however, to learn that the locks we trust are so easy to compromise. (And to recall that I used to know all this in an earlier life and had forgotten it. CRS)
False sense of security. It's like carrying a water pistol and having a Chihuahua for a guard dog.
I now have more secure locks ordered for my studio and an alarm system. I'm still thinking about getting a big dog.
It was during my research for this project that I learned that what, in times past, had been guarded techniques about locks, is now public knowledge. Anyone could become a locksmith back then but it took money and study to master. Nowadays, you can learn how it all works by never leaving your computer.
I am not concerned that such information is freely available to people. I am surprised, however, to learn that the locks we trust are so easy to compromise. (And to recall that I used to know all this in an earlier life and had forgotten it. CRS)
False sense of security. It's like carrying a water pistol and having a Chihuahua for a guard dog.
I now have more secure locks ordered for my studio and an alarm system. I'm still thinking about getting a big dog.