How To Make Your Smart Lock Unpickable

By Ralph Goodman, Lock Blog

For most homeowners, security is always top of mind. Security means keeping yourself safe. And it also means protecting your property and your investments. With new advancements in technology, like video doorbells, it is now easier to check on the status of your home’s security no matter where you are in the world. But these smart devices are not always secure. Even smart locks can sometimes leave a home more insecure than it once was. So how do you make sure that your smart lock is unpickable?

What Unpickable Really Means

The idea of perfect security died in 1850’s, but with smart locks, we may finally have some locks that cannot be picked. For all current mechanical locks, unpickable more accurately means, not picked yet. A mechanical lock uses a physical key, and would most often be referred to as a standard lock. By the very nature of having a place where a key can be inserted, the lock can theoretically be picked. However, there are mechanical locks, which have existed for decades without ever being picked successfully. This is different from something like a smart lock with no keyway on it. A smart lock with no keyway means that there is nowhere to pick. Without access to internal components, there is no way to pick the lock.

Upgrade the Lock Cylinder

There are quite a few smart locks out on the market that just replace the thumb turn of a deadbolt. Devices such as the August Smart Lock have this feature. They are only meant to be placed on the interior facing side of the door. Technically these locks are not pickable. They are simply placed on the inside of your door, and can only be actuated by a smartphone, voice control, or, in some cases, a key fob. That means that if you do not want your front door to be picked, then you will have to purchase a better deadbolt.

With this type of smart lock, you are going to want to get a deadbolt that has never been picked, bumped, or opened without access to the original key. For this, I would recommend investing in the EVVA MCS. With this lock attached to your thumb turn actuating smart lock, no one is going to be picking your front door open. With an unpickable lock helping out your already unpickable smart lock, your front door will be a haven against most forms of surreptitious entry.

Rethink the Lock

There are many revolutionary smart lock ideas out there. Products like the Haven Smart Door Lock, shipping in November, which have done away with the traditional lock altogether. Where almost all-existing smart locks involve replacing or using existing lock hardware that you would find in every door, these forward-thinking products do not. The Haven is a great example: Instead of using any of the pre-cut holes on the door, this smart lock is placed on the floor.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4PcIRESL1Y

It is secured with screws or high-quality adhesive tape and placed flush against the interior leaf of the door. When the lock is in the unlocked position, the door can swing over the device without obstruction. However, once the lock is locked by using your smart phone, a small barrier rises to block the door from opening. Not only is this is the strongest place to secure the door, it can absolutely not be picked. By having no way to physically override the smart lock from the outside, there is no chance of picking the lock. It is an unpickable smart lock that comes completely unpickable straight out of the package.

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Having an unpickable smart lock is a very real possibility. Obviously, there are more ways to get around security other than picking a lock, but if this is a significant risk for you, it may make sense to invest in these precautions. All of these devices can be installed by a savvy homeowner, but for top quality results, a locksmith should be hired. Make sure that you also consult a security professional to find the most beneficial form of protection for your property.

Ralph Goodman is a professional writer and the resident expert on locks and security over at

the Lock Blog. The Lock Blog is a great resource to learn about keys, locks and safety. They

offer tips, advice and how-to’s for consumers, locksmiths, and security professionals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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