The internet can be blamed for many things, including growing threats to household security. In 2012 it emerged that in some regions of the UK, an alarming proportion of domestic burglaries were committed by thieves gaining access by snapping lock cylinders – a technique ‘shared’ over the internet.
Snapping is not the only way that criminals have found to overcome the standard euro cylinder. Lock bumping is a technique that has been around for over 70 years, a US patent having been granted for a bump key in 1928. Although invented as a legitimate tool for locksmiths, the use of a bump key has now become an easy-access solution for those with criminal intentions.
With these growing threats, the security industry stepped up to the mark with new standards. One leading manufacturer that has developed a range of solutions to beat the problem is ERA, part of grouphomesafe.
Ben Penson, Technical Director of grouphomesafe says: “Quite simply, the conventional euro cylinder is not a secure solution. There is a fundamental weakness in the design of the pin tumbler mechanism in a cylinder which lock bumping exploits. There are endless articles on the internet on how to make bump keys and they are not technically challenging to use. Other forms of attack, such as snapping or drilling, are easy for criminals and enable them to gain access within a matter of seconds.”
For retro-fit situations, 2012 saw the introduction of the new Technical Specification 007 (TS 007), produced by the Door & Hardware Federation and the Glass and Glazing Federation and designed specifically to address the vulnerabilities of lock cylinders. ERA now offers a range of products designed to meet TS 007 and, in its Vectis Plus range, even offers a solution that avoids the problem altogether by doing away with the cylinder. Described by ERA as being the ‘next generation’ in multi-point locking products, the Vectis Plus meets the requirements of PAS 23/24 and Secured by Design with a five-lever lock operation. Without a cylinder the lock cannot be subjected to bumping or snapping and therefore provides an equivalent level of security as that offered by the best performing TS007 three star solutions.
Also designed to meet TS 007 is ERA’s Lockguard handle, which meets the standard’s two-star rating. Suitable for most multi-point locks, it features a lift-and-lock mechanism unique to ERA that makes it easier to visually check that the door is locked. Also certified to TS 007, is ERA’s High Security handle, uniquely designed to protect the cylinder from attack. It shields the lock cylinder behind the backplate, giving access to only the cylinder keyhole. Tested to PAS 24, amendment 11 and TS007, the profile of its backplate ensures an attacker cannot grip it using any of the methods of attack laid down in the standard. Used in conjunction with a kitemarked cylinder, the High Security Handle protects the lock against snapping, bumping and other known methods of gaining illegal entry.
Ben Penson adds: “The industry made great strides in 2012 in developing standards and we have matched these efforts by developing appropriate products to help overcome the vulnerabilities of standard Euro cylinders. However, there is still a job to be done in informing the buying public of the issues involved and the solutions available to overcome them. As we have seen, the criminal fraternity is already well catered for in terms of ‘educational’ material – we need to make sure that householders too are well informed and encouraged to fit products designed with the best security standards in mind.”
