<p>Here’s some pretty interesting work by a computer security prof my UCSD D had in one of her CS classes. </p>
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<p>[Keys</a> Can be Copied From Afar, Jacobs School Computer Scientists Show [Jacobs School of Engineering: News & Events]](<a href=“http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/news_releases/release.sfe?id=791]Keys”>http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/news_releases/release.sfe?id=791)</p>
<p>Maybe the locksmith I hired could try this, since he could not seem to duplicate the key he had in front of him!!</p>
<p>Thats awesome - bring on the biometrics!</p>
<p>Whoa! That’s pretty interesting! Have forwarded it to my S.</p>
<p>So what now? A fingerprint scan to get into our homes and cars? At least then we wouldn’t have to run around looking for our “keys.” And, we wouldn’t have to dump them into the airport security bin. Hm-m-m, could be good.</p>
<p>Probably a lot cheaper for someone to just break a window with a rock.</p>
<p>When you go to use a key you don’t dangle it out in the air to give someone enough time to take a picture of it from a good distance away. I have about 20 keys on my keychain and typically whip the keys up and grab the one that I want with and insert it quickly, open the door, take it out and then back in my pocket. My body shields the key too.</p>
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<p>In the 2 burglaries in our neighborhood in the past 2 years, burglar put a rock through the back sliding glass door. That way, you don’t trigger the burglar alarm because you don’t have to open the door. (However, burglar triggered the alarm by tripping a beam that was across the stairs.)</p>
<p>No high class burglars in our neighborhood…</p>
<p>Yup, I am definitely not worried about some high tech approach to duplicating keys. Over the years, I have rented or owned quite a few houses. None of them were built with any apparent concern for security. To get in all you need to do is break a window. Even easier almost every house has a flimsy back door. Just push hard and the door frame will break.</p>
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But in their example of people who have their keys resting on the lunch table, there are lots of people who do that every day. I see it done all the time.</p>
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Or just kick in the front door or lift the overhead garage door like they did to my neighbor. Or just jimmy a door like someone did to me.</p>
<p>Regardless, I just think the fact that it could be done is pretty interesting and will probably help force new more secure technology for everyday type locks as some cars already do. I’ll have this in the back of my mind whenever I buy a new door lock.</p>
<p>This article was surprising to me, as we do assume that locks provide some security against intruders (though our neighbor had their burglur use some tool that removed the entire door knob while we were unsuspectingly home right next door).</p>
<p>I do notice a lot of the newer cars do have some electronic component to the key that would be much tougher to duplicate (our most recent car rental was like that, as well as my dad’s & brother’s new cars).</p>
<p>Not sure how we are supposed to protect against this in our home doorlocks–suggestions?</p>
<p>my husband put numeric keypads for our doorlocks when we moved to our current home. the house we lived in before was only locked when we were out of town so keys were a bit of an issue ( none of the kids had them ) it was more costly but well worth it !</p>
<p>“But in their example of people who have their keys resting on the lunch table, there are lots of people who do that every day. I see it done all the time.”</p>
<p>This assumes that the person with access to the image of the keys is the one that is going to do the stealing. It also assumes that a person is willing to make 15 to 20 keys to get one to work. A rock is a lot easier.</p>
<p>We had windows replaced several years ago. I was amazed at how fast the workers were able to remove the old windows with no damage to the frame. This was from the outside as we weren’t there when they arrived but they already had the windows removed from the house. This was on the third floor (they used ladders to get up on a short roof).</p>
<p>“Not sure how we are supposed to protect against this in our home doorlocks–suggestions?”</p>
<p>How about a German Shepherd?</p>
<p>“my husband put numeric keypads for our doorlocks when we moved to our current home. the house we lived in before was only locked when we were out of town so keys were a bit of an issue ( none of the kids had them ) it was more costly but well worth it !”</p>
<p>Same problem with spying. Someone sticks a videocam pointed at the numeric keypad and records your number. It’s a bit harder if you include an electronic keycard or something like a retinal-scanner.</p>
<p>While at the beach this summer, I saw many condos with the keypads instead of a key. I wondered how that was in the way of safety. My son has a door to a deck that tends to lock itself, and I was thinking the keypad would be a good idea for that door. My son has already had to shimmy down the deck when he locked himself out one cold morning and call his roomate to come home and let him in. They now have a hidden key, buy I really like the idea of the numerical keypad. </p>
<p>I am guessing that the keypads are expensive, but I do like the idea if they are as safe as a deadbolt.</p>
<p>This is one reason many cars & trucks use keys with computer chips.</p>
<p>I just had 2 numeric keypads put in at my vacation home. One for the front door, the other for an inside closet. Total cost was $600 (ouch!) for the “residential” keypads, which have a lifetime of about 3 years when used daily. The cost would have been $1800 for the “commercial” keypads.</p>
<p>I’m with Snowball. I have found that keys that were duplicated with the original sometimes don’t fit. I’m sure the technology is there, but whether it is consistently going to work is a whole different story.</p>
<p>So, the key copying technology would probably be used by a thief who would be going after a more secure venue–vaults or high end residences, maybe–industrial or government secrets, perhaps. Definitely not any house in my neighborhood…rock through the window or crowbar on the front door jam would do the trick.</p>
<p>God these scientists are smart LOL. Next thing you’ll know they’ll find a cure to cancer and can end global warming.</p>
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<p>Impressive, BCEagle91, that you have already been protecting yourself against long distance snooping at your keys. You must have a lot of valuable stuff in your house…</p>
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<p>FYI, at our office, we have a numeric keypad for the back door. It’s relatively easy to guess the combination simply by the wear/dirt on certain numbers. I’m guessing you can get it within the first 6 tries. Of course, 100’s of people go through it every day causing it to wear and get dirty, something that shouldn’t happen with yours, but be certain to clean your numeric pad every so often.</p>