Lock bumping - is the threat of home invasion even greater now?

At Defcon in 2005, an eleven year old girl named Jennalynn gave an eye popping demonstration of how easily she could bump open any lock presented. She showed off her talent by lock bumping an M3 high security lock from Medeco. The company claims that this lock is unbumpable.

The very simple process of lock bumping (which is sometimes called bump keying) involves tapping a door lock while at the same time using a modified bump key. As the lock is tapped, the cylinder pins inside it bump or jump up and the key is eventually inserted and the lock breached. Most everyday locks and even newer high security locks can be opened in this way.

In the 1970's the process of lock bumping was started by Danish locksmiths so that they could open locks faster. The trick was exposed in 2005 when a news report by Nova was shown in Europe just how easy the method of using a bump key was.

Lock bumping has become wide spread knowledge because of local news programs and of course the Internet. All kinds of people, ranging from businesses to elderly couples are starting to worry about home and business invasions. And since making a bump key is so quick and easy, the problem is only going to get worse.

There is an inherit design flaw with the pin tumbler locks being sold today. When you apply an upward force to the lower pins in a tumbler, some of that energy get transferred up to the top pins. That in turn pushes the spring up for a split second and creates a gap that the bump key exploits.

Key Bumping is a real thing but you'll often hear people say that you just need to install a Medeco lock or one other specific type of Schlage lock in order to be protected. But as Jennalynn showed us, that's not entirely true.

So what can you do to protect your home and family from being a victim of lock bumping? Easy options are installing the very best new locks you can afford. They might be hard enough to bump that they will scare away an amateur. Other options include installing motion sensitive outdoor lighting and a home security alarm. Professional thieves look for easy targets and if you do all of that, there is a good chance they will go elsewhere.