For almost as long as there have been basic pin tumbler locks locksmiths have been using a method known as lock bumping to gain rapid and ready access to them.
The problem is, this simple method of breaking and entering isn't a professional secret anymore-and today's criminals are taking advantage of it.
If you live in an apartment complex, have a regular lock on the door to your office or simply went to the local hardware store and picked up their $10 locks, your home is at risk to criminals using a simple lock bumping method.
The principle behind lock bumping is simple.
If you play pool or billiards it's one you're already familiar with! When you strike the first ball in a line of balls it's going to make the last one move.
In the case of lock bumping we're talking about pins rather than balls, but you get the picture.
  In a basic pin tumbler lock the pins align along the edge of the key when you slip it in the keyhole, allowing the cylinder to turn and the door to open.
When a bump key, a key that uses the basic profile of all pin tumbler keys, is slipped into the hole just shy of the last pin and "bumped" the impact makes all of the pins jump, creating a small window of opportunity when the savvy B&E man can turn the knob and walk into your home uninvited without leaving any evidence behind.
  The real danger in lock bumping comes from the ready availability not only of bump keys but also in simple how-to guides intended to help even the most unintelligent criminals easily use this technique to open your doors.
If you type "bump keys" into your search engine you'll find not only hundreds of retailers selling bump keys for anywhere from $1 to $200 for multiple types of pin tumbler locks, you'll also find numerous instructional guides and videos through public sites like YouTube that show the process step by step.
  Anyone with a modem, a credit card and the ability to read can let themselves into your home any time they want.
  Today's security companies are taking steps to protect homeowners from lock bumping.
Companies such as Medeco have released entire lines of door locks that are custom designed to be invulnerable to lock bumping.
Electronic locks, magnetic locks and locks that use rotating discs rather than pins aren't at risk, and using restricted or registered key profiles limits the number of people with access to your key's "blank" and, by default, the number of people with the potential to break into your home.
  Lock bumping is risky not only in that it leaves your home wide open to attack but also in that it leaves your homeowners insurance claims for your losses open to debate.
Unlike traditional breaking and entering methods (kicked down doors, broken windows, etc.
) lock bumping leaves no evidence behind.
When the thief is done the only evidence that your home has been broken into will be the big empty spot where your HDTV used to be.
This lack of evidence might lead your insurance provider to assume that you left your doors wide open and a savvy criminal waltzed in and took advantage of it.
You'll never recoup a penny of your losses.
  Lock bumping is a very real risk for today's homeowners, and it's impossible to be too protected.
Contact a security company today to see what you can do to keep your home safe.
Isn't an extra $30-40 for a high-quality lock worth saving thousands in potential property loss?