Are Smart Locks Safer Than Traditional Locks?

For years, locks have been the main line of defense for homes, offices, and vehicles. It is a necessity for anyone that wants to feel safe in and outside of the property. As technology advances, objects and materials become digitized. Recently, locks have progressed slowly over to smart locks. It has become a controversial topic, but are these types of locks safer than traditional locks?

In this blog post, our professionals from Diego’s Locksmith will explain the core pieces of these locks.

A Traditional Lock & The Way It Functions

A traditional lock is the classic old lock a locksmith would install. It consists of a manually operated lock such as a deadbolt and a knob styled mechanism. These locks require a key to be used from the outside to gain access indoors. Another traditional lock style used quite frequently is a pin-tumbler lock. These can be found almost at every house as it has a mechanism that is hard to crack.

The way a pin-tumbler lock works is by having pins of varying lengths which can only be opened by a key with a specific pattern. This has been the case for most homes and businesses as it is a reliable and safe way to keep your place secure.

Once the correct key is inserted, the pins are lifted upwards to be aligned together which disengages the lock. If the incorrect key is inserted, the lock will fail to open and your key will not turn.

Are Traditional Locks Safe?

As with any lock, the priority it has is to make you feel safe. Traditional locks are safe in the sense of keeping your doors shut with bolts and pin-tumbler locks. Although these types of locks provide extreme support for your door, they can unfortunately be cracked open by a thief.

There are various grades of locks that you can upgrade to which can lower the chances of your property being broken into. These upgrades can include having your deadbolt extend further in your lock, and resistance to lock picking and bumping. With technology in play, you can have the ability to add motion sensors and cameras around your property to improve your security.

Traditional locks are safe at the bare minimum, but it all depends on the homeowner to make it more secure.

A Smart Lock & The Way It Functions

A smart lock is the result of advanced technology. It uses the basics of a traditional lock, but unlocks electronically and remotely. You can use your smartphone to open them. They are basically an automated version of the widely known traditional lock.

As every lock needs a key, a smart lock requires one too. It’s just not the physical version you’re thinking of. These devices unlock once they detect the digital key on your smartphone. It allows you to check when a door opens and closes as well as be distributed to whoever you’d like.

A traditional lock has a simple installation process but a smart lock installation is the complete opposite. Especially if you’re hardwiring the lock to your current deadbolt, then you’ll have trouble on your own.

Are Smart Locks Safe?

Like we said with the traditional locks, it is safe at the bare minimum. Once again it will depend on the homeowner to upgrade the security factor on their locks. Most of the smart lock designs work with normal traditional locks. This means that under a smart lock is a deadbolt type lock. Of course, the security grade on these smart locks can be upgraded to withstand break-ins.

As smart locks do not add more security, it is something used rather for convenience. Once you get home from grocery shopping and your hands are full, you can just tap your phone on the interface and your door will open.

Although the convenience part sounds nice, it can open up a pathway for new risks. Even if the chances are low, you are vulnerable to cyber attacks and hacking. As it is a smart lock, an experienced hacker can breach through the programming of it.

There are loads of reasons to invest in a smart lock, but those reasons revolve around the convenience factor, not security.

Searching For a New Locksmith?

Have you been in need of a trustworthy and reliable locksmith? Contact our friendly representative at Diego’s Locksmith to start building that relationship today!

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