2 Factor Authentication - Google, Amazon, Facebook Offer Improved Security To Protect Your Data

What Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) Is - And How to Enable It


The large internet companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook, have been busy the last couple of years designing new security protocols in the wake of a number of much publicised data-breaches that have affected millions of people across the world.

2 factor authentication is not a new concept, however an increasing number of security system providers have been including new high-security initiatives, aimed at securing our individual and collective data from the prying eyes of cyber crooks.

You may or may not have been affected by a cyber-security breach, in recent times. Credit card companies, banks, even department stores have fallen prey to cyber-criminals, who have stolen private credit data, social security numbers, telephone numbers, addresses, email addresses etc among other personal details.

Some people have discovered that their credit ratings have been severely affected by these crooks, even to the point that they cannot even access their own private details. Criminals have found simple ways to be able to lock you out of your own accounts.

A great many users operate an email account using the popular Gmail system, but apparently less than 10% of Gmail users, adequately protect their addresses with multi-factor authentication

 This is proving to be a large factor affecting far too many people. Many new security products, alarm systems, door locks etc are introducing multi-factor authentication protocols to better protect users of their modern products.

Tom's Guide provide an article on how to set up 2 factor authentication with various large online companies. Check out their link to learn more.

The main reason we decided to include this article here, is due to us learning that behemoths like Google are introducing physical security keys to assist with multi-factor authentication procedures. This especially interests us because companies like Google have been instrumental, the last 10-15 years in designing and building electronic "keyless" products aimed at simplifying our lives, That they realize (what we) physical security product providers have been saying for so long, is almost a testament to the benefits that physical security products provide, over and beyond many electronic products.

The source below, provides another link to a Tom's Guide article that peaked our interest and propelled us to write this article.

You dont have to purchase your security key from Google. There are other providers.

If you like to be able to protect your data from the chance of being "hacked", perhaps altering your procedures for "logging in" to your portals should be a worthwile consideration.

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Codelocks CL5510 - New Product Shines Where Others Dont

Codelocks 5510 appears to (me, to) be the bees knees for Smart Locks.

This digital wireless product answers virtually all the checkboxes when it comes to entry options (except WiFi/LAN Controller)

You can use the codepad, a key, a cellphone or even a proximity card/tag, providing up to 350 individual users with access using one of the credentials.

Also, the use of Netcodes offers management the ability to provide timed access on the fly. That means that a manager can send a code by text to a users cellphone to grant them access for a limited (programmed) time. Click on the link above to learn more about using NetCodes.

Using the K3 Connect app, which is available in both IOS and Android, allows bluetooth featured cellphones to access the lock.

The added convenience for managers and security personnel using Audit Trail, allows for instant recognition of which credential was used at what time.

The product complies with ANSI Grade 2 specification. Grade 2 is often considered heavy duty residential/light duty commercial quality but often in a commercial setting Grade 2 hardware will perform like a Grade 1, but is significantly more competitively priced.

The product is not cheap, but quality products are worth more than the other garbage in the market.
Codelocks are a sought after product offering by many locksmiths and security hardware providers across the world.
For more details click the source below.


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A Stroke Of Genius - Kwikset Smartkey Defeat With No Damage

Yesterday we attended to a client for whom we had previously rekeyed their new home about 8 weeks ago, who had accidentally locked themselves out.

The husband and wife had traveled out of state for a vacation and one of the spouses had inadvertently left their spare key inside the house, while the other spouse with the key was still interstate.

The types of locks they have on their doors are Kwikset Smartkey designer series locks similar to the style presented in the picture here.

Typically, many locksmiths would choose to drill and destroy a Kwikset Smartkey lock because typically they can be somewhat difficult to manipulate without causing unrepairable damage.

Many doors that use Kwikset Smartkey locks, tend to have a separate entry set from a deadbolt lock. Often defeating an entry set, without damage is painlessly simple and there are methods to bypass a Kwikset Smartkey deadbolt that are considered "outside the box". We deliberately choose NOT to share these unique bypass methods for fear of those details getting into the wrong hands.

Our customer being out of state, while their spouse was on their way home without a copy of their Kwikset Smartkey operating key, contacted me to attend the site and unlock the door on behalf of their spouse. When the spouse arrived at the airport they contacted me to arrange a suitable time.

Being as cold as it is presently, I did not want to keep the customer waiting for long while I attempted to manipulate the lock cylinder. I did not want to drill and destroy the lock, because getting a replacement on such short notice was not possible, so I asked the spouse interstate to snap a picture of their operating key and text it to me.

Upon receiving the image, I attended the home just prior (about 15 minutes) before the spouse arrived home from the airport. I grabbed the appropriate Kwikset key blank and set about making a copy of their operating key with my handheld impressioning file.

Having a clear image from which to determine the cuts of the key proved the stroke of genius in this move, because I was able to recreate the operating key in about 10 minutes and it operated flawlessly in the deadbolt (pictured above). This allowed me to unlock their door without any damage nor signs of forced or manipulated entry. The clients existing key (inside the house) still worked like new and we saved the inconvenience of trying to replace a special order lock product.

NOW - Obviously you can see a security issue here that can be distressing. If someone has enough time to take a picture of your house key, potentially they could simply contact a locksmith who could also provide the same service and make a copy of the key. Ethically and morally many locksmiths would not do this, unless they knew the customer and they could prove they belong to the address in question. But not everyone lives by a code of ethics.

A few years ago we wrote an article that talked about creating key duplicates using the credit cards you often get on the mail from promoters.

See Credit Cards Used To Duplicate Keys

Another article we wrote about 5 years ago talked about a service created by some enterprising engineers in California called Shloosl, See the link

Here is an article from about 10 years ago that discusses the ease in creating a copy of your key by picture..... Key Photograph Key Cutting


Simply put, there is only 1 way to prevent unauthorised key duplication. Using a High-Security Restricted Key System. Systems that require your signature authorization in advance of origination. There are many systems available across the world in today's market. Some better than others. We choose to offer the Bilock Extreme Security restricted key system.

UFO3 - New Improved High Security Lock For Vans and Cargo Vehicles

We have been the North American distributors for the broad range of Meroni products for about 8 years now and recently aligned with another distributor based in Minnesota who is distributing the fabulous UFO range of high-security locks for delivery vans, tradespeople vans, trucks among other applications. The new distributor is in  Minnesota will cater primarily to the automotive sector with this product line. We will continue to support them with key duplication and creation requests.

You can see our articles already written about the UFO range by Meroni by clicking here

The above video shows the installation steps for the newest model the UFO3.

The straightforward installation procedure can be handled easily by a trained technician or almost anybody, provided they have the correct tools and follow the guidelines in the instructions.

There is another new product, recently developed with Meroni in Europe aimed at UFO range of high-security automotive locking products that is a Cloud-Controlled access control system designed for fleet operators to enable simple access control for their fleets of deliver and transportation vehicles.

The UFO Cloud is a system that uses the SHA256 Encrypted Communication Protocol based on the design developed by the NSA.

The practicality of the UFO Cloud, transforms mechanical keyed products into a virtual keychain using a cellphone app and dedicated dashboard.

For further details on the UFO Cloud and the wide range of UFO products by Meroni, check the source below.

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Artificial Intelligence Now Capable Of Bypassing Fingerprint Security

Artificial Intelligence has grown in recent years to such a point that according to a team of 5 NYU researchers, fingerprint identification, found in many products today, including but not limited to deadbolt locks, entrance sets, electric strike user interfaces, access control and time clocks, among other modern day electronic products, is now able to contravene the once thought of high security alternative to mechanical key entry systems.

We have previously touted the benefits of biometric fingerprint security scanners that were/are included in a great many differing products, including a (now discontinued) high security deadbolt lock that we sold many years ago. We realized the error of our ways, when a number of older clients were finding tremendous difficulty in registering and using the fingerprint deadbolt locks we once recommended. Specifically we found that if you were over 55 years of age, your fingerprints wear more quickly as you age. This proved to be an impediment to future sales of fingerprint operated biometric products because many elder users would have been the primary beneficiaries of keyless, fingerprint operated lock systems.

It is obvious that Apple, recognized the limitations of fingerprint identification systems when they decided to discontinue fingerprint readers in many of their largest selling product lines, like the iPhone, the iPad and other products. Many competing product manufacturers also included fingerprint readers in a host of other products, hoping to also cash in on the once burgeoning sector of the electronics products markets.

An excerpt from the article quoted in the source below explains....

"Named ‘DeepMasterPrints’, the set of fake fingerprints was generated by the NYU scientists using a neural network to be some sort of ‘master key’ for biometric authentication systems that have an error rate of one in a thousand. To work this well, DeepMasterPrints takes advantage of two properties fingerprint authentication systems have: that they scan only a part of the finger at any given time and not the whole finger; and that some features of fingerprints are more common than others. 

So, the weakness in the system here, explains The Guardian, is that fingerprint scanners never blend all the partial images to match a full fingerprint against a full record. Instead, they just compare a partial scan against partial records. This means that attackers need only match one of tens or even hundreds of recorded fingerprints in order to gain access into a secured system.

The scientists’ presented their research paper at a biometrics conference in Los Angeles in October. “The underlying method is likely to have broad applications in fingerprint security as well as fingerprint synthesis,” said NYU’s Philip Bontrager, the lead author of the paper in a statement to Gizmodo. “A similar setup to ours could be used for nefarious purposes, but it would likely not have the success rate we reported unless they optimized it for a smartphone system."

Naturally, as a security services and products provider, we try to remain updated on issues affecting security products and services to enable us to provide our growing lists of customers with updated information regarding products and services aimed at minimizing issues and mitigating security loopholes.

Apple, introduced facial recognition in many of their products, which seems to be becoming quite widely accepted across the wider marketplace.

We highly recommend consulting your local trained and qualified locksmith technician, who can advise you on great quality secure products that will provide continued secure access to your properties and security systems.

At Master Key Systems America LLC, we provide Extreme Security Bilock Restricted mechanical key systems that are virtually unparalleled across the world for bump proof and virtually pick proof locks and cylinders that use virtually copy proof, unique color coded keys. We can produce complex master key systems that can operate up to 1.7 billion separate locks.

There are other brands of high security mechanical key systems that also offer quality security. Contact your local professional locksmith to learn more.

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Has New York City Fixed It's Key Problems?

A post we made in October 2012 continues to find traction and views as it is still of important knowledge to us all today, as much if not more since first written in 2012. We just updated some of the links to working links (over time websites need to keep up with their broken links to avoid the pitfalls of search engine pagerank issues) so you can view the videos and some of the links we include. Continuing to provide links to the source of our content (even though we write our own content) credits the source and avoids us being called plagiarists. The following story is worth remembering and continue to be an important piece of knowledge, not just for the industry but also the marketplace... The Society Of Professional Locksmiths is an organization of professional locksmith owners and tradespersons whose intentions are to bring respect and admiration with ethical and moral business practises back to an industry that has seen the erosion of confidence in locksmiths, wane over the past few years, thanks to improprieties and shortcoming of other supposed industry organizations. The SOPL is fast becoming the industry's leading respected voice, training facility and source of products and services, that the market and industry have long been seeking. Unlike other locksmith industry organizations and training offerings, the SOPL developed their own superb in-house training guide and mentoring system that is second to none in the North American market. The following article is copied directly (with permission) from their website. If you like the article, please consider clicking the like buttons in the post. FDNY Keys Sold on EBAY - The NY Post - Where there's Smoke, there's Fire 10/07/2012 2 Comments On October 1st, 2012 a news story ran in the NY Post about a retired locksmith named Daniel Ferraris from New Jersey who sold a set of 5 keys on Ebay that were being called Masterkeys for the New York City Fire Department. Source - http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/lock_away_these_nyc_keys_g3PWCp3FzMapURRjyssJ4J This apparently angered NY City officials and public advocate Bill DeBlasio who raised concerns over terrorism. Keywords such as being alarmed, angered, lives at risk, safety, and more surfaced. Calls to Home Land Security were even made! DeBlasio himself went so far to say -  "We cannot let anyone sell the safety of over 8 million people so easily. Having these keys on the open market literally puts lives at risk. The billions we've spent on counter-terrorism have been severely undercut by this breech [sic]." A NYFD lieutenant said, “This guy should be prosecuted for selling something like that."

10 Years On And This Toy Proved A Novelty But Never Took Off

Biometric Voice Activated Safe

Yes! This is a novelty item. Especially for the holiday season.

Just say the word! This ultra-secure, high-tech safe only opens at the sound of your voice.

• Uses voice-recognition technology
• Prompts you for biometric verification
• Identifies the sound waves of your voice
• Door opens automatically
• Provides hands-free access
• Alarm sounds when someone tries to physically open it
• Features a handy shelf and drawer

Keep your secret treasures secure in this cool, cutting-edge safe.

Ages:	8 +
Batteries:	Requires 3 AA batteries (not included)
Dimensions:	5.75" L x 6.5" W x 7.75" H
Weight:	1.4 Pounds
Made In:	China
Made Of:	Plastic
Model Number:	0205606
Gift Box:	Available

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It would not surprise me one bit, to see a large tech giant like Amazon come out with a safe that you can activate by voice.

Of course you'd probably have to plug it in to mains electricity

Do You Understand What Makes A Safe ..... Safe?

In November 2008, we posted an article (below) about safes and why/how they are constructed and regulations as determined by the most populous state in the USA.

The details are still important knowledge for locksmiths, safe workers, even the general consumer....

Safes

Choosing a safe is often difficult. I have been asked many times over the years to make a recommendation to customers wishing to purchase a safe.

Before making a recommendation, I feel it necessary to ask some specific questions to a customer to help in determining a suitable product to recommend.

Many people do not understand the ratings systems for safes, probably because there is no written industry standard.

In the early 1990's, I worked for one of Australia's oldest manufacturers of quality safes, Kelly Safe Co PTY LTD. (they closed down in 1995, I believe). Kelly safes were considered a staple of the Australian landscape for about 100 years previously. They manufactured impressive quality safes for many of Australia's institutions, banks, high-society clubs, hotels etc.

The increasing competition from foreign products combined with the significant increase in raw materials cost, saw Kelly become less competitive in later years.

I learned much from my short time with them about how to grade safes.

There are many classifications of safes that are determined by each individual country/locallity as suitable for local conditions. The leading tester in the world (most respected) is known as the Underwriters Laboratory.

The questions I like to ask my clients are:

1. What approximate cash value of personal documents, jewellery, bank notes etc are you looking to secure?

This determines what grade of safe would be suitable for the contents.

2. Approximately how big (dimensions) would the individual pieces of content be for storage?

This determines the necessary internal dimensions of the recommended safe.

3. Are you looking for Burglary Protection, Fire Protection or both?

4. Would you prefer a bolt down facility, free-standing, on castors, wall-mount, floor mount, vault etc?

5. How much are you looking to spend?

The most important question is question #1, because this separates the designations of safes from each other and directly guides a professional to make the most suitable recommendation.
In California, the CDOJ (California Department Of Justice) uses the following terms:

California Department of Justice Burglary Rating (CDOJ)
Regulatory Gun Safe StandardsDOJ regulatory standards require a gun safe to meet either: 
All of the following requirements:

1. Shall be able to fully contain firearms and provide for their secure storage.
2. Shall have a locking system consisting of at minimum a mechanical or electronic combination lock. The mechanical or electronic combination lock utilized by the safe shall have at least 10,000 possible combinations consisting of a minimum three numbers, letters, or symbols. The lock shall be protected by a case-hardened (Rc 60+) drill-resistant steel plate, or drill-resistant material of equivalent strength.
3. Boltwork shall consist of a minimum of three steel locking bolts of at least ½ inch thickness that intrude from the door of the safe into the body of the safe or from the body of the safe into the door of the safe, which are operated by a separate handle and secured by the lock.
4. Shall be capable of repeated use. The exterior walls shall be constructed of a minimum 12-gauge thick steel for a single-walled safe, or the sum of the steel walls shall add up to at least .100 inches for safes with two walls. Doors shall be constructed of a minimum of two layers of 12-gauge steel, or one layer of 7-gauge steel compound construction.
5. Door hinges shall be protected to prevent the removal of the door. Protective features include, but are not limited to: hinges not exposed to the outside, interlocking door designs, dead bars, jeweler’s lugs and active or inactive locking bolts.

or All of the following requirements:

1. Is listed as an Underwriters Laboratories Residential Security Container;
2. Is able to fully contain firearms;
3. Provides for the secure storage of firearms.

BURGLAR SAFES:
Burglar safes are usually made of solid steel plate or a combination of solid steel and composite fill material such as concrete. These safes are divided into categories based on the level of protection delivered and the testing endured. Here we will discuss only seven classes: B-Rate, U.L. RSC Rating, B/C Rate, C-Rate, U.L. TL-15, U.L. TL-30 and TL-30 X6.

B-RATE SAFES (ALSO U.L. RSC, RESIDENTIAL SECURITY CONTAINERS):

B-Rate is a catchall rating for essentially any box with a lock on it. The safe industry had an unwritten standard of ¼ inch body, ½ inch door. As steel prices (and shipping costs) increased manufacturers tried many things to reduce their costs. No tests are given to provide this rating. When buying a B-rate safe, look at things such as lock work, hard plates, and relocks.

U.L. Residential Security Container rating (RSC) - This UL rating is based on testing conducted for a net working time of five minutes, on all sides, with a range of tools. See U.L. TL-15 and TL-30 descriptions below for "net working time" description.

B/C-Rate Safes

This is a catchall rating for safes with at least a 1/4" steel body, 1/2 inch door PLUS additional 10 or 12 guage metal layers where composite fire resistant material is also deployed. No tests are given to provide this rating. Look at the lock work, relocks and other features when making your decision.

C-Rate Safes

This is defined as a ½ inch thick steel box with a 1-inch thick door and a lock. As before, NO tests are given to provide this rating. Look at the lock work, relocks and other features when making your decision.


The Underwriters Laboratory information:

Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) Ratings
http://www.ul.com

TL-15

Safes given a U.L. TL-15 rating have all passed standardized tests defined in UL Standard 687 using the same tools and usually the same group of testing engineers.Construction Requirements

• U.L. listed Group II, 1 or 1R combination lock.
• 750 lbs. minimum or comes with instructions for anchoring in a larger safe, concrete blocks or on the premises where used.
• Body walls of material equivalent to at least 1" open hearth steel with a minimum tensile strength of 50,000 P.S.I.
• Walls fastened in a manner equivalent to continuous 1/4" penetration weld of open hearth steel with minimum tensile
  strength of 50,000 P.S.I.
• One hole 1/4" or less, to accommodate electrical conductors arranged to have no direct view of the door or locking mechanism.

The label means that the safe successfully resisted entry (i.e. opening the door or making a 6" square opening entirely through the door or front face) for a NET working time of 15 minutes using "…common hand tools, drills, punches hammers, and pressure applying devices." Net working time means simply "when the tool comes off the safe the clock stops". There are over fifty different types of attacks that can be used to gain entrance into the safe. Usually they will try only 2 or 3 based on what they know about the product, and they know a lot.

TL-30

Construction requirements are identical to the TL-15 above. Tests are essentially the same as the TL-15 tests except for the net working time. Testors are allowed 30 minutes and a few more tools (abrasive cutting wheels and power saws) to help them gain entrance. The label signifies the testors were unable to open the door or make a 6" square opening entirely through the door or front face within 30 minutes. Keep in mind these engineers have the manufacturing blue prints and can disassemble the safe being tested before the test begins to see how it works. They know their stuff. TL-30 x 6 - The TL-30 (30-minute) test is conducted on all six (6) sides of the safe.

Other Considerations

When you begin the search for a safe it is a good idea to speak to your insurance agent and see if a particular type of safe will reduce your insurance costs. Many times you can justify the additional expense of a higher security safe because of the premium reduction. Remember no safe is burglar proof, you are buying time. The longer it takes to break in the greater the chance to be caught, and thieves don’t like to get caught.

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10 Things You Didn't Know About UL's Safe Testing

1. The best safecrackers in the business never steal a penny. They work for UL.
   
2. UL has been testing and certifying safes for more than 80 years. The first safe tested for burglary resistance was in 1923 and the first bank vault in 1925.
   
3. Chisels, wenches, screwdrivers, power saws, cutting torches, crowbars, abrasive cutting wheels, jackhammers, even specified amounts of nitroglycerin are just a few of the "tools" UL technicians use during a safe attack. The idea is to test safes to worst-case scenarios. They use tools that could be found at any construction site or hardware store. They also analyze blueprints as if the burglar might have blueprints of the design and attack its weakest points to evaluate the safe for certification.
   
4. UL's safe attack tests are conducted by a two-person crew. The object is to create an opening large enough to withdraw "valuables" (anywhere from 2- to 6-square-inches on a safe and up to 96-square-inches on a vault), activate the locking mechanism so the door opens or to cut as many bolts from the door as necessary to pry it open before the time specified in the rating requirement expires.
   
5. Safes are rated for their resistance to attack against specific tools for a set period of time. There are a dozen different ratings, everything from ATM machines, to gun safes to bank vaults. For example, a safe that bears a Class TRTL-15X6 rating, which might be found in a jewelry store, should resist a hand tool and torch attack for a minimum of 15 minutes. A TRTL-30X6-rated safe, which would protect important documents or store money, should withstand an attack for 30 minutes. The ultimate safe rating-a TXTL60-should withstand an hour's worth of attack that includes the use of 8 ounces of nitroglycerin.
   
6. Because of the size and weight of certain safes and vault doors, it is not always practical to have the product shipped to UL's laboratory locations. UL's burglary protection staff has traveled to destinations such as Japan, France, Israel, England, Finland, Taiwan and India.
   
7. In addition to burglary protection ratings, UL also rates safes for their fire resistance protection. Class 350 safes protect paper documents, Class 150 safes protect magnetic tape and photographic film, while Class 125 safes protect floppy disks. In addition to the Class Rating, safes obtain an hourly rating for fire resistance-anywhere from 30 minutes to four hours.
   
8. Another cool test UL runs on safes is an impact test. This test simulates a safe falling though multiple stories of a building-resulting from a fire that has weakened the structure. After the safe is heated to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit in a furnace, it's raised three stories and dropped onto a pile of bricks. In order to meet the requirement, the safe can't pop open. Temperatures inside can't rise to above 300 degrees Fahrenheit and sample papers left inside have to be readable.
   
9. The specialized suits you sometimes find technicians wearing are not just for show. Their entire ensemble, including protective coat, helmet and gloves, protects the crew against the adverse effects of sparking. After all, safety can't be taken for granted, even within the walls of UL.
   
10. Safes are just one of the 19,000 product categories that UL tests and certifies. While UL's burglary protection team cracks combinations, shatters glass and fires .44-caliber bullets at body armor, other UL engineers and technicians keep busy testing everything from TVs, coffee makers and holiday light strings to fire extinguishers, medical CAT scan equipment and building materials.

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Security On Sale....

A little over 10 years ago we posted an article (below) that included a video about quality versus garbage products, that has seen  a significant number of page views and continues to be on of our multitude of viral posts.

The post was titled "Big Box Store Or Product Specialist?"

In the last 10 years, Amazon has grown to become one of the most competitive marketplaces for goods available. they have almost taken over from Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes, Target, K-Mart, Sears etc, among other companies that have failed as a consequence.

Locksmiths and Safe Specialists across the planet have deliberately trained in their chosen vocations, to deliver quality services and products to the many discerning customers, demanding more from their security products







April 25, 2008

Many customers prefer to purchase their products today from the big box stores, primarily due to their more competitive prices.

The following video explains why you are better served by a professional security company with respect to your personal and business security requirements.

Whereas, the video is about safes specifically, the same applies to your doors, locks and keys.

The choice is yours. Big box or Security Specialist?

REMEMBER: You only get what you pay for! And "if you only want to pay peanuts, expect to get monkeys!"





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We Recently Acquired The Inventory Of A Closing Bilock Dealer - New Discounted Inventory Coming Up For Sale

 We just acquired the entire inventory of a closing Bilock dealer in USA.

We will be contacting their clients soon to maintain their security systems and continue to offer them parts and services.

Being the largest Bilock dealer in the Midwest, we continue to supply these sensational 100% bump proof and virtually pick proof, copy proof keys and locks to discerning buyers intent upon maximizing the security of their homes and offices.

We will soon be offering a steep discount on some of the acquired inventory.

 Bilock continues to provide up to 1.7 million key changes in a master keyed system. Color coding the keyheads enables simple and quick identification and separation between doors, locks, buildings etc.

Using the unique Quick Change Core technology, users will not require to disassemble and reassemble any cylinders or hardware, when the need arises to have your locks rekeyed.

 The 21 different colored keyheads allows us to design unique color coding for systems that allow users to quickly identify the correct color used for the correct door or for different levels of master keys to operate separate key cylinders.

The 21 colors and shades, comprise 3 separate parts allowing potentially over 9000 color combinations by mix and matching pieces. This can be of benefit to users significantly.

 The unique OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) product pictured in the diagram here, displays the Slam Cam deadlatching cam lock. Perfect for steel cabinet doors or drawers, it allows for unparalleled cabinet and drawer locking strength. The added ability to include these locks in your Quick Change Core system, makes this product a sought after item. With the key only able to be withdrawn in the open position, losing your key or leaving it unattended is virtually avoided.

 The 4 main cylinder types include key-in-knob cylinders used in entrance sets and deadbolt locks, padlocks other OEM products.
The Rim cylinder is seen in surface mounted panic bars, surface mounted nightlatches, surface mounted deadlatches, jimmy-proof deadbolt locks, gates locks (see image below) among other uses.

 The Grade 2 Deadbolt offers high quality security in a competitively priced package. Typically the OEM Bilock Grade 2 deadbolts are available in Polished Brass, Satin Stainless Steel, but we also happily provide cylinders and cores that will suit other brands of harware including (but not limited to) LSDA - Antique Brass, Bronze, Chrome Plate, Yale, Schlage, Arrow and other leading brands.

 This is a closer image of the typical rim cylinder.

 Here is an image of a Bilock Rim Cylinder installed to a Hurricane Fence gate. Combined with a hardened steel blocker plate that doubles as a gate stop, this very strong gate lock is virtually indestructible,

The wide range of Key-in-knob cylinders allows use in deadbolts, entry knob sets, lever handle entrance sets, storeroom door lock sets, classroom door lock sets, sliding patio door lock sets among other uses.

 This image displays the common core that will fit into many different and separate cylinder housings. See the key inside the core? That core will fit into all the surrounding styles of cylinders, meaning you can have 1 single high-security bump proof and virtually pick proof key system that will operate across multiple brands and hardware needs. Padlocks, Oval Cylinders, cam locks, Entrance Sets and Deadbolts, Mortise Locks, Rim Locks, even electrical switches. The unique Bilock system is almost limitless in it's applications.


Knobs, levers, almost any application can be supported using Bilock

 The Bilock Range is quite vast and useful in display case security, Euro cylinders, cupboard deadlocks and latches, padlocks of differing sizes and materials, all conveniently controlled by one unique bump proof and virtually pick proof key.

 See the 3 sections of the key head? we can put together separate colors to help you identify your keys easily.

Even push projection locks can be used to secure hard to lock wooden drawers, Bilock products leave no options out.









We have been continually offering Bilock products throughout the world for almost 35 years now, having installed this fabulous system to casinos, hospitals, clinics, universities and colleges, private and public schools, bars and restaurants among many and varied applications.

Customer choose Bilock for it's unique looking key and the wide range of products that can be secured.

Many modern day electronic security providers also choose to include Bilock Extreme-Security key cylinders in their ranges of offerings. One such company is Salto. (click on the link to learn more about Salto)

As Winter Approaches - Now May Be The Time To Get Proactive To Protect Family, Customers, Friends and Strangers

The current seasonal shift is well underway, no matter what part of the planet you live on.

Of course with the northern hemisphere changing over to Winter, so come the inevitable virus', colds, flu, pneumonia and other potentially life threatening illnesses.

An often over looked issue, that faces all of us regularly is the transference of potentially harmful pathogens that can occur when differing users might touch or operate a door handle, safety bar, handrail etc. Do you know who touched the item before you? Do you care?

A little over 7 years ago we wrote an article about the recently released (at the time) blockbuster movie, starring Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow. We included the preview in our article too. (See the article we wrote in October 2011, below).

When you go to a hospital or medical clinic, you hope that the managers of such public places care enough about the health and welfare of their consumers to have policies and rules in place to mitigate any harm potentially caused therein, right?

I'm sure you have seen and continue to see many private and public places include a pump bottle of hand sanitizer near a restroom and often signs posted inside a restroom requiring employees to wash hands prior to handling food or after using the facilities. This modern day policy stemmed from the outbreak of the highly contagious H1N1 virus that threatened many thousands of people all across the planet. Luckily the quick action of governments worldwide and especially the CDC in America, stemmed the threat, but not before thousands of people, animals, birds etc, were slaughtered or died.

See our post from October 1, 2011.

Contagion

Just last week my wife and I went to see this movie. I found it to be one of the most entertaining suspense filled films I have seen in ages.

It stars Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Lawrence Fishburne and a gaggle of other big name stars.

The storyline involves a woman who returns home to the USA from abroad who has been in contact with someone who passed on a virus to her. Anything or anyone she came into contact with seemed to also contract the contagious virus.

To make a long story short, many millions of people become infected and die before a cure is found.

The realism in this fictional movie was astounding. The film director makes the audience feel that the whole scenario is entirely plausible and probable.

The recent bird flu and H1N1 virus' that the world contracted in the last couple of years, makes this film even more realistic and topical.

Why do I post this review here?

I am the exclusive USA importer/distributor of the sensational Serrature Meroni brand of locks and door and cabinet hardware from Italy. Serrature Meroni, a few years ago introduced a unique line of inventory that includes especially designed anti-bacterial polymer door knobs. These handles minimize the potential impact of transferring diseasebetween people.

Virtually all people touch a door knob to operate a door at home or work or the doctors surgery or a hospital or any other public building, in order to enter or exit a room or the building. All people rarely consider the likelihood of catching and spreading germs from unknowingly touching a surface that a possible infected carrier has also touched.

Remember when those recent well known virus' (Bird Flu and H1N1) were breaking news all over the media? Pharmacists, grocery stores and merchants everywhere suddenly began selling notoriously huge amounts of hand sanitizers and similar products. Many institutions enacted strict policies forcing people to use hand sanitizers as often as possible and some even required employees to wear face masks to minimize the potential spread of airborne diseases.

The realism of the movie Contagion, made me think about how easy it would be to spread disease.

But thanks to forward thinking companies like Serrature Meroni, we can now rest easier with the assurance that forward thinking home owners, hospital management, doctors surgeries, chemical research laboratories and other concerned proactive people, are taking steps to protect their customers, staff, friends and families from the potential deadly side effects of unknown or even known virus'.

Facial Recognition Technology Has Really Come Of Age Thanks To Apple Iphone - Check Out This facial Recognition Security Device From About 10 Years Ago

Almost 10 years ago we wrote an article about some facial recognition technology and especially one particular product that we also sold a number of.

The post we wrote in December 2009 was one of the last posts that year, but proved to be wildly popular. I dont know why exactly.

I have sold about 4 of these units and I believe my customers are still using them today.

Face Recognition Security - For Doors

I have been touting the use of biometric access control systems, especially residential fingerprint controlled door locks, for quite some time.

Recent experience installing some of these products has lead me to understand some of the pitfalls of the technology, especially age related syndromes that affect interface operation by elder users.

Here is a new product, recently released that adopts a variation in biometric access technology.

Facial recognition technology is still in it's infancy compared to other existing biometric systems (like fingerprints etc). Embrace the world of advanced time attendance systems. Beautifully designed to compliment any imaginable décor, this facial identification time attendance system recognizes faces in 3D by utilizing the internal dual sensor and dual camera that allows it to establish an incredible facial recognition algorithm in a fraction of a second.

At a Glance...

• Lock and unlocks doors
• Face recognition technology
• Record employee attendance
• Time keeping and data logging
• Export and Import from a TXT file
• Download recorded data via USB or TCP/IP
• Included software for detailed record keeping and analysis

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Solar Powered Power Option For Controlling Electronic Security Products

In June 2010 we posted an article (below) about solar powered power options designed to be used to enable electronic security products.

We have seen a great number of pageviews for this particular post and thought we'd follow up that article with an opinion about the multitude of electronic wireless, battery powered products that continue to enter this (getting) crowded market segment.

In a number of other articles we have written here, we have continued to question the benefits and quality of many battery powered security products.

We believe that the battery powered security devices, specifically deadbolts, entrance sets and the like can offer only 2 primary benefits that can make them appealing.

These benefits are:
1. The ability to remotely lock or unlock the product and the ability to inquire as to the lock status (is the door locked or not)

2. The ability to set automatic locking on the product, to ensure your product locks independent of human involvement.




Understanding that many consumers today are increasingly interested in the many and varied battery powered options, aimed at simplifying their lives, unfortunately the convincing sales pitches will rarely tell you about the genre's shortcomings. Specifically, the need to be constantly replacing batteries to maintain continued operations and the other primary issue, being that as all doors and frames move with weathering, settling, ground movements etc. your beaut $200+ deadbolt or entrance set WILL become useless before long and suffer electronic operability issues.

We believe that the best security offered by deadbolts and entrance sets, is still the mechanical options that can be physically operated by hand. When a condition occurs that inhibits your ease of use, mechanically you can still play with it to get it to operate. Electronically, this is not possible.

Master Pro Series Padlocks - Post Revisited

Way back in 2007, we posted article here about the Master Pro Series Padlock.
The post has generated a great many page views over the years. We still believe this product to be one of the best in it's class.



June 29, 2007



The Master Pro Series 6621 padlock is one of the finest and most versatile padlocks available for todays market. It is an all-weather resistant padlock.

Locks210.com is pleased to present this product keyed to Bilock with your choice of key head colors and 3 keys. (price on application)


The Master Pro Series Padlocks are among the finest padlock products in their genre.

You can choose from key retaining (meaning you can only withdraw the key when locked) or standard (key withdrawal either locked or unlocked)

The source below display the many and varied options of this widely respected padlock range.

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Daring Indiana Burglar Uses Bird Scooter To Make Getaway

A daring burglar in Indiana entered a homeowners residence though an unlocked door, ransacked the place and made his daring getaway on a for-hire scooter, according to an article appearing on ABC News.

According to the article the resident was at home during the raid and even heard some noises downstairs but when he went to investigate, he saw his wallet, laptop and car keys were missing.

According to police, there was no sign of forced entry indicating that the back door was left unlocked.

The Bird Scooter rental company has distanced themselves from the incident.

The article (in the source below) is yet another instance where crimes of opportunity appear to be on the rise. Leaving your doors unlocked used to be okay, in previous years but today, you're just asking for trouble.

Locksmiths across the country and around the world can provide quality locking products that will automatically lock the door when closed, but even the ages old nighlatch is designed to lock every time (unless you snib it open).

There is an apt saying, "Keep It Yours - Lock Your Doors"!

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In another article appearing on 10TV News in Hamilton Ohio, an elderly resident has been robbed by a man, whom she knew and even hired.

Apparently she paid him $150 to cut down a tree (which he never completed) and then this man entered her unlocked home and stole a further $250+.

This is yet another reason to "Keep It Yours - Lock Your Doors"!

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