Keyed Pocket Door Lock - The Lockwood 7444 SPDP Flying Off The Shelves

Our largest selling product, The fabulous Lockwood 7444 Keyed Pocket Door Lock is flying off the shelves.

The simplicity in it's design and the ease of installation provide great security and access control to consumers desiring simple security and access control for their pocket or cavity doors.

We continue to see increasing numbers of units going to Canada and the east coast of USA and also discerning tastes across the west coast of the USA.

The installation animation below shows just how simple this product is, to install.



The lockset uses a standard 5 pin tumbler keyway, similar to Kwikset's standard keyway and therefore able to be keyed alike to Kwikset keys.

Originally designed for 1-3/8" thick doors, due to significant numbers of requests for use on 1-3/4" thick doors, the manufacturer decided to update the product line with a simple modification that allows the product to be used on 1-3/4" thick doors too.

We have sold roughly 2500 units over the last 4 years, with only 2 reported failures (both units replaced free of charge and overnight delivery).

Demand continues to be strong and our current inventory has dwindled to only 5 units left, as of this writing.

New inventory is expected in the next 4 weeks and unfortunately, due to the US$ currency dropping in value to foreign currencies, we will be forced to increase the cost.

Currently the product sells for US$128.00 plus US$25 shipping to the lower 48 via UPS Ground.
If you're siting on the fence, hoping to find it cheaper elsewhere, you wont. We do not offer the product through Amazon or eBay, only through our sites. We maintain the manufacturers warranty of 12 months and also offer a 30 day money back guarantee*

Purchase options

Also Available (on request)
Lockwood 7450 Passage Version
Lockwood 7410 Privacy (bathroom) Version
Lockwood 7400 Passage Latching Version

United States Secret Service Warns Of ATM "Jackpotting" Scam

Breaking News: Secret Service Warns Of ATM "Jackpotting" Scam...

The United States secret service warned yesterday that American banks need to be on high alert to ATM "jackpotting", a scam that has proliferated throughout Europe and Mexico, the last few years.



Essentially, "jackpotting" is known as a method that thieves use to contravene an ATM's security by opening the cabinet, putting in a laptop with a certain "skimming" program connected to the port and closing the machine. Then a "dove" comes by to operate the ATM, calls the first thief who activates the code remotely to allow the machine to empty it's cash dispenser, sometimes up to 23 notes per second.

The thieves often work in pairs, often dressed up like electronic repairmen, with sign written uniforms and vehicles, easily conning staff at ATM locations to let them in.

A large issue stems from the manufacturers of the ATM cabinets that are apparently using a uniform standard key lock on all cabinets. All locks are keyed alike, allowing for many different people to have access to the key and the locks.

About 25 years ago, I worked for a large metropolitan security patrol company that were contracted by banks to refill empty ATM's. The security control center monitoring station would send three (3) patrol cars to every ATM refill request. Each ATM was housed in a solid cabinet and controlled with two (2) separate mechanical dial combination locks, that also had lockable dials. One patrol officer would have the dial lock keys, one patrol officer would be given the combination to lock A and the other patrol officer would be given the combination to lock B.

The security was taken very seriously and using multiple people provided multiple required credentials and physical presence to complete the ATM refilling task.

These days, I see it often where a lone technician is often called to perform an ATM service at a bank or a convenience store or a bar etc. I think that it is especially important to have multiple people in attendance for security reasons, especially where hard currency is involved.

Often, locksmiths and safe technicians would maintain contracts with financial institutions to regularly attend the ATM site and change the dial combinations regularly, to prevent unauthorised knowledge of combinations to be reused over and over.

Perhaps a new opportunity for would be locksmiths and safe technicians exists to set up maintenance contracts with financial institutions to regularly alter the combination locks on ATM machines.

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Aegis Padlock DT - USB 3.0 Hard Drive With Security Keypad

This new product is an interesting idea.

The worry today, about the security of our online information and accessing that information, continues to be a very present concern for people of many kinds.

Securing your information can almost be as vital and important as securing your home or office, sometimes more.

Computers are progressively taking over all our lives and the quantity of IoT (Internet Of Things) products continues to increase across the market quite rapidly.

The Aegis Padlock DT - USB 3.0 Hard Drive uses an inbuilt digital keypad that requires the user be present to be able to access that drive.
While this may seem counter-productive to cloud based information storage systems, today storing our information in the cloud, securely while having continued access to it, without having to pay to access your own data, seems to be a thorn in some peoples sides.

Available in different storage capacities, this product may suit a consumer concerned with better security of their data, especially having a person be present to allow the drive to be accessed.

If this contributes to a more secure future for would be users of the computer it is connected to, then perhaps it will see traction in the wider market.

The source below will reveal the product page, cost and attributes.

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Our Most Popular Posts Of All Time...

Pictured above is a list of our all time most popularly viewed posts, including their publication date, pageviews and number of comments.

When we began writing this weblog, we hoped to receive a few visits from readers of the world wide web and are reasonably happy with our progress.

When we began writing this blog in 2007, we thought it might provide our main website and consequently our penetration into the wider market, we had no idea that it would prove as popular as it has. While we could be posting more often, for being a micro-business, we just havent the staffing levels to support enough authors, editors and trained staff to operate the multiple tasks needed to keep the business operating. Therefore, we are only finding limited time to write new content.

You are welcome to click on each page link provided below and read the articles our visitors have found and continue to find most popular...

Kwikset SmartKey Problems

Schlage Securekey Problems...

Contagion

Credit Cards Used To Duplicate Keys

Bicycle Lock - A New Adaption

The Gun Debate Rages On And On...

Lockwood 7444 Keyed Pocket Door Lock

Bicycle Security - A New Look At The Infiniti3D System

Pocket Door Locks With Key - UPDATE

Schlage Securekey Fault

Lock Industry Mergers - HES And Securitron Combine To Form Assa-Abloy Electronic Security Hardware

Breaking News: Two companies already owned by Lock Industry monolith Assa-Abloy, have decided to merge and form the start of Assa-Abloy Electronic Security Hardware.

HES are a well known manufacturer of electric strikes and electronic access control products that have dominated the access control industry for over 40 years. Their continued wide ranging use in residential, commercial, institutional and industrial markets, cemented their market dominance.

Securitron, began operations in 1977 with the release of their patented "E Profile Magnetic Lock", a game changing product that dramatically increased physical security protection for entry points.
Throughout their years, Securitron have continued their impressive research and development initiatives and released market changing products including, but not limited to, "Touch-Sense Panic Exit Devices" among other products.

Assa-Abloy recognized the important and unique research and development by these two companies and separately, bought them out at different times in the last few years.

Assa-Abloy has maintained a policy of limited interference in a company it has purchased, allowing many of those companies to continue their business models, but with the strength of the Assa-Abloy Conglomerate, propping up and supporting them, keeping them financially viable and producing.

This decision, by the two companies to merge their operations under their parent company Assa-Abloy Electronic Security Hardware, comes as no surprise to market players.

Assa-Abloy recently completed the acquisition of August, the startup company who produced a market leading residential security add-on, that converts an existing residential deadbolt lock into a bluetooth/WiFi controlled access control point, but (as it's unique selling point) without requiring a user to replace their existing deadbolt lock.

Market observers are keenly keeping eyes on Assa-Abloy to see which other companies (already under their umbrella) will be added to this new Assa-Abloy Electronic Security Hardware division.

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Delaware To Update School And Institution Security Hardware Requirements To Overhauled Policy

Classroom Security has been becoming an alarming and increasing issue across North America in recent years, with the increasing numbers of armed intruders causing havoc to junior elementary (sub-primary), elementary (primary), junior high school and senior high school campuses, as well as a number of higher education colleges and universities.

Intruders, often bullied former students or disgruntled staff members, are fast becoming a major thorn to the security of our children while they are at school.

Delaware State House of Representatives, this week is currently debating and voting on a major policy change and update, aimed at increasing significantly, the security hardware and protocols at all the states schools, colleges and universities.

Many schools across the USA, already use quality door lock systems to secure doors, but many of the existing measures have been found wanting in recent times. This has caused much angst by parents and teachers, concerned with offering quality education to our children in safe, secure environments.

There are a great many products across the wider marketplace that already offer significant strength and security, but too few schools are bothering to spend the necessary investments to protect their faculty, staff and pupils.

There are many different brands of lock systems that provide increased strength and design, to better protect our children, including double cylinder lever entrance sets (called Classroom Locksets), including but not limited to Yale, Corbin, Schlage, Arrow, Assa, Abloy and many others.

Essentially, "a double cylinder classroom lockset functions like almost any other lever or knob entry set, except that it uses an internal keyed cylinder to enable the locking of the outside handle, while ensuring the inside handle remains unlocked and still easy to escape through, if required (maintaining life safety and International Building Code policies and rules)."

Some schools and institutions are spending millions of dollars to increase the security of their classrooms and entrances, but often they neglect to ensure that doors and windows include bullet resistant glass or resistant window films. Many seem to believe that the quality lockset and an alarm system will provide enough security to prevent an armed intruder from wreaking havoc through their schools.

Delaware are debating the inclusion of alarm systems, bullet proof accessories and double-keyed locksets.

In our 35+ years of locksmithery across the world, we have installed many locksets to school entrances and classrooms to increase the security of these doors.

In one case many years ago, one school decided to install double cylinder deadbolts to every door, as recommended by their security analyst and architect, before consulting with professional locksmiths, who are deliberately trained in physical hardware that complies with life safety, building codes, insurance requirements to protect would-be users of these rooms.
Our company was asked to install according to the plan and completed the request, against our better judgement, while warning the school officials that their desire was not legal. One week prior to the opening of the new school term, state and local inspectors came in to certify the school for opening, but when they saw the double cylinder locks fitted to all doors, they immediately failed the school because they did not comply with building and life safety codes.
Our company was once again called in to rectify the issues with new "approved" products that met or exceeded the codes, adding significant cost to the project. Our company worked overtime to complete the task prior to the school opening on time.

This reinforces the point that involving your local trained professional locksmith can and will augment your bottom line costs and save you considerable angst and compliance issues down the road.

There are many professional locksmith companies across North America, that provide trained professionals with field experience that are able to provide best-case-scenario advice, that will help any organization to increase their physical and electronic security measures, without breaking the bank.


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Columbia Missouri Police To Defer All Lock Out Calls To Locksmiths

A news article appeared December 30, 2017 in the local Columbia Missouri newspaper "The Missourian", explaining that Columbia Police Department have decided to refer all customers who call 911 and Boone County Joint Communications to an on-call locksmith.

The usual method to service a would be 911 caller is to provide police service attendance and then that officer usually calls a locksmith with the client in attendance.

The new directive will be to simply refer to a locksmith phone number.

The change in procedure is designed to better serve the interests of the community and the police service, by streamlining operations and saving time and money for arbitrary police calls where police can be better directed to more pressing police matters.

One certainly hopes that the police department becomes sure to send to a bonafide locksmith company and NOT the legions of fraudsters preying on innocent consumers with bait and switch pricing and massive over charging.

For Columbia's 250 or thereabouts lockout requests a year, this action will serve to save the city/county some money and a lot of time and inconvenience for both the customer and the city.

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Lockwood 303/355 Jemmy Proof Deadbolt Prevents Door Jamb Spreading - Thwarting One Of The Most Common Non-Destructive Door Bypass Techniques

The Lockwood 303/355 range of surface/rim mounted deadbolt locks offers a unique security product that effectively connects your door and frame together, preventing a common door bypass technique known as frame spreading.

You may have heard or seen an old product that has been around for many years known as the Segal Jimmy Proof Deadbolt.

The product has been loved for over a hundred years by many dwellers for its simplicity and its security.

The Jimmy Proof deadlock uses two pins that drop vertically through a two ringed strike plate, physically attaching the door to the frame/jamb. The lock usually holds to the door with 6 screws, 2 for the outer cylinder and four for the body of the deadlock.

The product pictured here is the Australian Lockwood 303/355 Claw Bolt Rim Deadlock, that uses 2 screws though the inside plate assembly to attach to the external key cylinder and a further 4 screws to attach the plate to the door. It also uses additional side mounted screws to attach the deadlock body to the internal plate.

The strike plate consists of a two part unit, with two hardened metal rings and a cover plate that are attached with 3 long screws anchoring the strike to the jamb. The separation of the two parts on the strike adds a laminating effect which further increases the strength of the application.

We also include an image of the Bilock Extreme Security Rim Cylinder, which can be used externally to provide 100% Bump Proof and virtually Pick Proof external keyed access.

The product is a highly sought after incredibly strong deadlock that increases your security tremendously. Not especially beautiful, but available in Satin Nickel or Mahogany Brown, if you dont mind having a large deadbolt on your door, you can rest assured that the security is second to none, worldwide.

Other manufacturers over the years have produced similar products, like Yale and Abloy. The Abloy SuperStopper version was a Black Steel Super-Hardened Body with Stainless Steel Turn Button and Stainless Steel Strike Plate. It was quite expensive and saw few sales in it's time before being discontinued. I have installed both the Lockwood version and the Abloy version during my career. I have also installed the Yale and the Segal a few times too.

If you use hinge pins to secure the hinge side of your door (which will prevent a would be intruder from pulling your door off by simply removing the hinge pins) and a Lockwood 303/355 Jemmy Proof Rim Deadlock, you can rest assured that your door will continue to be physically attached to the door jamb and will provide significantly increased security for your dwelling

Skybell - Inventor Of Smart Home Doorbell Technology Claims Rival Ring Stole Its Technology

Many consumers will be familiar with Ring.

The connected smart home doorbell product that attempted to win a sizeable investment when it debuted on Shark Tank a few years ago, since exploded on the scene with backing from multiple other investors.

Few perhaps fail to understand that the technology is based on patents belonging to another company.

Skybell claim to own 71 patents related to the very technology that Ring have allegedly copied and use in their range of products, severely curbing and hurting the ability of Skybell to be competitive in the market. The suit relates specifically to 3 patents that Ring are alleged to have copied, as a result of collaboration between managers of both companies during the initial research and development.

The start-up industry is indeed a murky environment, inhabited by many jealous players and sinister types who will do almost anything to beat out a competitor, but outright theft of intellectual property is a really dastardly thing to do.

We will be watching this story with interest as it unfolds.

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Kwikset Kevo Contemporary - New Advancement To Their Range Features "Touch Locking"

The Consumer Electronic Show is in full swing currently in Las Vegas and continues it's 50+ year history as a showcase for the future of electronic technology and products that "may" come to market in the next year or few.

Kwikset are no stranger to CES and continue this year to push the boundaries of technology advancement with the release of their new Contemporary Range of Kevo Connected Products.


Kwikset are one of the largest manufacturers of door hardware in the North American market and continue to provide builders and dwellers with a wide range of door hardware in varying styles, colors and configurations.

This Kevo product has been around a few years now and offers users a Bluetooth wireless experience to augment their "keyless" range of products.

I use the term "keyless" with care here, because Kwikset are not actually releasing non-keyed hardware (as that would defeat the reason they exist in the first place). They still offer their range of "Smart Key" cylinders across their vast range and continue to improve the strength of the cylinder product. As a veteran locksmith technician, having worked with Kwikset products over 35 years and worldwide, I am not a huge proponent of their range, but it is functional and competitively priced even though I think it is actually garbage.

There are many competing brands that are significantly better quality and competitively priced that can also be keyed alike with Kwikset keys, that are often more aesthetically pleasing, easier to operate, functional and last as long, if not longer.

Visiting your local locksmith to learn more about the other brands that offer competitive value to Kwikset, can be well worth your advantage.

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Vivint Smart Home Settles With ADT in Deceptive Sales Practises Lawsuit To The Tune Of $10 Million

Breaking News:

January 5, 2018

ADT - One of America's largest alarm and security companies announced last Thursday that they have settled with Vivint Smart Home an ongoing lawsuit over Vivint's use of deceptive sales practises.

Vivint Smart Home, which began life in 1999 as APX Alarm Systems in Utah has settled multiple lawsuits over the years in relation to deceptive sales tactics with Texas, Pennsylvania and Wyoming.

Vivint rebranded from APX and entered the residential home security market to offer customers "connected" lock and alarm systems in the burgeoning "Smart Home" market.

They make use of modern technology products including wireless door locks, alarm panels, camera's, door bells, thermostats etc to offer prospective clients a modern "connected" smart home.

Otto - Digital Door Lock Manufacturer Introduced In August 2017 - Closes Up Shop 5 Months Later

Breaking News: OTTO Closes Down.

Otto displayed their new entrant to the digital deadbolt market back in August 2017 with a great deal of hype.

The system purported to be a high quality top end system aimed at the residential home security market.

Promising features and high quality manufacturing priced the new product at the upper end of similar offerings.

The IoT (Internet of Things) industry has brought a great many new players into the market and industry in recent years and home security products purports to be a $20 Billion - $30 Billion dollar industry and constantly growing.

There are no end of new products coming to market to whet the appetites of consumers, each with varying product features and uses. WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, Deadbolts, Door Handles etc all vying for a piece of the pie.

But to corner a part of the market requires some capital and longevity in an industry that is truly dominated by few worldwide corporations that essentially own the market. Assa-Abloy is well known as the worldwide leader in manufacturing of access control, locking systems, hardware for commercial and residential entry systems. They have many competing companies under their umbrella and are well known as a builder of high quality products. They have the resources to continue to offer many of the leading and most desired products in the industry, across the planet..

Otto have become the latest startup to fall victim to a crowded market. They were just in the process of finalizing a corporate takeover of their company, when the buyer pulled out.
The ensuing damage damned the fate of this Silicon Valley startup, before they could get their product out to the market. They now have a warehouse full of product unable to be sold and are facing complete shut down.

Lockwood 7444 Keyed Pocket Door Lock - Inventory Dwindling

Demand for this high quality product, the Lockwood 7444 Keyed Pocket Door Lock is remaining sufficiently high and we are seeing increasing movement in inventory.

Our last shipment from late October is already half depleted and demand doesn't appear to be diminishing any time soon.

We envisaged a slight price increase around the start of 2018 and we still expect that to occur.

We are entering new arrangements on shipping services with USPS that may bring down the domestic shipping cost slightly, but we will maintain the ability to ship overnight with UPS or Fedex too.
If you dont mind waiting 10 days to get it by USPS, then that might be a cheaper shipping option for you.

With only 4 days left in 2018, we suggest would be fence sitters hurry to purchase before the January 1st price increase.

View the installation video and purchasing options in the source below.

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Pattern Door Lock - Concept Concealed Code Entry Lockset

 Here is a new concept from an Asian designer that bears some merit.

Have you noticed that using the common digital keypad entry set, available across today's market including any of almost 100 different manufacturers, use a front facing keypad that people in your vicinity may be able to peer over your shoulder and watch as you enter in your credentials?

Have you tried to shield your entry technique by moving your body to block their view, or used your hand to shield their eyesight?

This Pattern Door lock puts the combination on the rear of the handle, effectively blocking another person from seeing your code.

 Simple to operate and effective, this concept could see the light of day in internal environments. I suggest that due to the limited type of lock types, it may be better suited to an internal office environment or even residence doors inside an apartment complex (not exposed to weather). The pictures here show how the locks are operated.

This is a concept only at this time, but I suggest that it is a concept that has a future.

What do you think?

Would discerning building managers and contractors consider installing these types of access control systems for apartment buildings or offices?

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Haven - New Application By Edward Snowden Suggests A Use For Your Retired Android Phone

Y'all may remember Edward Snowden, the former NSA employee who spilled the beans a few years ago about goings on at the NSA.

He has been busy recently developing all manner of things including this new application he calls Haven.

Haven is an application you may be able to store on your Android phone that can turn that phone into a security camera system for personal use.

There are not many intricate details released just yet, but essentially the application enables you to install a sensor and video/sound capture system on your used Android mobile phones, using the already built in camera, microphone, light sensors and messaging services to provide a sensible use for your used devices and get more life out of your used product.

Using a previous cellphone (mobile phone) or a "burner phone" often means that you could have a very inexpensive method of increasing your personal security without purchasing new hardware.

There are a few articles explaining about this new concoction of Snowden's and like him or not, he is considered by many to be on the cutting edge of security technology.

Check out the article in the source below for more details.

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Blink - Wireless Peep Hole Camera Systems Agrees To Be Acquired By Amazon

Breaking News: Blink, the wireless, battery powered peephole camera system manufacturer announced on Friday that they have agreed to be acquired by Amazon.

There are many players today in the peephole market, some of whom you may be familiar with like Ring or Brinno and Blink have just been acquired by Amazon in an attempt to further their recent product and service offering called Amazon Key.

Wireless peepholes are quite the rage today because many dwellers desire to know whom is actually at their door, whether they are home or not.

With the Internet Of Things (IOT) constantly evolving to make our lives more technological and easier, smart home technology is still in it's infancy. Many competing products, vying for our dollars, are coming to market. Many smart home products, including wireless battery powered deadbolts, entrance sets, door bells etc are a common method for people to get their feet wet with the latest smart home technology.

Amazon announced their Amazon Key program 2 months ago, to enable Amazon product deliveries to your residence or office, even when your abode is unattended. This service by Amazon is an ambitious attempt to thwart the increasing crime known as "porch theft" or "porch piracy". See this New York Times article from December 19th.


Personally, while I understand the desire of some to constantly be visually aware of "goings on" at home, especially at your entry, I am bewildered that many customers of this technology would allow their properties to be viewed over the web, through cloud services. Combine that with the recent announcement about the KRACK wifi virus that we wrote about here about 2 months ago and perhaps this is another recipe for disaster in the making.

I believe consumers should protect their privacy more and perhaps think about storing their security camera pictures on their home server or hard drives, rather than a web based system.

I'm sure opinions vary and would like to know your feelings on this matter.
Feel free to comment in the space below (and include a link to your website if you desire - REMEMBER all comments are subject to moderation)

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Minute Key Kiosk Produces Keys That Often Do Not Work...

Big box store patrons may have noticed the Minute Key Kiosks popping up at various Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart and other hardware stores over the last couple of years.

Key duplication is a service not only provided by locksmiths, but also hardware stores, shoe repairers and some gas stations too.

We have mentioned the Minute Key Kiosk in this blog previously, but were asked to remove the post by the distributor because the product hadn been officially released at that time.

This story comes about thanks to a post from a colleague in the Society Of Professional Locksmiths.

The machine in question, located in a Lowes store on the east coast, recently suffered a malfunction where the store manager was unable to open the machine up to remove money and replace the metal stock for continuing to make keys.

The manager had the operating key and could turn it in the access lock, but couldnt get the lock to function, requiring him to call a locksmith technician to fix the ailment.

My colleague attended and performed his miracle save, quickly and efficiently, allowing for the machine to be put back into operation quickly.

Normally that would be the end of the story, but there are a few things worth noting about these machines.

Reports are coming in from customers and other technicians who have paid to have their keys duplicated by these machines, with most of the commenters indicating that the keys do not work.

One store, even decided to offer all staff a free duplicate key when they first got their kiosk and every staff member reported back that the duplicate key did not work at all.

Shawn Duckett, of SOS Security Solutions in Ohio and another fellow member of SOPL, wrote, "I've had a few customers come out to my shop after getting a key cut from one of those machines and complaining that the key didn't work. I also had a customer who worked at Lowes and they had a key machine like that installed. They gave everyone in the store a Free cut key of their choice. NONE worked."

Tom Gorham, of Lockdoc in Longview Washington and another fellow member of SOPL wrote, "My wife just purchased a key at Lowe's 
that has a ‎carabiner clip built in as the head of the key. 
They asked if she wanted it cut, she said no. 
They talked her into getting it cut there...it did not work. 

I was able to salvage the key...The spacing was 1/2 cut off. 
What can you expect ? The AXXESS machines they use are not Idiot proof."

Check out some reviews from customers on the Menards page...

Feel free to post your feelings about your experiences with Minute Key Kiosks in the comments section below, (you are welcome to include a link to your website - NOTE comments are subject to moderation)

Trident Multi Point Lock Products - Putting Strength Back Into Security

Trident Solutions are a great company who provide surprisingly strong multi-point lock systems for industrial and commercial applications, that are considered at the top of the chain for their security, ease of installation, strength and ambience.

Sensational products that suitably secure your premises are often much better than electronic alarm systems, because unlike alarm systems, physical security products directly prevent destructive entry techniques. Alarm systems make a noise, which is great if you want to be informed, but they do nothing to stop you getting broken into.

I have personally installed 2 of the Trident Solutions and the clients are very happy, even 4 years down the track.

If strength and confidence in your security system is a integral need for you, look no further than Trident to appease you.

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Foley-Belsaw Closed. 90 Year Old Training Company And Correspondence Course Leader Shuts It's Doors

Breaking News: December 19, 2017.

Unsubstantiated reports are coming in that Foley-Belsaw, the almost 100 year old company repsonsible for providing correspondence courses that enabled many entrepeneurs to build businesses, has closed down yesterday December 18, 2017.

FB has been providing unique training courses in locksmithing and other vocations for almost 100 years. A great many businesses across many cities, states, country towns, counties and across the world were formed using FB as their mentor and training regime.

FB gave a start to many small business people in the locksmith arena, where others failed.
Their unique correspondence course provided would-be students with an affordable and straightforward course to learn many of the basic aspects of the trade.

Based in no small part on the mail order industry, I suggest that they may have fallen prey to the ever expanding World Wide Web.

There are a number of respected organizations today that offer training course in locksmithing and other vocations. Some of whom we are happy to recommend, especially the Society Of Professional Locksmiths SOPL, North Bennet Street School, Lockmasters and others abroad.

Keep It Yours - Lock Your Doors

Locksmith Industry Mergers - LSC Buys ADI Lockwise

LSC Merges With ADI Lockwise









Breaking News: Our sources reveal that the locksmith industry in Australia recently has seen Locksmith Supply Company  purchase the well known ADI Security Products.

ADI Security Products is the brainchild of Brian and Peter Preddey, two of the most well known names in the Australian Locksmith Industry. The purpose of ADI was as a tool manufacturer and specialty products creator for locksmiths around Australia. When there was a product missing in the industry, Brian and Peter, also locksmiths and owners of Preddey's Locksmiths in the southern districts of Sydney, Australia, consulted with their industry colleagues to create a product that filled that demand.

Chief among these products was the Preddey Bolt, now called the ADI Security Bolt. This product is one of, if not the most secure and well built locking product of it's kind. We reviously wrote about some ADI products in 2009. See ADI Cap Lock


We have touted ADI products for many years because we believe their quality is actually unsurpassed in our industry. Having met both Brian and Peter many times, at MLAA conventions, these two stalwarts of the industry are the most approachable gentlemen you could meet.

Locksmith Supply Company, was started by Aubrey Johnson in 1926 and has become the most complete provider of locksmith and security industry products in Australia. Check out their corporate video.

I have known Mark Johnson, professionally and personally for all my 35 years in this trade and enjoyed a cuppa with him when he won the raffle at ALOA's 50th anniversary Convention and Trade show, a few years ago in Las Vegas. His prize was a sweet old Cadillac convertible with white walled tires. He actually shipped it home to Oz a few months later.

LSC is a great company and a huge supporter and mentor to the industry in Australia.

Lock Focus - Lock Manufacturing Simplicity For Over 40 Years

We are but one international partner for Lock Focus, concentrating our sales efforts across North America.

We are proud resellers of various unique products of theirs like their Gravity Locks for residential and industrial waste bins.

Gravity Opening Bin Lock

Ideal for wheelie bins, designed to automatically unlock when tipped upside down by garbage collection truck. Also features key access with a stainless steel capped barrel.

MSDS

Manual Opening Bin Lock

Suitable for use on wheelie bins, features key access with a stainless steel capped barrel. (this is not gravity operated)

MSDS

Industrial Gravity Bin Lock

Designed to suit industrial waste bins ranging from 1.5m ³ to 3.0m ³ front lift. Gravity opening eliminates need for driver to unlock container before collection

MSDS

We also sell the Lock Focus Battery Powered Electric Strike.

A simple solution for keyless entry, the EL100 consists of an electornic strike, codepad, and exit button. Featuring an intelligent and secure microprocessor and IP66 rating.

MSDS

There are many other products that Lock Focus make too. Above are just a few of the unique products we resell. 

If anything in their site interests you, please dont hesitate to contact us for additional information.

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KRACK - Follow Up To Last Weeks Article - More Researchers Claim Hack Will Be More Widespread Than Feared

Forbes magazine published an article yesterday, "The Internet Of Things Just Got More Unsafe To Use"

Our article, that we wrote about On October 17, 2017 has been viewed almost 3000 times since then and is causing discussion around the industry.

To quote an excerpt from the article,

“The KRACK vulnerability allows malicious actors to access a WiFi network without the password or key, observe what connected devices are doing, modify the traffic amongst them, and tamper with the responses the network’s users receive. Everyone and anything using WiFi is at risk. Computers, phones, tablets, gadgets, things. All of it. This isn’t just a flaw in the way vendors have implemented WiFi. No. It’s a bug in the specification itself.” - John Romkey, Founder of FTP Software

many more researchers are agreeing with the notion that the IoT devices might be a severe thorn in peoples sides, especially older gadgets that their manufacturers will have gone out of business and the enormous quantity of WiFi connected gadgets that just are or will be unable to accept a security patch, must number in the millions.

Many consumers, including me, are guilty of purchasing at least one or two electronic gadgets that have WiFi connectivity. None of us were ever in the know, that these products were so poorly designed and protected. How could we? But that didnt stop us from buying them and opening our security up to question.

The article goes on to suggest that NOW is the time to disconnect those "unpatched" devices and upgrade to more secure products.

I feel it is very convenient that so many products are doomed to be scrapped and consumers will need to purchase new and expensive gadgets to replace them. Convenient for the legions of gadget manufacturers who will cash in on this "hack" to sell you their next greatest, you beaut, fandangled contraption that "promises" better security.

At this point, we consumers are almost compelled to purchase the new product, especially if the security and safety of our loved ones or our colleagues is important to us.

The Forbes article is in the source below...

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Amazon Key - Giving Amazon Access To Your Private Residence

Breaking News: Amazon Key - Granting Access To Your Private Home.


Today Amazon announced the release of their latest system aimed at improving your shopping and delivery experience.

Amazon Key is their system that allows Amazon to enjoy access to your door, so that they can deliver your Amazon packages without requiring you to be home.

The package includes a smart camera that you hook up inside your house, that communicates through the cloud, to enable you to operate your smart lock when you are not home and thereby allowing your delivered packages to not be left outside where potential thieves can make off with your booty.

The article (in the source below) includes a video that explains what they are trying to do.
Now, there are privacy concerns undoubtedly and as a professional locksmith and security products installer, I would highly NOT recommend this type of service. We provide premium quality security products aimed at keeping you secure from unauthorised entry. This system will decrease the security of your property.

Given the news in the last couple of weeks that WiFi routers are being hacked with the KRACK hack and the recent knowledge about the Blueborne Bluetooth Hack, combined with installation and operational issues, namely smart locks that refuse to lock correctly because your door may be misaligned, the batteries may be flat, the cheap electronics prone to humidity and other weather phenomena, would you really consider giving access to your home to an unknown courier? Even if you could see them?

Many people choose to have an alarm system on their properties. Are you going to switch the alarm off too?

I personally lock my door physically by hand with my mechanical key and am happy in the knowledge that my doors are secure and that no one without my authority can enter. Of course I choose to use the fabulous Bilock-Extreme Security restricted key system on my doors. Bilock is the first 100% bump proof and virtually pick proof pin tumbler system on the market. The color coded keys make identification of keys really easy too.

There are a few other types of systems available from many other locksmiths around the country and the world. Simply talking to your local locksmith professional can save you plenty of money while offering great protection at very reasonable cost.

If you want Amazon to enjoy access to your private home....go ahead and join the revolution against proper and adequate security.

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New Digital 'Hurricane' Churns Gathering Strength To Land Blow On The Internet

In a follow up to our post earlier this month about the KRACK hack, an article yesterday in The Sacramento Bee titled "New Digital 'Hurricane' Churns, Gathering Strength To Land Blow On The Internet" describes a paper by Check Point Software, an Israeli Cyber-Security company, that suggests, " The next cyber-hurricane is about to come".

According to the article (in the source below), Several cyber-security researchers Monday confirmed Check Point’s findings, saying the botnet could replicate, and perhaps dwarf, the Mirai botnet that almost exactly a year ago took down major websites on the Atlantic Coast, crippling a part of the internet’s backbone and slowing traffic to a crawl.

The botnet, which has been named either “Reaper” or “IoTroop,” was first detected in mid-September. A Chinese cybersecurity firm, Qihoo 360, says the botnet is swelling by 10,000 devices a day, forcibly recruiting foot soldiers in an ever-larger invisible rogue army.

Cybercrime gangs form botnets by infecting internet-enabled devices, often wireless cameras or routers with weak security features. Once corralled, controllers can send commands for the botnet to overwhelm a target, knocking its website off line or crippling the internet.

The new botnet has spread across the United States, Australia and other parts of the globe, researchers say, although Check Point notes that “it is too early to assess the intentions” of those propagating the infection.

“It could be something that’s meant to create global chaos,” Maya Horowitz, threat intelligence group manager at Check Point, said in a telephone interview from Israel. “But it could be something that’s more targeted,” perhaps aimed at a country or industry.

She said it is unlikely that cybersecurity experts will be able to halt an eventual attack.

“The chances are pretty low for that,” Horowitz said, adding that like an epidemic of infectious disease, “each infected device is looking for other devices to compromise.”

The article goes on to discuss recent events that took down the internet this year.

We continue to advise our clients to be vigilant about their security products and especially the many internet controlled door locks currently on the market. 

More specifically we are advising consumers to prefer to use mechanically keyed products that do not connect to the internet, to adequately protect their properties.

While we see and agree, that "connected" products can help to offer some access control parameters, we feel that, at this time, the security protocols incorporated in many of the "cheaper" consumer products, are not up to speed and security and could potentially be an easily bypassed issue that will affect the security of your home or office.

Being in the lock and security product industry for the last 35 years and having plied the trade on 4 continents, we continue to advise our clients that mechanical "keyed" operated security products offer substantially better security than many of the current breed of IoT products coming to market.

Even with the many brands of digital code locks currently available, many consumers fail to understand that sharing of access codes presents a greater security issue than having and using a mechanical key. A code once shared, means that you really do not know how many different people have access to your property. Unlike the mechanical key, which requires to be duplicated, a code does not. Sure, you can just change the code, but how is that different from rekeying a lock cylinder?

The difference is that locksmiths have been providing high-security restricted key systems for many years that almost completely prevent unauthorised duplication while providing better quality - higher security components to thwart picking or bumping or other non destructive methods of entry.

Bearing in mind that the cost for a mechanical key operated security product is substantially competitively priced, compared to 'digital' code locks, you can be virtually assured that your property is significantly more secure, while still being affordable.

The video above describes what a bot is and why they are becoming increasingly troublesome to our society today.

Contact your local professional locksmith for competitive options that can increase your properties security at minimal cost.

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