Ask The Expert

This month's expert answers some tough questions about the evolution of the door lock

• By Larry O'Brien
• Aug 08, 2007

EVEN in the earliest buildings, locks were used to protect people's possessions. Throughout history, people have used peculiar methods for protecting their belongings and have created their own alternatives to locks. In India, valuable belongings were sealed into large blocks of wood, then placed into water where they were surrounded by hungry crocodiles. While an intimidating security measure, this may not be the most effective way to retrieve one's belongings later.

Technological developments in the 18th and 19th centuries allowed more security from common locking devices than the primitive wooden locks that most people used. New applications for cast iron and brass completely changed the locks that were available. Blacksmiths in colonial America made locks but could not keep up with demand as the country grew.

The Industrial Revolution and mass production marked the end of the handcraftsmanship of locks. In 1831, Frederick T. Stanley established the first factory for the manufacture of locks. In the late 1800s, hundreds of patents were issued to those who made improvements in the security of locking devices and their decorative appearance.

ISSUE: How have locks advanced since the late 1800s and what are they capable of today?

SOLUTION: Locks now are much more sophisticated with the invention of tumblers and deadbolts, among other innovations. Despite these advancements, locks on the front doors of today's homes and businesses may be vulnerable to a bump key, a burglary tool that is easy to make—with directions to do so readily available on the Internet. A bump key is made by modifying a regular key with common household tools, enabling it to open most locks.

Fumbling with keys may slowly become a thing of the past. Manufacturers have developed keyless entry for doors using biometrics, personal identification numbers that can be typed into PIN pads and RFID battery-operated devices. Keyless entry door locks are more secure because there are no keys available to steal, lose or risk being copied. And there are no keyholes to be picked or bumped. Incidentally, the cost and hassle of reissuing keys and re-keying locks when a key is lost can be avoided with keyless entry.

ISSUE: How do these new technologies work to verify the identity of the person unlocking the door?

SOLUTION: The biometric fingerprint lock is activated by pressing a fingerprint on an indicator behind the device. The user can program the lock to allow entry for specific time periods if, for instance, the janitor comes at a certain time every night. The PIN keyless entry lock allows the user to gain entry only by knowing the correct sequence of numbers to press on the keypad. Keyless door locks using RFID open by waving the RFID tag in front of the lock. Or, similar to keyless entry on most cars, a button can be pressed within a short distance of the lock to open it.

Door locks have certainly come a long way throughout the years, but one thing remains the same—no matter what you lock or how, someone will try to open it. Be sure to explore all the door lock options that today's technology makes available. Talk with an experienced systems integrator who can provide you with keyless entry or other reliable and effective security technologies.

READER QUESTION: We will be opening offices in Kansas and Missouri, in addition to our home office in Ohio. We have been well-served by our security integrator in Ohio, but the company does not have the reach to help with our new facilities. Can you give some advice on how to pick security firms in Kansas and Missouri that will give us the same type of service we have come to expect in Ohio?

SOLUTION: I would begin by itemizing the service deliverables you value that are being provided by your Ohio integrator—prompt service response, qualified technicians, systems design expertise and system documentation. Next, ask your Ohio integrator if they are networked with reliable integrators in Kansas and Missouri. If the answer is no, you or your Ohio integrator can get the names of product-certified integrators from your access control software supplier. After identifying software-certified integrators, narrow the field and find a reliable integration partner by asking these questions: What is the financial stability of the integrator? How long has the integrator been in business? Does the integrator have the technical strength and personnel to manage your project? Does the integrator employ network-qualified personnel? What do existing customers of the integrator say about their technical capabilities and service response time?

E-mail your questions to [email protected].

This article originally appeared in the issue of .