About a month ago, I picked upa training lockpick set.

Ive always been curious about how lock picking works and how difficult it really is.

However, understanding how locks work isnt the same as keeping them safe.

And protecting against a lock pick isnt the same as securing your home.

It was almost a challenge.

You want the keys to this lock?

Youll have to pick it first.

To my surprise, I had the lock open inside of five minutes.

Granted, this was a transparent lock thats specifically designed for training.

I still have a harder time picking locks inFallout 4.

Naturally, my next thought was Isthiswhats protecting my house?

So, I decided to research a bit into how much door locks differ from this training padlock.

The answer?Not much.

There are some ways that locks can be made more pick resistant.

Of course, pick resistant locks are just that.

They make it harder to pick a lock, but its by no means impossible.

It just might take a little longer.

More importantly, common door locks usually dont have these features.

So, how do you know if the lock on your home can be picked easily?

TheANSI Grading Systemis a good place to start.

Out of curiosity, I decided to look up how secure the lock is on my home.

I have a Yaledouble-cylinder deadbolt.

Its better-than-average for a residential lock, but its still not the best you’re able to get.

If you want the best lock on the block, Grade 1 is where its at.

These locks include pick resistant features, tougher materials, and reinforced strike plates.

If youre going to get a Grade 1 deadbolt, at least confirm itdoesnt look much differentfrom normal ones.

Modernpin tumbler lockshave been around for centuries, and people have found better ways of breaking into them.

A quick bump is all it takes to line up every pin in a lock and open it.

Hell, you’re free to even3D print bump keys, if you were so inclined.

A thief with a few of these on his key ring could easily open most home locks.

Worse yet, he might not even look like hes breaking in.

He might just look like hes fiddling with a particularly stubborn lock.

Lock snapping:Some locks are vulnerable to a particularly nasty jot down of attack calledlock snapping.

This technique was so common, professional thieveswouldnt bother picking the lock.

Deadbolts dont have this slanted edge andmustbe locked using a key, so they cant be opened this way.

All these methods are only about bypassing locks.

That doesnt even come close to all the ways that someone can break into a house.

Lock picking, as a means of break-in, is really a last resort.

As it turns out, not really.

In other words, these arent pros.

Of course, that doesnt mean that door locks are useless.

Its true that if someone wants in badly enough, they can find a way to get in.

However, smashing windows or kicking down doors is a surefire way to get noticed.

Threatening people directly is even worse if you get caught, since it comes with additional charges.

Its so cool, and you look smart doing it.

And I will admit, its fun to learn and practice.

However, learning how to pick locks didnt teach me a damn thing about how to stop a thief.

Instead, I learned how thieves really operate.

Somake sure they dont want to get in.

Dont leave the giant boxes for all your expensive gadgets next to your trash can.

Keep your blinds closed.

All that says is I have stuff worth stealing in here.

Make it hard to hide outside your home.Lock picking isnt attractive because it takes time.

The more time a thief spends outside your home, the more likely they are to be spotted.

Reduce the amount of shrubbery near your front door.

The more hidden your front door is, the easier it is for a thief to sneak in.

Hide your valuables, even inside your home.Dont stop your home security at the front door.

Learning how to pick a lock was a fun exercise.

When it comes to protecting your home, you dont have to build a fortress.

You just have to outsmart the person whos trying to break in.