File Cabinet Security

Various laws require that confidential information remains that way, this includes medical records, financial, personal  information about individuals and credit account info. The Federal Acts are: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Sarbanes-Oxley. If McDonalds can be sued for hot coffee, a business can be sued for non-compliance with these laws and more.

There are various kinds of file cabinets and storage methods. The locks on basic file cabinets offer very little security unless they have a file bar and a good padlock. Suitable padlocks are: Abloy, American, and Sesamee, avoid easy to pick padlocks. Some fireproof file cabinets come equipped with very secure locks such as Medeco, Tubar or a manipulation-proof combination lock. If there are lots of cabinets, we recommend a room with increased security like electronic access control with an audit trail. Such a room would have to be secure against simple attacks like climbing in through the ceiling tiles.

In summary, if you are entrusted with confidential information, it’s your duty to protect it to the best of your ability.

Good lock to you.

Chris G.

DO NOT DUPLICATE

DO NOT DUPLICATE stamped on keys means different things to different people. My friend Ron at Santa Fe Lock is a real DND Nazi! He also gets lots of walk in traffic and copies tons of keys, so it can be difficult to determine if someone is authorized to have the key copied. Lots of people walk out of there upset.  For me, the person I’m usually dealing with is authorized to have keys made. I stamp DND if requested with the caveat that it’s only three words on a key, nothing more. I make it clear that it’s not going to prevent anyone from making the key. Stamping DND on common keys like SC1 and KW1 is a wasted effort, in my opinion. Some keys like those belonging to the Postal Service are protected by Federal law, others need to rely on patents and unusual key sections and designs.

The good stuff isn’t expensive at all compared to what it’s expected to protect. Alarms are OK, but only alert you after your perimeter has been breached.  Many “break-ins” are done with a simple duplicate key, and DND is usually no help. A couple of really good deadbolts with up to date key designs costs less than a good computer and will last much longer.

It may seem like overkill, but if it makes a burglar take a pass on your place, it’s worth it. It’s an awful feeling to come home to find the door wide open and your things rifled through.

Until next time, good lock!

Chris G.

Product evaluations

I like to evaluate products, especially if the manufacturer is really tooting their own horn about quality or security.

I got an ABUS 37/55 which is a rotating-disc style lock and the only non-Abloy rotating-disc lock I like. It’s a really good lock with a chrome plated hardened steel body and a good, solid, “tight” feeling. The only thing I don’t like is the plastic headed keys, no padlock in the $100 price range should have plastic headed keys, unless it’s plastic over a regular metal key.

There are many Abloy imitations on the market, some of them claim to be “impossible” to pick, which is an impossible claim in itself. If a key can manipulate the tumblers and open the lock, so can a non-key! The only barrier is time and skill. It may be impossible to spend that much time trying to develop the skill but the lock itself is not impossible to pick. There is no “pick-proof” if the key can open it.

I’m going to get a BiLock cylinder for evaluation, I have no experience with this product line.There are some Medeco deadbolts on their way, I’m going to closely inspect them before installing them.

With all of the new electronic locks on the market, one wonders if they can be “hacked”. The obvious answer is YES! I know nothing about hacking into computers but I have seen many buildings that have large holes in their security. They spend tens of thousands of dollars on an elaborate system with all the bells and whistles. Meanwhile, latches are unguarded and request to exit motion detectors are placed where the can be activated with a coat hanger from outside. These sensors are often too sensitive and can be activated by someone who is just walking by, not going outside. Non-locksmith installers often overlook these and other vulnerabilities. The building management doesn’t want to hear their  new, expensive system can be compromised with a simple piece of wire. I have seen them stick their head in the sand and hope it doesn’t happen.

Attention to detail is important for security. If a potential thief walks by and sees a vulnerable spot, they may be tempted to come back later. Many crimes are crimes of opportunity, a crook passed by and saw an open invitation to steal.

Don’t make it easy, make your home and business a less appealing target for burglars, they are lazy by nature and will seek targets offering minimum risk .

Good lock to you.

Chris G.

Top Quality…

Top Quality and an Excellent Value is more than just a catchy phrase I thought up in the early years of the company. It means attention to detail, accurately cut keys and pins. It means added pick resistance to most cylinders beyond what most manufacturers and locksmiths do. It means hand-picked products I really believe in.  If trust issues develop, the product is dropped. It means long strike plate screws if needed, locks lubricated and minor adjustments made . It means keys will be presented  to you on real key rings not the cheap “give-away” rings most others use. It means those poorly made  cast metal cylinders that come with aluminum storefront doors will be replaced with solid brass ones. It means your work will be performed by an experienced professional with attention to detail.

It does not mean lowest price, I’m very skilled and experienced and don’t need to charge novice rates. Some people think I charge too much, some too little, complaints about price happen only a few times a year. Mostly from people who dicker and complain about price in nearly  everything. I can’t afford to work for these people when there are so many appreciative  people out there.

Sometimes I can solve the problem or point someone in the right direction over the phone or through email. I have solved problems just by looking at a picture in email. Other companies offer free estimates and I have no problem with that, if I go over, there will be a trip charge.  I usually get the job done without having to go back. I refer car unlockings, safe openings, safe sales, decorator hardware, and Pella door repairs to other companies. Our strengths are commercial hardware, higher security systems, masterkey systems, electronic access control and some residential work .

Work is guaranteed for one year, products (sold by us) are two years. Some of today’s products are so bad that I have the owner sign a waiver before I work on them. In this business, if you touched it last, it’s your baby. NO warranty on existing hardware, except what I replace ( usaually pins). I have repaired many products at my own expense because they were poorly made. If there’s only one or two, I don’t worry, if there are lots, it’s waiver time. Some of these products are: Kwikset Smartkey, Schlage F Series, and Pella door (locks). If you are involved with manufacturing or selling these products don’t get your feelings hurt. I have issues with these products because they are poorly made and I have repaired them many times for free, not because I’m a jerk. What more can you expect out of a low end product?

The products I endorse may seem expensive but they are designed and made to last the lifetime of the building, at least twenty five years. In that context, they are very cost-effective.

Thanks for reading this, good lock to you!

Chris G.

Cole key machines

There’s lots of those old Cole National  key duplicating  machines being sold by whoever ended up with them after the corporation was assimilated and these machines were abandoned. I can’t use them but a great idea for a mobile locksmith unit is to take those machines and remove the main cutter assembly from the cast iron base. Mount it to your workbench and power it with a 12 volt motor, works great! I used this setup for years before I upgraded to a Framon.

KlunkaJunka

This old van is just great, a workshop on wheels. Tools and parts for most situations I’m likely to run into. NO stupid gimmicks like power windows or anything like that to break. Just a simple vehicle that gets the job done, usually in one trip. Big enough for everything I need for work and small enough to parallel park downtown. It’s paid for and 12 MPG is not bad. I expect to be using it for a long time.

I don’t trust new vehicles until they prove themselves. Still, the manufacturers are replacing simple parts with complicated ones. Switches have replaced handles in many cases and if you have a grounded wire, it’s useless. They certainly don’t overbuild this stuff anymore and they make unusual, proprietary parts to get you back to the dealer parts department. The aftermarket makes parts available if there is demand, that’s why the manufacturers change the designs so often. I think most of us have taken a beating in the parts room for their under-built, over-priced peace of shit, unreliable parts. The more of these a vehicle contains, the less I trust it. $4500 ain’t nearly enough for my big ol’, good ol’ girl!

These days, I only drive a couple of days a week and use my bike the rest of the time, so there! No green guilt on my part.

The Lock Nazi

A well known local, Bill Dubya, calls me “The Lock Nazi” in reference to a character in TV’s Seinfeld, “The Soup Nazi”. He’s right! I just found a great website that sells my favorite locks (Abloy) so I don’t have to! www.securitysnobs.com

You! Yeah you! No lock for you! Get out of my shop! Just kidding, I’m a very patient person who loathes crappy locks and wants everybody to have good locks! Avoid the cheap imitations, stick to the originals: American Lock padlocks, Master Lock, Abus Discus, Corbin Sesamee, and of course, Abloy.  Having said that, I do select the best off brand imports for entry levers and knobs because they are low security which I will get into detail about in another blog. I also keep some select residential locks although the secretary will dis-avow any knowledge of anything lower than grade 2 being  in stock. Anyway, why should you spend $400+  for a commercial lever entry lock with a name when there is one at least as good or better (better, IMHO) for roughly half price. You get a better lock at a better price and I make a better profit. The lock has the Lock Nazi seal of approval! My warranty is the best! I will fix it, I will replace it or   I will give you a refund, that simple. Only had one problem which was actually my bad. Schlage’s new “ND” Series is a pile of junk compared to the Korean made lock I get from a locksmith distributor. To be fair, the Schlage B500 deadbolt is the best deadbolt under $100 and I keep them in stock. I still use Kwikset but am developing trust issues. I already have trust issues with Arrow Locks and don’t plan on selling another.

In the alarm commercials, the bad guy gets in with one kick, it should take more than that! The security system here is .45ACP.

Thanks for reading this, good lock to you.  Chris G.

Quality improvement

I have mentioned the general decrease in quality in the original blog and on the website about the way quality has fallen off a cliff. Lest you think I’m some kind of Negative Nancy, I also mention the (rare) quality improvements whenever they occur as with the Schlage B500 deadbolts. Emtek is a brand of decorator hardware I have not been fond of. Recently, they improved their bolt assembly and that makes it a good lock in it’s price range. The new bolt is nearly identical to that of MEDECO and that would make sense since both companies are under the same parent corporation, Assa-Abloy. Hopefully, they will improve the cylinder too.

Trust

Hello again. I neglected the original blog, I’ll try to do better with this one.

Trust is a recurring theme in this business, and with good reason. Some people wonder if locksmiths rob banks at night and dig tunnels under-ground to break into homes at night, I’m sure every locksmith has similar stories. Temptation is a very human thing. For me, I’m not a materialistic person, everything that glitters is not gold. I won’t look through your things and certainly wouldn’t steal money or anything else. Most homes have junky locks on the doors (see the Brinks alarm commercial) and many businesses aren’t much better. Even many of the sophisticated electronic systems are vulnerable to simple bypass techniques frequently. For me it’s not about can or can’t enter (I can) it’s about permission, may or may NOT. So don’t worry about your stuff, my integrity is worth way more than that! Also, upgrade! You can’t expect much with lousy perimeter physical security.