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Show HN: Please Break In – Don't put your house keys online

10 points by makethetick 12y ago

makethetick 12y ago
I made this as a quick and dirty weekend project after spotting a friend post a picture of their house keys online. I thought I'd try and raise awareness of how easily keys can be copied from photos. That combined with geocoded tweets is just asking for trouble. It's not mobile friendly unfortunately.
- thret 12y ago
  Point taken, although picking a lock is not much harder than making your own keys.
  - cleverjake 12y ago
    But using a service that does it for you is much easier than either.
  - thret 12y ago
    Well, unless you make keys like this: http://www.instructables.com/id/Key-copy/ http://www.instructables.com/id/Key-copy/ Which is easier than filing down regular keys I suppose.
- molecule 12y ago
  Have you considered @replying to those who have posted their house keys on Twitter?
  - makethetick 12y ago
    Yeah I did start it but due to the twitter account being brand new it got suspended. Need to warm it up when I get it back.
rahimiali 12y ago
Thankfully, between keyme and Keys Duplicated, only the latter let's you copy keys from a photo taken in the wild. It's a dubious honor that requires pretty complicated 3d analysis.
Frozenlock 12y ago
Do people realize that windows aren't made of adamantium? If someone really wants to come in, they can easily do so.
Urgo 12y ago
Or you could just use a bump key and break into any house, picture or not. The whole key system we use is flawed.
jdietrich 12y ago
It's a cool project, but the threat model is almost completely irrelevant. Most mechanical locks are hopelessly easy to bypass and function only as a modest deterrent. Standard pin-tumbler locks can be opened in a matter of seconds by bump-keying. A specially cut key is repeatedly tapped with a small hammer, causing the pins above the shear line to jump and allowing the lock to be opened. A bump-key can be made using any key or key blank and a hand file. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=131j0htYIoU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=131j0htYIoU "High security" pin tumbler locks with sidebars and other extra features can be opened quickly and easily using modified versions of the bump-key technique. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOIRZnafgQk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOIRZnafgQk Euro-profile locks can be snapped in half with a pair of pliers or a crude lever, allowing the latch mechanism to be operated with a screwdriver or metal hook. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqhhXyROxQM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqhhXyROxQM Most lock barrels are made from soft metals that can be easily drilled out with an ordinary HSS or carbide bit. An inexpensive tool can cut through most barrels in seconds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEPe7aLfqrs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEPe7aLfqrs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i32QexNZmb8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i32QexNZmb8 If you want any real degree of security from your door locks, you need to opt for a specialist and expensive cylinder - something with a hardened steel face and a disc detainer mechanism, like the Abloy Protec series. Good disc detainer mechanisms are practically unpickable, even for expert locksmiths. Although it is possible to drill a lock with a hardened steel face, a specialised cutting tool is required and the process is very slow on most cylinder types.
captainbenises 12y ago
Nice job at trying to scare people for a very unlikely break-in-scenario, as the other comments point out.
zoidb 12y ago
Door locks keep honest people honest. If someone really wants to get in your house they will find an easier way than to copy your key.
criswell 12y ago
I'd also like to see "Please Use My Concert Tickets!" because people love taking pictures of them and putting them online for everyone to see.

10 points by makethetick 12y ago

I made this as a quick and dirty weekend project after spotting a friend post a picture of their house keys online. I thought I'd try and raise awareness of how easily keys can be copied from photos. That combined with geocoded tweets is just asking for trouble. It's not mobile friendly unfortunately.

thret 12y ago
Point taken, although picking a lock is not much harder than making your own keys.
- cleverjake 12y ago
  But using a service that does it for you is much easier than either.
- thret 12y ago
  Well, unless you make keys like this: http://www.instructables.com/id/Key-copy/ http://www.instructables.com/id/Key-copy/ Which is easier than filing down regular keys I suppose.
molecule 12y ago
Have you considered @replying to those who have posted their house keys on Twitter?
- makethetick 12y ago
  Yeah I did start it but due to the twitter account being brand new it got suspended. Need to warm it up when I get it back.

rahimiali 12y ago

Thankfully, between keyme and Keys Duplicated, only the latter let's you copy keys from a photo taken in the wild. It's a dubious honor that requires pretty complicated 3d analysis.

Frozenlock 12y ago

Do people realize that windows aren't made of adamantium? If someone really wants to come in, they can easily do so.

Urgo 12y ago

Or you could just use a bump key and break into any house, picture or not. The whole key system we use is flawed.

jdietrich 12y ago

It's a cool project, but the threat model is almost completely irrelevant. Most mechanical locks are hopelessly easy to bypass and function only as a modest deterrent. Standard pin-tumbler locks can be opened in a matter of seconds by bump-keying. A specially cut key is repeatedly tapped with a small hammer, causing the pins above the shear line to jump and allowing the lock to be opened. A bump-key can be made using any key or key blank and a hand file. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=131j0htYIoU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=131j0htYIoU "High security" pin tumbler locks with sidebars and other extra features can be opened quickly and easily using modified versions of the bump-key technique. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOIRZnafgQk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOIRZnafgQk Euro-profile locks can be snapped in half with a pair of pliers or a crude lever, allowing the latch mechanism to be operated with a screwdriver or metal hook. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqhhXyROxQM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqhhXyROxQM Most lock barrels are made from soft metals that can be easily drilled out with an ordinary HSS or carbide bit. An inexpensive tool can cut through most barrels in seconds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEPe7aLfqrs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEPe7aLfqrs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i32QexNZmb8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i32QexNZmb8 If you want any real degree of security from your door locks, you need to opt for a specialist and expensive cylinder - something with a hardened steel face and a disc detainer mechanism, like the Abloy Protec series. Good disc detainer mechanisms are practically unpickable, even for expert locksmiths. Although it is possible to drill a lock with a hardened steel face, a specialised cutting tool is required and the process is very slow on most cylinder types.

captainbenises 12y ago

Nice job at trying to scare people for a very unlikely break-in-scenario, as the other comments point out.

zoidb 12y ago

Door locks keep honest people honest. If someone really wants to get in your house they will find an easier way than to copy your key.

criswell 12y ago

I'd also like to see "Please Use My Concert Tickets!" because people love taking pictures of them and putting them online for everyone to see.