Is a Keyless Lock & Entry System Right for your Home

You may have considered making the switch to a keyless lock and entry system for the house after seeing how easily it works in your car or a vacation rental property. We even covered it just a couple of week ago because it is a hot topic - https://www.theprolock.com/blog/2018/2/7/is-keyless-entry-really-more-secure. You don’t have to carry a key around and only your family knows the password to get in, making it really secure and simplified.

It’s trending these days because it gives the owner more control over the property and it’s convenient compared to carrying around spare keys, but some worry about how easy it is to transition. Take a closer look at keyless entry and what a remote keyless system is like so that you can understand more about it before getting it for your home.

Benefits of electronic door locks

If you are thinking about getting keyless locks, you may be wondering what benefits a remote keyless system would bring to your daily life. There are many benefits including better safety, how automatic it is, personal security, and even as prevention for forgetfulness.

No more trying to remember to grab the keys or to wondering where you last saw them since the remote access allows you to enter without access to your keys or a spare key.

If there comes a time when you are in a situation where you need to get in or leave the house quickly, you’re not longer fumbling through your bag, purse, or pockets trying to locate a key. This could be extremely beneficial in the case of an emergency or a safety situation in which someone is following you. When the kids need to go to school quickly or you are trying to get in the door with a handful of groceries, avoiding the fumble for keys can be extremely beneficial.

Another benefit of this system is that you can do extra things with it, such as having your porch lights come on while trying to unlock the door, have access to your window and door locks from a computer, and hiding the system by disguising them to resemble traditional doorknobs. You’ll also be able to get as many remotes as you want.

Keeping your keyless entry home secured

One of the tips you’ll need to remember with this system is that you’ll need to keep it secured. After your keyless entry installation, divvy up the codes for different people that you want to have access. for an office, each employee could have their own passcode, while for the home, you may want to give access to children that live outside of the home or for any hired help like a maid or nanny. These come in handy in the situation where someone no longer is welcomed in the home and the code can just be deleted for that person.

Be sure not to record your code that could potentially be found, such as in your computer that gets hacked or a notecard in your purse that could get lost. If you are going to write anything down, just write down a clue to yourself to remember it later. It may be difficult to make the code long enough, but it’s smart to max out the digits to make it harder for a thief to hack.

Finally, be sure to avoid making it something too personal that someone could guess it and always be changing it at least a couple of times a year. Don’t make it something obvious like your home address, zip code, or birth date, while updating it with something that you can remember when you change it every few months.

Keyless entry is a highly desirable system right now for homes and even offices that want more security and a simplified system. Talk to the professionals at ProLock to get your home setup with this modern technology that will make it easier for your family to get in and out of the house every day.

How To Improve Your Front Door Security

Are you worried about someone breaking into your home? Do you have an older lock on your front door or does your front door lock need to be repaired? Hiring a residential locksmith to ensure you have the best front door security can go a long way to giving you the peace of mind you desire. Here are a few of the best ways you can improve front door security.

Choose the Right Lock/Door Knob

Most door hardware is installed into a hole that is created within the door. This hole weakens the door and becomes a target of those looking to break in. You can combat this issue by using a metal door-and-lock reinforcer. This type of product is made of brass, stainless steel, iron or another strong metal.

In addition, you need a good lock cylinder and a good door knob or handle. You don't want something cheaply made and easy to destroy. Burglars will often try to pick the lock, drill it, bump it or use another trick to get past your lock cylinder. Choosing the right lock and lock hardware goes a long way to improving the security of your front door.

Install Inward Facing Door Hinges

Another area of your front door vulnerable to break-ins are the hinges. There are two types of hinges used on doors: inward facing and outward facing. By installing inward facing door hinges, you will make the hinges inaccessible to a criminal trying to break in.

In addition, you can add a few other components to the hinges of your front door to ensure it's secure. Enhanced security studs, 3-inch set screws and corrugated pins make it much more difficult to break in by compromising the hinges.

Add a Strike Plate

Using a strike plate on the front door gives you a more reinforced area making it more secure. However, if this plate isn't installed correctly, it can make your front door less secure. With a properly-installed strike plate, it's much more difficult for an intruder to break down your front door. Make sure to have your strike plate professionally installed with longer screws.

Use a Solid Wood or Metal Door

Sometimes, homes are created with hollow core front doors. These doors are not nearly as secure as a solid wood or metal door. A solid door will be a bit more expensive, but it's incredibly secure compared to a hollow core door.

Add a Camera and Motion Sensor Lighting

The final step to improving your front door security is to add a camera and a motion sensor light. The light will scare off many burglars before they get close enough to even try to break in. The presence of a camera also helps to ensure burglars won't break in because they will be caught red-handed.

If you want to secure your front door and gain the peace of mind you deserve, use the above tips. Make sure to hire a professional locksmith to install everything you need to gain better front door security.

How a Commercial Locksmith can Secure Your Business

Protecting your business is very important. It's your livelihood and the livelihood of all your employees. In addition, you've probably put your heart and soul into building your business.

Making sure you have the right security for your business matters. With a commercial locksmith, you can better protect your business and set yourself up for success. Here are some of the ways a commercial locksmith will help give you the peace of mind in knowing your business is secured.

Locks and Hardware

It starts with the entry points to your building. If you have the ability to change or replace the locks and other hardware, a commercial locksmith can help with this task. The right locks will help to keep your business secure and other hardware will also ensure breaking in is much more difficult.

In addition, a commercial locksmith can set you up with punch-code locks to ensure you always know who is in the building. There are several advanced locks to consider and your locksmith can help you choose the right locks for your needs.

Lock Repairs, Rekeying & Installation

If you have locks you need to have repaired or rekeyed, a commercial locksmith will help. With the right locksmith on the job, you won't have anything to worry about. A good commercial locksmith will repair, rekey and install any locks you need including exterior doors, interior doors, windows and more.

Commercial-Grade Products

A true commercial locksmith will offer commercial-grade products including hardware, locks and other necessary products. You will have the best security possible because the locks and hardware are designed for commercial doors.

Security Cameras

Along with handling your locks, a commercial locksmith may also be able to install security cameras to boost your business security. Cameras not only help to deter crime, but they also keep employees honest and give you a picture of what's really going on. Even just cameras as entry points can make a big difference.

Safe Installation

Your business likely needs a safe. Your commercial locksmith will help to ensure you choose the right safe, along with installing it for you. Whether you need a safe for sensitive documents, cash deposits or any other reason, your locksmith will help to ensure you have the right safe for your business.

Master Key System Installation

Maybe you need a system designed to allow access to certain areas and restrict it in others. When you need multiple access levels, a master key system can be used to ensure your business remains secure. Your commercial locksmith will be able to install this type of system to ensure you have the right level of security in the right areas of your business.

When you choose to hire a commercial locksmith, you'll gain many business security benefits. Commercial locksmiths bring a certain level of expertise and professionalism to the job. You'll gain access to better products, professional installation and a higher level of security.

Don't make the mistake of trying to handle your own business security. Let a trained commercial locksmith in Chicago handle all your business security needs instead.

Prevent Garage Break-Ins with the Correct Garage Door Locks

If you’ve ever worried about a garage break-in or have experienced one yourself, you know that this can be a challenging situation in the protection of your home. It’s an important aspect to keeping your home safe and often times people will leave the door unlocked from the garage to the home assuming that their garage is secure.

Unfortunately, standard garage door locks aren’t very secure and are easy to be bypassed by a criminal. Take a look at how you can prevent a garage break-in by updating to one of these correct garage door locks.

Garage door locks

There are a few different garage door lock types you can choose from with electronic options bringing new technology into garage door safety. You’ll find the most popular options that most homeowners are choosing now include electronically-operated locks, a garage door deadbolt, and a keyless digital lock.

Garage door deadbolts are great for those that prefer to leave technology out of the picture and just use a good old-fashioned deadbolt lock. You can get a single cylinder or a double cylinder; both options being great for deterring criminals from being able to break in. A single cylinder works by operating a knob from the inside while requiring a key from the outside. The double cylinder option would require a key from both sides of the door.

Electronic locks

If you like the idea of using technology in your lock, choose an electronically-operated lock that require fingerprint activation. These are great because criminals can’t possible have a copy of that to break in and they would likely see your house as not worth the hassle.

You can program any fingerprints you want to be able to access the garage door. The only downside is that you’ll lose the convenience of hitting the button from your car and entering your garage in a jiff, but you’ll have an added safety measure that can’t be matched.

Keyless digital locks

Lastly, a keyless digital lock is a similar option to your electronic lock option, but with a higher tech operation. You’ll use a digital keypad in this scenario where you enter a code of your choosing to gain access. These are difficult to break into compared to a regular garage door lock and you’ll likely be able to get a warranty in the event that an intruder damaged it trying to break in.

Garage door home safety tips

The first tip to having better security for your home is to change your older garage door lock into one of these new options. Your traditional garage door lock is not very secure but your local professional locksmith can upgrade it for you in not time.

If you choose a lock that comes with a garage door remote, be sure to avoid putting it in your vehicle and having it on display since an intruder could break into your car and open up the garage that way. A keychain remote opener is a better alternative since it stays with your keys.

Despite the update security, you’ll want to secure the door into your house from the garage like you would your front door. Don’t leave the garage door open and cover up garage windows. Despite having a more secure home, an intruder may try anything to have the chance to steal something that they’ve eyed from outside.

You can prevent garage break-ins by choosing the correct garage door locks. Check out these popular options that a locksmith can update your home with right away.

Is Keyless Entry Really More Secure?

Many people are making the switch to keyless entry, especially when it comes to their cars. It’s a handy way to get into the car without requiring you to be at the car opening the lock with a key. When you don’t feel like digging for the keys, you can simply use a wireless fob system, or if you want to unlock it before you even get to the car, you can hit the unlock button.

If you leave the key in the car, you can open the door by using the code on the outside of the car. All of these are different forms of keyless entry and it makes people feel more secure when away from the vehicle. Is it really more secure? Take a look at the vulnerabilities that you could deal with when it comes to keyless entry.

How keyless entry works

Adding a keyless entry to your car or purchasing a car with keyless entry means that you can get into your car in a hands-free capacity. There are cars that allow you to unlock the car doors without pushing any buttons and just by being close to the vehicle with your wireless fob, while others allow you to get in with the push of an unlock bottom or by punching in a code next to the door handle.

You may still use your key to start the car, but getting inside becomes a breeze with keyless entry systems. This is also amazing for those that locked the keys inside or lost their keys while they are out because they can still get into the car and they can have someone bring them a spare key while waiting inside the car. If your keys are buried at the bottom of your purse, simply let yourself in the vehicle and look for ignition key while you are inside the car.

The vulnerabilities of having one

Now keyless entry has become so common and at the same time, criminals are getting smarter about breaking into these systems. While most people feel more secure with their keyless entry, criminals are starting to hack into these systems, stealing items from within the car without any trace of their presence. There are no longer broken windows or signs of forced entry; criminals can now purchase devices that allow them access to your vehicle and anything inside without a trace.

How to protect your car from hacking

How can you protect yourself from these hackers? First is to understand that criminals can now get secret devices to unlock cars and sometimes drive off with them. Do not keep valuables in the car because you are leaving your belongings vulnerable. In some cases, criminals are using laptops with a radio transmitter to figure out the car’s unique code by cycling through millions until they find the right one.

It’s suspected that criminals are using “power amplifiers” to get into keyless entry cars. When you try to unlock the car, your car will wirelessly call out for your key so that you can get inside, and when the key calls back the door will unlock. Since it only searches within a couple of feet of the car, the power amplifier is stretching the distance it can call and allowing the car to unlock if your keys are in a building nearby. One way to avoid this hack is to keep your keys in a freezer to avoid letting the signal get in or out.

In conclusion, it may actually be more secure to not have keyless entry. While the hacking is relatively new, there isn’t much data to determine the source of the hacking and all of the techniques being used to hack these systems. Until more research has been done to stop these criminals from entering keyless cars, you may be safer with your traditional keys. If you do happen to lose your keys or lock them in the car, you can always call a professional locksmith to help you in these situations.