In this post, we will delve on the query: can electronic door locks be hacked? In recent years, electronic door locks have become more popular with the increase in cost of non-electronic locks, as well as keep up with the demand for a more secure home. The way that these locks work is similar to a computer. When you enter your personal identification number (PIN), the lock unlocks itself.
The electronic door lock is a type of electronic security device that can be used in order to secure doors. Since the lock is controlled remotely and doesn’t have any wiring, it can be very useful in numerous situations.
Many businesses use electronic door locks rather than the standard mechanical key locks because they are more convenient and can be programmed to lock only at a specific time.
While it seems convenient, when a hacker gets their hands on one of these digital locks they may, however, be hacked into, unless, a very tight security encryption or code protocol is in place.
Can electronic door locks be hacked?
Electronic locks have nearly replaced padlocks all over the world. Unlike padlocks which need keys to lock and unlock, electronic locks do not require them as they are activated with the use of a keypad. These electronic locks are ideal for houses, cars, doors and other such places where padlocks are usually placed.
Although this electronic lock has been designed to prevent outsiders from gaining access to secured rooms, it was still possible to hack with some clever coding and knowledge of its parts and mechanisms.
Similarly, since this type of lock is very new and there haven’t been any studies or research made into the effectiveness of this security feature, there are some questions that arise when it comes to how safe they are. Still, much study and extensive research and innovations must be in place.
Are digital door locks secure?
Answering this question is very tricky. On one side, digital door locks can be hacked by an experienced hacker. On the other hand, it offers features which traditional door locks do not offer, such as notification system to the owner or automatic notification to police officers.
Therefore, giving a straight to the point answer is probably not the best thing to do in answering this question. For proper context, digital door locks offer a different kind of security that traditional door locks have.
One may say that digital door locks are not safe because it can be hacked anytime and anywhere. However, the same is true with traditional door locks. In fact, pick lockers are such a thing back then that traditional door locks manufacturers need to up their game and hide some tricks in their sleeves to prevent robberies.
Hence, in a way, both digital door locks and traditional door locks have each of their own security breach risks, but both of them are generally safe as they offer the same amount of security.
How are smart locks hacked?
There are various ways in hacking smart locks. Hacking does not automatically mean that a certain person from a faraway place is manipulating the connections digitally, as seen in the movie.
In fact, some hacking techniques starts with data mining involving the subject victim, such as knowing personal dates that may be the password of the victim like anniversaries, birthdates, or even death anniversaries.
Other hackers are much bolder; they sometimes look at the oil residues in the analog inputs to look at the numbers which the victim often touches. However, most are very clandestine in their work.
These hackers take refuge in the anonymity the internet offers. They either hack through the Wi- Fi connection of the digital door lock or through the frequency connection of the door lock.
To conclude, smart locks are hacked through brute force method of hacking, data mining, trial and error methods, and other wireless network methods.
How secure are WIFI door locks?
Wi-Fi door locks are generally secure, however, as most of these wireless devices are connected through unsecured networks, the security it offers differs. For instance, if the hacker was able to connect to the same Wi-Fi network where the Wi-Fi door lock is connected, the level of security the lock offers dramatically drops, as the hacker may easily bypassed the Wi-Fi door lock passwords and features.
Conversely, Wi-Fi door locks which are connected to a more secured network, let us say for instance a separate and distinct network exclusive to the said door lock with a separate and distinct password, then the risk of being hacked is significantly decreased already.
Luckily, the manufacturers of these kinds of door locks offers third-party assistance on how to properly set-up these kinds of door locks. Of course, they already know that some of their clients have technological difficulties or probably unaware of the risks and methods the hackers may implement.
So, to answer the question, Wi-Fi door locks are generally secured in comparison with traditional door locks. However, the level of security it offers highly depends on the proper installation of the product.
What kind of door lock is most secure, smart lock, deadbolt, or ordinary?
Each of these kinds of door locks have their own strengths and weaknesses. So, to better answer this question we need to categorize each type of door locks and highlight each of their strengths.
Deadbolt door locks really shine in the category of best protection against brute force infiltrations. This is due to its material composition and familiarity of people in installing it. The depth of groove of lock as well as the material used in this kind of lock really contributes to the fact that even a muscular guy cannot just kick your door to forced it to open.
Smart locks on the other hand offers a variety of strengths including the capability to have it pre-installed to call or notify the police in case of breach. This is a game changer, as most criminals are deterred by this kind of protection.
Of course, no one wants to trespass a home and alter on see themselves unable to leave because the police is already waiting for them outside. Some smart locks also burst out noises so that neighbors are also notified of the immediate emergency situation. Although smart locks are not as strong against brute force infiltration, it compensates with its other quirks.
Ordinary locks are an all-around type of lock. It is very convenient to install, very familiar with its mechanics, and very portable too. While it does not offer any sophisticated or state of the art level of security that smart lock offers and very sturdy and reliable strength that deadbolt locks offer, it still a valuable type of lock which offers some level of security for a home. Depending on the neighborhood, sometimes these locks are enough to deter a criminal.
How to bypass electronic door locks?
Electronic door locks are not easily bypassed by ordinary persons. In fact, it offers the similar protection that a digital door lock has. Albeit in theory they have the same level of security and may have the same mechanic, electronic door locks are a different kind of animal.
Similar to how smart locks or Wi-Fi door locks are bypassed, electronic door locks are susceptible to brute force hacking, data mining, trial and error methods, or even accessing the frequency where it is connected.
How do you open a locked electronic door without a key?
Discussing how it is opened without the consent of the owner may be borderline illegal. However, in terms of opening it with the consent of the owner is another thing. There are a lot of ways on how electronic doors can be opened without a key.
A great tool to use is a screwdriver, a small or thin screwdriver will do. It is done by pushing the screwdriver into the hole in the doorknob straight through as far as you can go and turning and twisting it vigorously until it opens.
There is another method, although very obvious, which is trying to uninstall the lock by damaging it. This way, the alarms may pop-off but of course, prior coordination with authorities should be made.
What are problems with keypad door locks?
Keypad door locks have one very huge flaw. Someday the keypads will stop working just like how keypads in old cellphones do due to wear and tear. This happens especially when the same keypad number or password is used for several years already.
Secondly, keypad door locks, when password is unchanged, is susceptible to oil analysis of the keypad which may be used by the hacker to determine the numbers which the owner mostly used. In this case, the hacker can formulate some reasonable guess and narrow down possible password to be able to gain entrance at your house.
These problems are not really unsolvable. Of course, proper maintenance of the keypad door lock reduces the chance for it to be unusable, and frequent changes of password not only increases the longevity of the keypad but also reduces the risk that a hacker may have reasonable guesses to your password.
Conclusion
Any kind of door lock has its own advantages and disadvantages. Whether it is a smart lock, keypad lock, electronic lock, ordinary lock, or traditional locks, if the hacker or the criminal has enough time, grit, and a little bit of luck, it can be breached. What matters however, is on how prepared you are against possible infiltrations.
Some are good with traditional door locks as they do not leave or have very valuable properties in their house. Some prefers smart locks to immediately notify the police in case of infiltration.
Others want to have ordinary locks because their neighborhood is generally safe and cooperative in preventing unwanted infiltrations. At the end of the day, choosing the proper door lock is a “to each of his own” type of thing.
