Watch: How to pick a lock
To many hackers, locks are just another security system with flaws to explore – helping them understand what attackers do to exploit their vulnerabilities.
Who better, then, to demonstrate and explain how lock picking works than a hacker in the information security field who also studies physical locks.
Ian de Villiers, a security analyst and researcher at SensePost, said lock picking makes use of slight imperfections in the barrel.
A lock pick will use these imperfections to hold the pins of the locking mechanism in place without the correct key being inserted.
If all the pins are in the correct position, it will unlock. If a pin is pushed too far, it will not be possible to pick the lock without relieving some tension on the barrel and starting again.
In the video below, de Villiers shows the basic principles of lock picking, along with the tools used to pick locks.
These tools include the torsion (or tension) wrench, half-round picks, double ball picks, half-diamond picks, and rake picks.
More on lock picking
Surprisingly easy ways to open locks
How to easily open a Master Lock in seconds
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