Steel Bolt Hacking

Alec Kryten writes "Here is a book that introduces and teaches a fascinating new sport for the hacking hobbyist which doesn't necessarily involve computers. Steel bolt hacking is the art of competition lock picking that is beginning to make its mark on computer people and other geeks around the world. At DefCon this year I picked up a book titled Steel Bolt Hacking, which teaches the basics of lock picking. I bought it because I watched the lock-picking contest during the DefCon Convention and thought that I might want to participate in next year's lock-picking events." Read on for Alec's review of the book. Steel Bolt Hacking author Douglas Chick pages 114 publisher TheNetworkAdministrator.com rating 8 out of 10 reviewer Alec Kryten ISBN 0974463019 summary How to pick locks, crack combinations for LP sports groups

The beginning of the book discusses the origins of lock-picking sporting groups, crews in the U.S and Europe, competition around the country, and how to become a part of a lock-picking group. One of the groups out of Colorado Springs, DC719, are a bunch of computer geeks that have taken up the art of lock picking and sponsor a lock-picking contest every year at DefCon. According to Mr. Chick, computer people are the fastest group to pick up the art of lock picking. (I must warn you though, there are also a lot of disclaimers about the author not being responsible for the misuses of the information contained in this book.)

The book is fully illustrated with pictures of different types of lock picking instruments, tools to make your own picks as well as padlocks, deadbolt, and combination locks. There are pictures of locks that have been cut open and even how to crack push-button combination locks. (You know, the kind you find on the door to a server room.) I have to say, for a little book, (114 pages) it is brimming with valuable information for a beginner. What I didn't realize was that software isn't the only thing that has security vulnerabilities; mechanical things like padlocks and deadbolts do as well. What was scary to learn is how easy cheap locks can be picked, and that 80 percent of all locks used are cheap locks. Expensive locks are just likely to take a little longer.

I liked that the book didn't exaggerate. It didn't tell me that I was going to be a master lock picker after only a few tries. It took a little time, practice and sore fingers, but after a couple weeks of practice, I could pick every lock in my house. And as a computer person, I liked all of the jargon that was used to explain locksmith techniques. There was also enough humor to keep the book interesting; it's difficult to read any type of textbook and still maintain a reasonable interest. The illustrations are good and there is a resource section to purchase the tools you need from the Internet.

What I didn't like about the book: The most annoying point, I felt, is the considerable redundancy in methods between different types of locks to be picked. Also, the book suggests that there might be a lock-picking group in every city in the U.S., when in fact I am having a difficult time finding one in my are. And I live near D.C. -- You'd think there would be one on every corner around here. I think that the sport is still in its infancy and Mr. Chick is hoping his book will draw more people to it. The author put his e-mail address on the back of the book. He hasn't responded to my e-mail yet, but I suppose that he's probably a busy man.

All in all, I found the book informative, entertaining and worth the purchase price of 19.99.

You can purchase Steel Bolt Hacking from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.

Comments

Legal issues

[alienw]

In DC, basic possession of lockpicking instruments is illegal, unless you are a licensed locksmith. You don't have to prove intent. This is the same in many other states. Be careful and don't do anything stupid.

Article at Howstuffworks.com

[PHPee]

If you're interested in learning a bit about lock picking, but aren't sure you want to spend $20 on this book yet, take a look at this article at Howstuffworks.com.

It offers a great introduction to lock picking, and has some nice graphics that really helped me understand how locks work, and how they can be circumvented. If you really get into it, then I'm sure this book would offer a lot more information to help you along.

Here's where you get the metal for lockpicks, free

[notthepainter]

Learned this at MIT a million years ago.

Wait until the streep sweeper comes by and follow it down the street. The bristles are spring steel that is perfect for lock picks. They fall off, just pick them up off the street.

I've never made a set of picks so I don't know if this is true or not, but there was a decent lock picking culture at MIT in the late 70s.

Re:A valuable skill

[lhand]

You might also check out Ted the Tool's on-line book called the "MIT Guide to Lock Picking" found here among lots of other places.

Re:80% of locks cheap crap?

[Anonymous Coward]

Abloy was bought out by Medeco, last I checked. Medeco makes a heck of a lock, but until recently the blanks were brittle and they tended to break in your hand if you twisted the key too hard in the lock.

Abloy locks employ a sidebar and rotating disks. It's very, very difficult to pick them for several reasons; sidebar locks are intrinsically difficult to pick (such as the old GM locks, which didn't have a pick set for them until the late 1980's or early 1990's, when some smartass figured out that you could use a special spring compression tool to allow the wafers to free-float. That makes them subject to move when vibrated or rapped, and the sidebar (which is then under spring pressure) can line them up.

Abloy has no such constraint. IIRC, the world record for picking an Abloy is 36 hours. That may have changed; I don't know.

For high security locks like Medeco, ASSA, Abloy, etc., the fastest way through them is a grinder. Used to be an ice pick attack to the latch, and although some locks are still improperly installed, that's largely gone the way of the dodo.

As a locksmith myself, I'd rather have Abloy on my doors more than anything else. But they're hard to find here in the US, so I use Medeco instead. Beats the hell out of a $15 Kwikset, lemme tell you.

Other lock-picking resources.

[Christopher Thomas]

First, the obligatory link to a mirror of the MIT Lockpicking Guide.

Second - as another poster noted, lock pins aren't typically made from high-strength alloys. A battery-powered hand drill (and a screwdriver to turn the lock when the pins are gone) is the best and fastest lock pick that there is. Didn't even leave any visible damage when I used this approach on a filing cabinet we'd lost the key to. Just pick a bit as wide as the key entryway, and drill down the line of pins.

Be advised that the lock tends to jam after closing again, as the remains of the pins fall back into their channels when the lock returns to its original position. But if you're drilling a lock, you're typically looking for a one-time solution anyways.