Is your key secure? A brief guide to key protection.

The first known keys in history were wooden sticks that were already used thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt and Babylon. Today, after a series of astonishing technological developments and in the context of digitalization, many other things can also function as keys. It is now possible to authorize a user to enter an area using a card, smartphone, or physiological characteristics such as fingerprint, voice, or eye.

Despite the growing market for digital or frictionless access, mechanical locking systems are still the most popular method for securing a room or building, thanks to their durability and affordability. While mechanical systems are not at risk of being attacked by digital hackers, the key itself often proves to be the weak point. Below are the three most important methods of key protection:

Key Protection Method No. 1: Make it Complicated

Mechanical locks can be quite different: if they are made of lower-quality material and have a rather simple locking cylinder, they can more easily become targets for lock manipulation.

In fact, reports show that poorly secured entrances are often gateways for burglars. With a vulnerable lock, criminals can easily use classic methods of lock manipulation, such as lockpicking, opening with a bump key, core pulling, or drilling, to gain unauthorized access. To increase the security of a mechanical lock, it should therefore be ensured that the locks are as complex and high-quality as possible.

Ideally, they have multiple protections and meet high security standards, including compliance with relevant norms.

Key Protection Method No. 2: Copy Protection for Mechanical Keys

Even if you use a robust mechanical locking system that proves resistant to common methods of lock manipulation, there is still the risk that unauthorized key copies may be made. The simplest way to reduce this risk is to obtain keys from a reliable business partner who can offer patent or trademark protection.

Patent-protected keys ensure that only authorized persons can order key and cylinder copies. Trademark protection also allows keys to have a distinctive and non-copyable logo. This exclusivity helps the owner distinguish whether a key is an original or an unauthorized copy. Unlike a patent, which usually expires after ten years, trademark protection is permanent.

It is possible to illegally copy patent- or trademark-protected mechanical keys, but this involves enormous effort.

Key Protection Method No. 3: Take Personal Responsibility

No matter how solid a security system is, without taking personal responsibility, you will not achieve the optimum level of security. Even if you have installed one of the most reliable mechanical locking systems, you must pay attention to checking everyday security risks—such as loss or misplacement of keys. In addition to keeping track of how many people have access to authorized copies, the secure storage of keys is of great importance to protect against unauthorized access.

However, even if potential intruders do not gain access to the key itself, they could use a photo to create an unauthorized copy using 3D printing. Digital images of keys can therefore be quite interesting for people with criminal intentions.

Although digital technologies are revolutionizing access as we know it, one thing still seems certain: mechanical locking systems and keys will likely remain the usual way we gain access for many years to come.