Get advice of locksmiths for maximum protection, says NGO

KUALA LUMPUR: Protecting any property is not just about getting quality locks but getting sound advice from a professional locksmith, advised non-profit organisation The Open Organisation for Lockpickers (TOOOL).

Babak Javadi, a founding member of TOOOL, said the market in the region was driven by demand for cheap locks, which resulted in products of low quality.

He warned that one of the most popular lock brands in Malaysia could easily be opened by force with an Allen key.

"Always ask a professional locksmith whose only job is to know locks. If you are worried about someone breaking in, they will tell you what lock to get," Javadi said at the Hack in the Box (HITB) security conference here.

TOOOL strives to advance public knowledge about locks and lock-picking.

At the conference, the organisation demonstrated the ease of picking locks by using basic tools.

Javadi said it was hard to blame the manufacturers for making low quality locks as people generally did not want to spend a lot of money on them.

He added that the price of a lock was determined by its design, mechanism, quality of materials used and its tolerance.

He said that while there was no such thing as a "pick-proof lock," better locks provided more security in the end.

“People treat locks like magic. It’s okay to buy cheap locks as long as you know its limitation,” he said.

Deviant Ollam, a director at TOOOL, said the packaging of many locks sold in Malaysia was misleading.

"Ultimately, you usually get what you pay for. The best thing to do is ask the advice of a locksmith," he said.

TOOOL’s advice is to spend a bit more money on locks, especially if you have valuables to protect.

"When it comes to security, you can pay for it now or pay for it later. But at the end of the day you are still going to pay," said Javadi.