One of the best and most effective ways of protecting your home is to have good locks on your doors. But the world of locks is changing, with new ‘smart’ locks entering the market. There is some concern about whether these are better or more secure than traditional locks, so it’s important to understand the pros and cons of each type.

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Understanding the differences

Traditional locks are those that are opened and secured using a key. This is a technology that has been around for hundreds of years, it’s tried and tested, it works and keys are reasonably convenient to carry around – although they can also be easy to lose. Smart locks, on the other hand, are controlled by your smartphone or by an electronic tag so that you don’t need a key to open and secure them.

Security matters

No lock is totally secure, criminals use various techniques to attack traditional locks. These include picking, bumping or even brute force. A Doncaster locksmith will be able to advise you on the most secure type of lock that will resist most attacks and good locks can be a good deterrent to burglars.

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Smart locks are vulnerable in a different way, as like any electronic equipment, they can be vulnerable to being hacked – https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-44457166. Burglars are often opportunists and most, as yet, are probably not equipped to hack your smart lock, but that doesn’t mean these locks aren’t vulnerable to more traditional attacks like brute force also.

There are cost implications too, as a new traditional lock from Doncaster Locksmith Danum Locksmiths will cost you a lot less than a smart lock.

Convenience factors

One of the big attractions of smart locks is their convenience. You can give couriers or tradesmen access to your home without having to trust them with a key, for example. A lock you can control over the internet also means you can let your kids in if they arrive home before you do and have forgotten their key.

Of course, there is a risk with smart locks that if your phone battery has run out or you can’t get an internet signal, then you could be locked out. Most smart locks have a key override feature to cope with this eventuality, but that does seem to rather defeat the object.