At first glance, Security european profile cylinders are all very similar. The outer shape of the body is in fact practically the same for them all.
The details which distinguish a good quality cylinder, that is able to provide security and reliability over time, from a mediocre one are hidden inside.
One often chooses to install an internal knob on the entrance door so as to be able to also open and close the lock without having to use the key. In effect, the internal knob is convenient, but it also brings an important security issue which should not be underestimated. Continue reading
The quality of a lock is judged by how easy it is to prevent unwanted access. However, there are situations where the presence of a lock can represent a problem even for those who are authorised to gain access. This is especially the case where you need to quickly gain access to a house or a room to rescue a person closed inside who is unwell and unable to open the door. Indeed, with common double cylinder locks, if the key has been left inserted in the keyhole inside the house one is often unable to open the door from the outside, even having another correct key. To avoid this situation, which can result in the loss of valuable time in the event of an emergency, there are cylinders designed specifically to be opened (with the key!) from the outside even if a key has been left inside. Continue reading
Is the equation “secure door = armoured door” always true? No! Because not all armoured doors are secure and because it may not be necessary to have an armoured door to obtain a secure door.
As we have already seen in a previous blog, armoured doors are not all made the same. Many cheap products are armoured in name only. Moreover, in many contexts, it is not only the main door which has to be defended, as there are many secondary accesses that can be attacked by thieves (such as patio doors leading to gardens and balconies, access doors to condominium garages and/or basements etc.) in which it may not be possible, or convenient, to install armoured doors.
According to figures regarding reports made to the police, 60% of thefts by housebreaking in Italy take place through the main door, a percentage that reaches 90% in urban areas, given that the top floors of apartment buildings and condominiums are more difficult for thieves to reach using other accesses. Locks with European profile cylinders have become increasingly widespread over recent years, often replacing other types of locks, even where maximum security is required, such as on the front door of homes. Why? Continue reading
In the last blogs we saw the methods most commonly used by thieves to break into our house and how to try to prevent this from happening, making sure all the necessary precautions have been taken.
We thought it would be worth summarising them for you very schematically into three steps: do you know them?
This is the last in our series of articles on the characteristics which distinguish a high security European profile cylinder from any other type of cylinder. After seeing how a cylinder can protect against brute force attacks and lock picking/key bumping, we’ll now see what solutions there are to prevent the making of illegal copies of keys. This is an aspect which is often overlooked but, in truth, it is crucially important; it is obvious that if a burglar can easily obtain a copy of the key the cylinder can be opened regardless of all the protections which it may have. Continue reading
In this fourth and penultimate article of the series dedicated to the characteristics which distinguish high security European profile cylinders we will conclude the analysis of the measures which obstruct opening with dexterity, focusing on systems which can deal with an increasingly widespread and insidious technique: key bumping. Continue reading
Let’s continue our journey to discover the features which, in spite of the common outside shape of the body, make the various European profile cylinders very different from one another, especially in terms of reliability and resistance to attacks.
After seeing in the first two articles the features which allow European cylinders to withstand brute force attacks, which are the most frequent types of attack, let us now begin to see how a European profile cylinder should be made to withstand opening by lock picking, which is less common, but more insidious. Continue reading
In the first article of this series we have seen how, even though the external shape of the body is basically the same for all, the European profile cylinders are very different from each other with regard to their technical features and, therefore, also in terms of the security level which they can provide.
We therefore know that the main feature of a high security cylinder is its ability to resist brute force attacks, which are the most widespread type. In the previous article we looked in detail at the role played by anti-drill and pull-resistant reinforcements. In this article we conclude the study of solutions which improve the resistance of a European profile cylinder to withstand brute force attacks. Continue reading