Locksmithing
began as the science and art of making and defeating locks. A lock is a
mechanism that secures buildings, rooms, cabinets, food, or other
storage facilities. A key is often used to open a lock. Means of opening
a lock often include what you know (a combination), what you have (a key
or keycard) or what you are (biometrics).
Locksmithing is one of the earliest forms of security engineering. Lock
picking was one of the first methods of cracking
Although fitting of keys to replace lost keys to automobiles and homes
and the changing of keys for homes and businesses to maintain security
are still an important part of locksmithing, locksmiths today are
primarily involved in the installation of higher quality locksets and
the design, implementation and management of keying and key control
systems. Most locksmiths also do electronic lock servicing, such as
making keys for transponder-equipped vehicles and the implementation and
application of access control systems protecting individuals and assets
for many large institutions. In terms of physical security, a
locksmith's work frequently involves making a determination of the level
of risk to an individual or institution and then recommending and
implementing appropriate combinations of equipment and policies to
create "security layers" which exceed the reasonable gain to an intruder
or attacker. The more different security layers are implemented, the
more the requirement for additional skills and knowledge and tools to
defeat them all. But because each layer comes at an expense to the
customer, the application of appropriate levels without exceeding
reasonable costs to the customer is often very important and requires a
skilled and knowledgeable locksmith to determine. |