Lock bumping was introduced in the media in Europe in 2005, first in Germany on national television. In 2006, Marc Tobias met with several lock manufacturers to discuss the threats to security and in 2006 he went public in the United States at Def Con and on many television networks. The Association of Locksmiths of America attacked him as both irresponsible and that the problem really did not exist.
The technique of lock bumping was actually first discovered and patented in England around 1925, and was used by our intelligence services during WWII. it was largely forgotten until the 1980s when a series of burglaries occurred in Denmark, using the technique.
It became a major security issue in the U.S. and Europe after 2005 and lock manufacturers scrambled to deal with the issue. As a result of disclosures by Marc Tobias, Tobias Bluzmanis, Barry Wels, ToooL in the Netherlands, and other groups, it was demonstrated and understood that even high security locks could be bumped open. Today it is one of the primary tests to determine the security of locks, and is part of the ANSI and UL standards.
Read the articles that Marc Tobias published for the industry regarding lock bumping and how it worked, and why it was a threat. The subject was also treated extensively in “Open in Thirty Seconds: Cracking one of the most secure locks in America.”
Lock Bumping; A Threat to Physical Security_
Open letter to ALOA on lock bumping: ALOA RESPONSE
Read the article published by Marc Tobias on the ethics of full disclosure and non-disclosure by lock manufacturers: Ethics of Full Disclosure
Lock bumping received a great deal of publicity in the media, both print and television. Read the article on KELO-TV.
KELOLAND.COM_ News, Weather and Sports for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa
Watch the special report on KELO-TV South Dakota, the statewide CBS affiliate.
Read the article posted in the Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, SD on lock bumping threat, posted in 2006..