The world of security locking systems has two faces nowadays: the mechanical and the digital one. And so the question of whether or not a product can provide convenience and security must be seen in the spectrum of both mechanical and digital door locks. Today, most people still use mechanical locks while cyber security has made many leaps forward. But we cannot help but to ask of whether one overlaps the other in terms of security and convenience. We cannot stop wondering if the enhanced convenience of digital door locks is also lined with the expected security! Do we (as consumers) have access to high security locks that are also convenient or is there the other way around?
There is no doubt about the convenience of smart locks
Today, the so called smart high security door locks incorporate keypads or touchscreens which only need short passwords which can also be erased and thus used for temporary access. That’s fascinating news to those with Airbnb properties, house rentals, and people who keep their smartphone with them at all times. You can be connected via a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, you can monitor your door locks even if you are not standing in the hallway, you can check what time someone got in or out, and you can open the door from afar. The new comers are so convenient that one can’t help but wonder if they actually offer any security at all or are just a fancy way to make the house look trendier.
But smart locks are more about convenience than security
The problem with smart systems that rely on software is that you cannot
always control them. Recently a company updated its software but a failure during the process locked out hundreds of people who couldn’t just call a local locksmith to solve the problem and had to wait days to solve the issue. And then, it’s the question of the people who can hack such systems and thus gain access to one’s home. One would argue that intruders have all sorts of methods to break through mechanical locks and that’s true too. But if one installs a high security deadbolt with a long bolt so that it will secure well in the strike plate which in turn will secure on the frame with long screws, the home will be better protected.
Traditional door locks offer security but not convenience
The truth is that the traditional locks have been around for thousands of years. They got a chance to develop and in their evolved form that includes long bolts and high quality metal components, they offer great security. Yes, you have to use a mechanical key. Yes, keys become damaged and lost. You need to rekey locks if the key is lost and you need to keep the locks clean to make sure you are not running risks of lockouts or security concerns. But with the installation of a high security lock, which meets the BHMA/ANSI standards, at least you have peace of mind that your house is protected. To the defense of smart locks, they have been around for just a while compared to their traditional counterparts.
Security and convenience don’t meet just yet
There is no doubt that a lock that uses both a physical and digital key can offer enhanced security. There is no denying that the convenience of smart locks combined with the security mechanical locks with durable hardware provide can make better promises for harder to break-in properties. It seems that the digital world has a long way to go before the locks become really secure apart from beautiful and convenient. That was the story of mechanical locks too. For now, we have to make a choice between security and convenience and since the former is more important when it comes to door locks, traditional systems seem to win the first round.