Before we begin, it is important to understand what lock picking is and lock pickers do.
Lock picking is an art that is tough to learn. It requires great attention to detail, a sharp mind, and a lot of dedication & hard work. Just like hacking, we usually associate lock picking with something illegal, this should not be the case.
Have you ever heard of ethical hacking? It is a term used for the process of getting into a system or a network (with the consent of its owner) to identify the security threats present inside. The main idea behind ethical hacking is to stay one step ahead of hackers trying to get into your system with an intent of stealing information. Ethical hacking is like someone with a criminal mind playing a good guy.
Lock picking is like ethical hacking in so many ways. There are professional lock pickers with an intent to help rather than steal. These lock pickers study the art and science behind locks and then attempt to break them.
When would you want a lock picker?
There can be numerous instances where you would want a professional lock picker, we have mentioned only a few below.
1- When you have lost a key to the lock and you don’t want to break it.
2- When lock making companies try to find the level of security their locks can provide.
3- Research in creating secure locks.
4- Training
Now that we have the basic concepts straight, let’s find out why burglars and thieves are (usually) not lock pickers.
Burglars and Thieves
Burglars and thieves are people who want to steal your belongings. These belongings can be tangible like gold, money, etc. or intangible like important information.
Reasons why they wouldn’t try picking a lock
One of the most important aspects of lock picking is the fact that, lock pickers would want to break the lock without damaging it. There is no point for all the hard work if, in the end, you have to damage it. Criminals, trying to break in and steal would be least concerned about not damaging the locks. They would break it down and force their way in if necessary.
Criminals and thieves are usually short on time and since lock picking can consume a lot of it, they would rather break in through a window or attempt to break the lock physically.
Criminals are criminals - you usually don’t expect them to be well trained in the art of lock picking. They might be stealthy, yes, but lock picking is a different ball game. A thief is most likely to come in if he finds an unlocked door or an easy entry. He or she may even try to break in by physically disarming the lock.
According to a research, only 6% of burglars would go for picking the locks to gain an entry in homes. 32% would go for an unlocked door or a window, 26% would try to gain a forced entry (by breaking the door, locks, window, etc), and 24% would try jimmying or prying.
Another reason why criminals would not want to pick a lock or even learn the art is because carrying lock picking tools is a crime in some states. A criminal wouldn’t like the idea of being caught even before the burglary.
Bottom Line
There are many other reasons why criminals wouldn’t go for lock picking but to sum it up, lock picking is a slower, more sophisticated, more complicated, and sometimes ever more illegal method of picking a lock.
Why would a criminal opt for this when he can simply break in using simpler techniques?