If you need more proof that the MasterLocks at your local hardware store do very little to protect your belongings, here’s a video of a lock-picking robot. Samy Kamkar, who previously built a drone ...

Learning to pick locks is a fun exercise in learning about locking mechanisms, honing a useful skill, and getting a better understanding of how locks work and protect—or fail to protect—you and your ...

Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a writer, a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor from 2013 to 2024, Ry's ...

Most consumer-grade locks aren’t that secure. To wit, if you ever need to open a basic padlock or combination lock without a key, all you need is a soda can, a boxcutter, and a little precise cutting.

Those combination locks you pick up for a few bucks at the office supply store have never been the epitome of security — but in recent weeks, they’ve taken a beating. A few weeks ago, Samy Kamkar — ...

There's only 1000 possible combinations. It's pretty easy to work through those sequentially. I've had to do that twice. Once I was given a bike with chain and a lock like that, but not the combo. The ...

The art of picking locks may seem like a skill more suited for an action-movie hero than the average person. However, with perseverance, an understanding of locks, and the right tools, anyone can ...

Here’s any easy method for backing out the combination of a Master Lock. In a perfect world there would be 64,000 possible lock combinations (40 3). The construction of the lock prevents this from ...

After a successful DIY project, you might experience a bit of paranoia in terms of protection. If so, there's one answer: Matthais Wandel's DIY wooden combination lock. The lock isn't perfect—a lack ...