Locksport is the sport or recreation of defeating locking systems. Its enthusiasts learn a variety of skills including lock picking, lock bumping, and a variety of other skills traditionally known only to locksmiths and other security professionals. Locksport followers enjoy the challenge and excitement of learning to defeat all forms of locks, and often gather together in sport groups to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and participate in a variety of recreational activities and contests.
Lock picking has existed for as long as locks have, and recreational lock picking has as well. King Louis XVI of France (1754–1793) was a keen designer, picker and manipulator of locks. [1]
Notes from the MIT Roof and Tunnel Hacking community [2] were made widely available in 1991 as The MIT Guide to Lock Picking.
However, as an organized hobby, lock picking is a relatively recent phenomenon. The earliest known organized group of lock picking enthusiasts is the German club SSDeV ( Sportsfreunde der Sperrtechnik – Deutschland e.V. , which translates as Sports Enthusiasts of Lockpicking – Germany, reg. assoc.). SSDeV was founded by Steffen Wernéry in 1997. [3] As the group grew in Germany, another group was founded in The Netherlands in 1999. This group, originally called NVHS, and currently called TOOOL (The Open Organisation Of Lockpickers), [4] has also helped to pioneer the collaborative hobby of lock picking.
The term locksport was adopted by lock picking enthusiasts as a way of differentiating what they do from locksmiths, as well as from those who might choose to pick locks for nefarious purposes. As of early 2005, the term had been suggested, but not widely adopted. The creation of the sport group Locksport International in July 2005, founded by Josh Nekrep, Kim Bohnet, and Devon McDormand of LockPicking101.com, helped to solidify the term within the community, and today the term is widely adopted in North America by those who practice the craft for fun and sport. Locksport International is now under the direction of Doug Farre. [5]
In the beginning of 2024 a book called "locksport" was published, detailing how competitions are run and how to train for them. The book is written by five lockpickers, each writing about their own speciality. [6]
At the core of locksport is the philosophical belief in responsible full disclosure. Locksport enthusiasts target security through obscurity that is common within the locksmith industry, as well as among lock manufacturers. Those who choose to participate in locksport often seek to discover security vulnerabilities and notify lock manufacturers as well as, in some instances, the public, in an effort to promote improvements in the field of physical security and to aid consumers in making better, more informed decisions about their own security. [7] This philosophy is contradictory to that held by many locksmith organizations, [8] and locksport enthusiasts have come under attack for releasing information about lesser-known vulnerabilities.[ citation needed ] Nonetheless, locksport enthusiasts persist in discovering weaknesses in all forms of physical security.
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At locksport meetings, members regularly participate in a variety of activities such as lock challenges, lock relay races, standardized tests, and many other such activities dreamed up by the members themselves. Many enthusiasts support each other through online groups and forums such as Facebook, where a number of locksport groups [9] are available to join for those looking to get into the sport.
One such activity is known as the Padlock Challenge, where members each start with a predefined number of padlocks linked together. As participants pick a lock, they attach the lock to the chain of padlocks of another participant. The goal is to be the first to rid oneself of all one's locks. Another common activity is some form of speed challenge, where members are given a limited time to pick a lock, or compete for the best time on one or more locks.
The Open Organisation Of Lockpickers (Toool) Netherlands chapter engages in two types of competitions. [10] Stefaan Offerman conceived the 'continuous competition', which runs throughout the year and offers participants the chance to thoroughly familiarize themselves with 20 to 30 different competition locks. Competitors can attempt to pick a specific lock as many times as they wish, with only their fastest time being recorded. The results from previous competitions can be found on the TOOOL Netherlands website. [11]
Since 2002, Toool has also been organizing the renowned and infamous 'Dutch Open' lockpicking championships. This event attracts lockpickers from various countries, including Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the United States, who compete for the highly coveted cup. Unlike the continuous competition, the Dutch Open provides a new lock for each round, requiring competitors to be in top form. Since 2008, the Dutch Open has been held during LockCon.
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There are several organized lock picking contests that are held each year. Both SSDeV and TOOOL.NL hold a major contest each year, attended by hobbyists and travellers from around the globe. In North America, contests are held at the Defcon Convention in Las Vegas each year, and the HOPE Convention every second year. Rules and format of contests vary from event to event.
"Locksport fans compete in several formats, including head-to-head contests that determine the fastest lock picker. In the so-called Locksport Wizard, each contestant is given a burlap sack containing an identical set of locks and is required to blindly pick them using only tools they have put in the sack."
In other challenges, participants have to pick their way out of handcuffs before attempting to defeat a set of locks. There also are competitions to disassemble locks and reassemble them properly. [12]
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There are currently several conventions exclusive to locksport. This includes conventions such as LockCon [13] (formerly The Dutch Open), LockFest EU [14] and OzSecCon Australia. [15] These conferences include talks on locks and physical security technologies, as well as competitions between participants in different types of opening techniques. Enthusiasts have also found acceptance among a variety of hacker conventions. DEFCON and HOPE are the most notable. At each of these conventions a dedicated area called "The Lock Picking Village" is set up where contests and presentations are held. Here, attendees can learn to pick locks and watch others practice and compete.
Because lock picking is sometimes viewed as a nefarious craft, locksport enthusiasts uphold a very rigorous standard of ethics.
Locksporters abide by the following rules in order to make it clear to the people outside of the community that its activities are within ethical boundaries:
In an effort to keep lock-picking skill away from those who would abuse it, members of locksport groups have zero tolerance for illegal or immoral lock picking, bypass, or other forms of entry. [16] Though the incidence of lock picking for crime is statistically low,[ citation needed ] locksport enthusiasts feel they must uphold such strict standards to refute the common misconception that they are participating in illegal activities. [17]
Locksmithing is the science and art of making and defeating locks. Locksmithing is a traditional trade and in many countries requires completion of an apprenticeship. The level of formal education legally required varies from country to country from none at all, to a simple training certificate awarded by an employer, to a full diploma from an engineering college, in addition to time spent working as an apprentice.
Lock picking is the practice of unlocking a lock by manipulating the components of the lock device without the original key.
A warded lock is a type of lock that uses a set of obstructions, or wards, to prevent the lock from opening unless the correct key is inserted. The correct key has notches or slots corresponding to the obstructions in the lock, allowing it to rotate freely inside the lock.
The pin tumbler lock, also known as the Yale lock after the inventor of the modern version, is a lock mechanism that uses pins of varying lengths to prevent the lock from opening without the correct key.
A combination lock is a type of locking device in which a sequence of symbols, usually numbers, is used to open the lock. The sequence may be entered using a single rotating dial which interacts with several discs or cams, by using a set of several rotating discs with inscribed symbols which directly interact with the locking mechanism, or through an electronic or mechanical keypad. Types range from inexpensive three-digit luggage locks to high-security safes. Unlike ordinary padlocks, combination locks do not use keys.
A lock is a mechanical or electronic fastening device that is released by a physical object, by supplying secret information, by a combination thereof, or it may only be able to be opened from one side, such as a door chain.
A lever tumbler lock is a type of lock that uses a set of levers to prevent the bolt from moving in the lock. In the simplest form of these, lifting the tumbler above a certain height will allow the bolt to slide past.
A Chubb detector lock is a lever tumbler lock with an integral security feature, a re-locking device, which frustrates unauthorised access attempts and indicates to the lock's owner that it has been interfered with. When someone tries to pick the lock or to open it using the wrong key, the lock is designed to jam in a locked state until either a special regulator key or the original key is inserted and turned in a different direction. This alerts the owner to the fact that the lock has been tampered with.
ShmooCon is an American hacker convention organized by The Shmoo Group. There are typically 40 different talks and presentations on a variety of subjects related to computer security and cyberculture. Multiple events are held at the convention related to cryptography and computer security such as Shmooganography, Hack Fortress, a locksport village hosted by TOOOL DC, and Ghost in the Shellcode. ShmooCon 2021 was not held in January due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Padlocks are portable locks usually with a shackle that may be passed through an opening to prevent use, theft, vandalism or harm.
A luggage lock is a lock used to prevent luggage from opening by accident, usually with little or no security in mind, although the lock may serve as a deterrent to potential thieves. Luggage locks may be built into luggage or may be external locks such as padlocks or lockable straps.
Master Lock is an American company that develops padlocks, combination locks, safes, and related security products. Now a subsidiary of Fortune Brands Innovations, Master Lock Company LLC was formed in 1921 by locksmith-inventor Harry E. Soref and is headquartered in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. In 1970 the company was purchased by American Brands from Soref's heirs. American Brands was later renamed to Fortune Brands, which then split on October 3, 2011, to create the Fortune Brands Home & Security company and the beverages company Beam Inc..
Lock bumping is a lock picking technique for opening a pin tumbler lock using a specially crafted bump key, rapping key or 999 key. A bump key must correspond to the target lock in order to function correctly.
ALOA Security Professionals Association is an American trade organization for locksmiths and other physical security professionals. The organization represents more than 6,000 locksmiths in the United States, Canada, and other countries, making it the largest association of its sort in North America, and conducts professional proficiency certifications for its members.
A snap gun, also known as lock pick gun, pick gun, or electric lock pick, is a tool that can be used to open a mechanical pin tumbler lock without using the key. A thin steel blade, similar in shape to a lock pick, is inserted into the lock and the snap gun briefly fires the blade against all of the lock pins simultaneously, momentarily freeing the cylinder and enabling it to be turned using a tension wrench. The snap gun is an alternative to a conventional lockpick, which requires other techniques such as raking to free the pins.
The Open Organisation of Lockpickers or TOOOL is an organization of individuals who partake in the hobby of locksport, as well as educate its members and the public about the security provided by locks.
Best Lock Corporation was an American publicly traded door hardware and lock manufacturer. Founded in 1925 as Best Universal Lock Company by Frank Ellison Best, the privately held company relocated from Seattle, Washington, to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1938, where operations expanded and evolved. Product offerings are now marketed under the Best Access brand, which is one of several trademarked corporate divisions in Stanley Black & Decker's Stanley Security group.
M. Schuyler Towne is a competitive lockpicker and pioneer of the American Locksport movement. He was "first introduced to lockpicking at the 2006 Hackers on Planet Earth conference in New York." At that conference Towne became one of the founding board members of The Open Organization Of Lockpickers US chapter and in 2007 he launched Non-Destructive Entry Magazine. Towne has competed in the Dutch Open at LockCon in the Netherlands and both spoken and competed at DEF CON in Las Vegas. His last public talk was given at SecTor 2018.
Mul-T-Lock is an Israeli company that develops and sells padlocks, combination locks, and related security products. It was founded in 1973 by Moshe Dolev and Avraham Bahry and is a subsidiary of Assa Abloy. Four years later, in 1977, Mul-T-Lock introduced the telescopic pin technology and entered the cylinders market.
LockPickingLawyer is an American YouTuber known for picking various locks on camera, and reviewing their effectiveness while pointing out security flaws. As of May 2023, the channel has over four million subscribers.
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