Safecracking

There are three basic types of safes to choose from.  There are fire resistant safes, burglar resistant safes, and combination fire and burglar resistant safes.  But no matter the design, all safes are vulnerable to safecracking.  That’s why if you are thinking about buying a safe, you should explore how to break into one.

          The easiest method for a thief to open a safe is to simply know the combination. Therefore, when setting your combination, avoid using numbers such as your birthday or social security number.  Also, don’t store the combination near the safe.  Better yet, keep it in a safety deposit box.

          The most popular method of safecracking is to steal the entire safe and move it to a location where the thief has the time and tools to take the safe apart.  This is easily prevented by bolting the safe to the floor or ground with anchor bolts.  Most safe manufactures have factory installed anchor bolt holes.

          Another way of safecracking is by lock manipulation.  Some rotary combination locks can be manipulated by feel or sound to figure out the right combination.  However, more sophisticated locks use wheels made from lightweight and soft materials (like nylon) to reduce this chance.  Another defense is a clutch-type driver.  These locks have a “click-click” feel in the dial or a dial that has to be pushed in and turned.

          Thieves can also use an auto dialer machine that dials every possible combination of numbers.  Though, these machines only work with a specific type of lock and must dial through thousands of combinations.

          Another way to break a safe is by drilling.  This technique is made easier because manufacturers publish drill-point diagrams for specific safe models.  Once the drilling is complete, a thief can use a borescope to view the wheels of the lock spin.  At the same time he spins the dial to get the safe open.  To guard against this, hardened steel plates make it more difficult to drill, but if the burglar has special titanium drill bits they could eventually get through.  Safe manufactures can also install glass re-lockers, which activate auxiliary locks when the glass is broken.  Once this happens, even putting in the right combination will not open the safe.

          Other methods of safecracking include brute force.  This might involve explosives, blow torches, or jam shots used to blow off the safe’s doors.

          According to the Safe and Vault Store, the number one method to secure a safe is by a combination lock.  There are two classifications for safe combination locks, Group I and Group II.  A Group II combination lock is the most common for home safes and offers up to three number combinations.  Group I offers up to 4 numbers, is sturdier, and has more wheels in the lock mechanism.

          If you are storing anything in your safe of a value over $30,000, then you might want to look for one that has a TL-15 or TL-30 Underwriters Laboratories (UL) rating.  If it has a TL-15 rating it has been tested and resisted for 15 minutes from common hand tools, drills, and hammers.  The TL-30 rating has the same requirements, but with more tools and a resistance up to 30 minutes