High-Security Locks: Ratings, Key Control, and Real Resistance
High security locks are locks that provide increased resistance to compromise.
What Defines High Security
Restrictive Keyways: The use of complex and paracentric keyways frustrate attacks by manipulation.
Key Control: Keys require a security card be presented for a locksmith to duplicate keys.
Key Control
Restricted distribution matters as much as mechanism strength. A pick-resistant cylinder fails operationally if blanks are sold at hardware stores. Security cards and factory-only duplication channels keep unauthorized keys off the street.
Manipulation Resistance
Security pins frustrate raking; sidebars block single-step picking; disc detainers and magnetic pin platforms resist bumping differently than standard pin tumblers. No single feature suffices — layered defenses define real high security.
Forced Entry Resistance
Hardened steel rods, anti-drill plates, and ball-bearing pick guards address physical attack. High-security padlocks add shrouded shackles and closed shackle designs. Door hardware must pair strong cylinders with reinforced strikes and frames.
Notable High-Security Platforms
Examples cited across the industry include Abloy Protec, ASSA Twin, EVVA MCS, Schlage Primus, Medeco, BiLock, and Fichet. Specification writers should demand ratings and service support, not logos alone.