Security Expert Warns About Keypad Door Locks

Many homeowners are installing keypad door locks on their homes so that they can give someone a code verses a key that can be lost. This can be very useful for children that often lose keys, or for a repairman that will be at the house when the owner is not there.  However, there are vulnerabilities with these locks, and there are ways to eliminate those risks as well.

Residential Security Risks

These same kinds of locks used at many businesses and when doing a security assessment, we will often test these locks to ensure that the factory default codes have been properly removed.  The factory programs is a master code programmed into each lock so that if needed someone can always reset all codes. However, many businesses and homeowners fail to change the factory set master code, so anyone with knowledge of how those locks work, and what codes manufactures will often use as the master code, can unlock that door even if they do not know your personal access code.

Business Security Risks

During past security assessments we have been told by security managers that all master codes have been reset, yet when we put in the factory installed master code we were able to unlock doors that should have been secure.

If you have a lock like this on any door at your home or business, and you have not replaced all factory installed master codes, you are at risk.

Everyone that owns a keypad lock needs to look in the owner’s manual for that lock and discover how to reset the master codes, and if you cannot find your manual look it up online. These types of locks are becoming more common on homes, but homeowners need to insure that they both reset the master codes when they install it, and reset all access codes at least 2-4 times per year in case someone learns the code.

You also need to remove all temporary codes that you provide to repairmen as soon as the job is completed. When in doubt, change the code!