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Reasons to Change Your Locks

Feb 24, 2016

There are many reasons why it may be necessary to change your locks. In general, a good way to think about it would be comparing your physical locks to the password locks you use on your computer. With electronic data, everyone is always talking about security. Passwords have different standards and different encryption to offer different levels of protection.


Ideally, we want everything we lock to be completely protected with the highest level of security, but there are limitations that prevent this in both physical locks and electronic passwords. Unfortunately, we can’t put large vault locks on our bike locks or car doors. Not only are they impractical, but they would be very expensive. Electronic passwords are similar in that higher levels of encryption require higher levels of computing power. It is simply impossible for companies to afford military level protection for the common services we use like email and social media.


While we can’t always have the highest level of protection for all of our locks, what is important is that we have the right level of protection. That is, the lock you choose has to be a large enough obstacle to deter people from attempting to obtain what is potentially behind it. That is why homes, automobiles, and other devices with locks have different standards for quality. While they aren’t 100% effective, in general, we’ve found them to be a balance between effectiveness and cost.


Another reason why you might need to change your locks is if you lose a key, which draws another parallel to computer passwords. If someone obtains information about your passwords, they have a higher potential of figuring out what that password is. If you lose a key, there is nothing to stop other people from copying it and using it. It is highly unlikely that an individual with malicious intent would wind up finding your lost key, or even be able to find where that key goes if they did.


However, losing that key means that information about your lock is out there. Sometimes keys have a lot of information too, like an electronic key that says BMW and has a handy alarm switch on it. A situation not that dissimilar from losing the little piece of paper you wrote your bank account, login, and password on.


Along these same lines, it may be necessary to change your locks if someone that you know has a key, should no longer have access to your lock. While it may not always seem like a potential threat, locks are barriers that set boundaries. Even if you remain on good terms with an old roommate, an ex-spouse, or a former business partner, not changing your locks may seem like a signal that it is ok for them to still use their key. Kind of like an ex that may feel the need to check up on your email every now and again.


ARCO is Utah County’s lock expert. We stay up to date on the latest advances in lock technology and we have the experience to know what works. If you have any questions or concerns about the locks that are protecting your property and valuables, don’t hesitate to give us a call. Our lock experts can give you an honest assessment and let you know the best options available to satisfy your situation.

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