Author Topic: Prank Your Neighbor By Unlocking Their Door with a Laser  (Read 1191 times)

Ben

  • Administrator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 45,736
  • I'm an Extremist!
Prank Your Neighbor By Unlocking Their Door with a Laser
« on: November 08, 2019, 05:13:55 PM »
Apparently lasers can be used to hack into smart devices and do things like unlock smart locks on doors, etc.

https://techxplore.com/news/2019-11-thief-garage-door.html
"I'm a foolish old man that has been drawn into a wild goose chase by a harpy in trousers and a nincompoop."

RocketMan

  • Mad Rocket Scientist
  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 13,578
  • Semper Fidelis
Re: Prank Your Neighbor By Unlocking Their Door with a Laser
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2019, 06:30:35 PM »
While I have a number of smart devices in my home, locks on doors are not any of them.  And they never will be.
If there really was intelligent life on other planets, we'd be sending them foreign aid.

Conservatives see George Orwell's "1984" as a cautionary tale.  Progressives view it as a "how to" manual.

My wife often says to me, "You are evil and must be destroyed." She may be right.

Liberals believe one should never let reason, logic and facts get in the way of a good emotional argument.

Ben

  • Administrator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 45,736
  • I'm an Extremist!
Re: Prank Your Neighbor By Unlocking Their Door with a Laser
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2019, 06:43:08 PM »
While I have a number of smart devices in my home, locks on doors are not any of them.  And they never will be.

I've been up in the air on them. I only have one non-conventional lock right now - a keypad (dumb) lock on my shop man door just because I don't carry keys around with me when I'm home. I'm thinking of putting one on the house for when I lock myself out, but would want to find a well-rated one. The one on my shop is just a Kwikset.
"I'm a foolish old man that has been drawn into a wild goose chase by a harpy in trousers and a nincompoop."

French G.

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 10,183
  • ohhh sparkles!
Re: Prank Your Neighbor By Unlocking Their Door with a Laser
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2019, 09:37:50 PM »
Alexa, trigger driveway claymores.

Modern problems require modern solutions.
AKA Navy Joe   

I'm so contrarian that I didn't respond to the thread.

gunsmith

  • I forgot to get vaccinated!
  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 8,173
  • I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.
Politicians and bureaucrats are considered productive if they swarm the populace like a plague of locust, devouring all substance in their path and leaving a swath of destruction like a firestorm. The technical term is "bipartisanship".
Rocket Man: "The need for booster shots for the immunized has always been based on the science.  Political science, not medical science."

dogmush

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 13,663
Re: Prank Your Neighbor By Unlocking Their Door with a Laser
« Reply #5 on: November 08, 2019, 11:34:14 PM »
One of the more useful things that APS got me started looking into, and then I researched pretty extensively, is locks, lock picking/opening, and home physical security.

Bottom Line Up Front:  Unless you are willing to spend a lot of money, like nice used car money, you really need to temper your expectations of security available around residential doors.  Assume they can be opened in under 15 secs by just about anyone willing to go to any effort at all.  Plan your security accordingly.

Given that, use what's convenient for you, and plan defense in depth around it's shortcomings.  I have a Schlage keypad on my front door, and it's pretty handy.

charby

  • Necromancer
  • Administrator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 29,295
  • APS's Resident Sikh/Muslim
Re: Prank Your Neighbor By Unlocking Their Door with a Laser
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2019, 11:47:47 PM »
Sledgehammer, I'm going through your front door and grabbing a least $1k of stuff in under 120 seconds.
Iowa- 88% more livable that the rest of the US

Uranus is a gas giant.

Team 444: Member# 536

Ben

  • Administrator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 45,736
  • I'm an Extremist!
Re: Prank Your Neighbor By Unlocking Their Door with a Laser
« Reply #7 on: November 09, 2019, 08:09:18 AM »
The door frame and door mounts are more critical, IMO, which is why I use Door Armor and long screws.

Though I've watched gun safe videos where the "test thieves" got into $1000 consumer safes in a couple of minutes - and not by playing with the lock.

I'm actually curious why no one (and maybe they do) has ever marketed something like door cross braces like you see in medieval movies when they bar the gate. You could make them both sturdy and decorative, and well-mounted into the frame, someone would be better off using their sledge hammer to break through an exterior wall than knock the door down.

It would be good extra protection for people worried about break-ins while they're home, and that's one of my personal security priorities - creating a buffer of time and noise when someone tries to break in at 0200, when I'm out like a light. Or breaking the front door down with a kick (or battering ram if it's the police state) while I'm in condition white on my recliner and zoned out on the TV.

Dogmush - which Schlage do you have?
"I'm a foolish old man that has been drawn into a wild goose chase by a harpy in trousers and a nincompoop."

dogmush

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 13,663
Re: Prank Your Neighbor By Unlocking Their Door with a Laser
« Reply #8 on: November 09, 2019, 08:46:35 AM »
https://www.amazon.com/Schlage-BE365-CAM-619-Deadbolt/dp/B001AT97YA/ref=pd_sbs_60_t_1/130-5035914-9218019?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B001AT97YA&pd_rd_r=111d29ef-7152-4531-8800-f20860406cd4&pd_rd_w=IU9Cc&pd_rd_wg=rh2Qn&pf_rd_p=5cfcfe89-300f-47d2-b1ad-a4e27203a02a&pf_rd_r=VCY2FWVYNN3T91BSGSZJ&psc=1&refRID=VCY2FWVYNN3T91BSGSZJ

I have folks that come in my house when I'm not there, so it's handy to be able to give them the code to the front door, but not access to the other, locked areas of the home.

I've actually thought about how I'd really like a "smart" keypad where I could turn codes on and off remotely. That way, for example, the pet sitter could only come in when she was supposed to.  Right now I handle that with remote control of the alarm system, and "vendor" codes that only work when I pick.

Triphammer

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 966
Re: Prank Your Neighbor By Unlocking Their Door with a Laser
« Reply #9 on: November 10, 2019, 10:04:34 PM »
Thanks for the smartlock heads-up. I'm building me house, may have mentioned before been 5 years so far, it's 8" concrete block , grouted every 4 feet w/ pea gravel in th other core. Steelcase commercial doorframes & doors. frames are concrete filled. What am I missing? Windows are plain double glazed but I'm looking at some sort of decorative steel screening.

Fly320s

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 14,415
  • Formerly, Arthur, King of the Britons
Re: Prank Your Neighbor By Unlocking Their Door with a Laser
« Reply #10 on: November 11, 2019, 07:15:27 AM »
I'm actually curious why no one (and maybe they do) has ever marketed something like door cross braces like you see in medieval movies when they bar the gate.

Liability and fear of lawsuits.

Some dumbass will install that bar and then die in a house fire because he was too stupid to remove the bar.  His family will sue.  The jury will award millions.
Islamic sex dolls.  Do they blow themselves up?

MechAg94

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 33,619
Re: Prank Your Neighbor By Unlocking Their Door with a Laser
« Reply #11 on: November 11, 2019, 09:50:55 AM »
Liability and fear of lawsuits.

Some dumbass will install that bar and then die in a house fire because he was too stupid to remove the bar.  His family will sue.  The jury will award millions.

It seems to me a cross brace would be easy to disable if you needed to get out of the house quickly.  I guess it depends on how it is done.

There are a few alternatives to barring the door.  This is one I saw recommended.  At least it is at the floor so if there is smoke everywhere, you may still be able to see it.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008SX2FYA/?coliid=I1L2U0OYRGVYNT&colid=3TDS158L20Y8K&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
“It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones.”  ― Calvin Coolidge

Ben

  • Administrator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 45,736
  • I'm an Extremist!
Re: Prank Your Neighbor By Unlocking Their Door with a Laser
« Reply #12 on: November 11, 2019, 10:10:59 AM »
I actually did see a few crossbars on Amazon, but they're very sterile looking things that would make you think you're in prison. I can think of all sorts of cool designs for a heavy ass ornamental bar that would not only be a strong barrier, but look cool and like part of the door/frame.
"I'm a foolish old man that has been drawn into a wild goose chase by a harpy in trousers and a nincompoop."

HankB

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 16,564
Re: Prank Your Neighbor By Unlocking Their Door with a Laser
« Reply #13 on: November 11, 2019, 11:07:06 AM »
. . . I'm actually curious why no one (and maybe they do) has ever marketed something like door cross braces like you see in medieval movies when they bar the gate. You could make them both sturdy and decorative, and well-mounted into the frame, someone would be better off using their sledge hammer to break through an exterior wall than knock the door down.
Several decades ago I saw on a news broadcast that someone had done just that - crossbars to secure a VERY heavily reinforced door. Police were serving a warrant and couldn't get in, despite hammering away with sledgehammers. (this was probably before they switched to battering rams.) Little window in the door opened up - just like you may have seen in an old movie with a speakeasy - and the occupant flatly refused to open up until the police held the warrant up to the window so he could read it. (They eventually did.) Much hilarity ensued.
Trump won in 2016. Democrats haven't been so offended since Republicans came along and freed their slaves.
Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it. - Mark Twain
Government is a broker in pillage, and every election is a sort of advance auction in stolen goods. - H.L. Mencken
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it. - Mark Twain

tokugawa

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2,846
Re: Prank Your Neighbor By Unlocking Their Door with a Laser
« Reply #14 on: November 11, 2019, 11:38:12 AM »
Thanks for the smartlock heads-up. I'm building me house, may have mentioned before been 5 years so far, it's 8" concrete block , grouted every 4 feet w/ pea gravel in th other core. Steelcase commercial doorframes & doors. frames are concrete filled. What am I missing? Windows are plain double glazed but I'm looking at some sort of decorative steel screening.

Where is Revdisk?! He is the expert on a lot of this.

Doors- you did great on the doors- commercial steel doors are tough, and that jamb is not going to be pried apart. make sure the locking system is strong- a high security deadbolt Abloy, etc will help a lot and they can be keyed selective so you can loan someone a key to feed the velocirapor and still have other rooms locked.  A bar would be good to spread  the load on the bolt.
 
 You do have a solid secure bedroom door with deadbolt, yes?  One more layer for when you are most vulnerable-sleeping. It takes a bit to wake up and get full command, and another ten or twenty seconds could buy a life.
 
 Residential doors with a series of perimeter bolts like a safe door are available, I have seen them in Europe, but do not know about a domestic supplier. My guess is the market is still small here.

 Make sure you can get out of the bedroom window from the inside.   A secondary set of interior lexan sliding window covers will add some resistance. It can obscured (frosted, etc) if you want light and privacy. Or go full 3Form or Lumicore for the glazing-they make the cool plastics with leaves etc embedded. Slide them in a strong track secured to the wall core. Steel decorative shutters are good way to allow ventilation and have the house secure also- very standard in warm crime ridden places like california.

 Window security film is pretty effective. I replaced some windows and decided to do an quick  test. 8 mil film was good for several throws of a brick at 15 feet. And even after it broke though, there was just a ragged hole, not an opening big enough to get through.  The most vulnerable windows are those next to a door, or within reaching distance of a wire hook. The secondary benefit of film is if there is some disaster,earthquake or other, it contains the shards.
 I have read that some hurricane prone states have a very tough window code, those windows would be interesting to examine.

  Make sure the garage doors have a shield at the top to guard the release mechanism, so a hook cannot be inserted at the top and used to grab the rope/latch.

 Use gravel on the drive, it is loud.

 Fence if you can.

 Use a driveway gate so interlopers will have to either walk, or push it open or disable it- in any case, once a person is beyond the gate, and you do not know them, they have leapt up the scale to "potentially hostile"- they can no longer pretend to be just casual wanderers. Help define a reaction strategy. This may not sound like much, but in many attacks, the hardest thing for people to realize is the fact they ARE under attack- they feel something is "wrong", but don't have time or space to quantify it.

 You will be glad of a fence and gate every time you leave the house. it is not a failsafe, but it makes it harder to be burgled.

 Security is a onion- a layered approach. Think of it as parasitic drag- aka a series of stumbling blocks-the miscreants day should just be a low grade hassle where all the attempts are a pita. Like getting up late to go to work Monday, but the coffee maker broke and leaked grounds all over the floor, and by the time you got it cleaned up and went out to the car and found out you had a flat and the jack was left in the garage and you house keys got left on the counter.... that kind of day.   IMO, it is best if it is not too overt- a ten foot wall topped with wire in an otherwise normal neighborhood will get a lot of questions asked. You don't want questions. Questions imply answers.
 
 I don't know much about alarms, likely an exterior and interior 120 db horn would do as good as anything to get them out of the house. The standard monitored alarm systems seem to have an extremely high rate of false alarms, and the police usually show up late if at all.

 Cameras are good, but suspect they are most useful as a situational awareness device- being able to pull up a bunch of cameras on the phone while moving around the house/exterior could be a lifesaver.  Or while laying in bed to find out if the motion light went on because of a stray cat or a bear or a human prowler.  As far as identifying individuals for prosecution or tracking? doubtful-