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Site, facilities and admin managers can order master keys below. Completing a risk assessment will give you a deeper understanding of whether or not your threats and vulnerabilities should concern you. Conclusion A master key system allows two or more keys to open one lock.
With the next exploratory key, keep the depth closest to the shoulder at the only functioning depth or at the depth that the original key did not have. With that understanding, it will be easier to comprehend the addition of a master key system. You can also if you wish to do this work more often. If you do not know the key number, it is possible to obtain additional keys from a locksmith who can impression your lock.
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Master keys are something that many people seem to be fascinated with. The fascination, I believe, is due to the confusing nature of the device. How is one key, opening two doors, but another key that is opening one of those doors is not opening the other? Is it the key that is special? Is it the internal mechanics of the lock? Well, I must warn you that there is some math involved in these answers. Now before you stop reading I may have lost some people already it is nothing too difficult. At the lowest level of comprehension it is addition and subtraction, and at the highest level of understanding at least what is expressed here it is exponents. It is nothing scary. After reading this piece, you should be able to understand any master key system, varying from the simplest version to the most complex. Keys in a Master System In order of least access to most access: Change Key — This key is also referred to as a sub-master key. It will open one lock and only locks that are exactly the same. The lock that the change key opens will also open with the use of the master key, and any key above that rank. Master Key — Without a master key, there is only one key for a lock. This is the necessary key to change a simple lock into a master keyed lock. In some systems, this will be the highest ranking key. Grand Master Key — A grand master key is used to access multiple master key systems. This key will open every master system under it, and the subsequent change keys under those systems. Great Grand Master Key — The great grand master key will open all the grand master key systems under it, the master key systems under those, and the change keys under those. Theoretically, this trend can continue until the locks become too complicated to function. There could be grand master keys prefaced with great great great great, etc. How Master Keys Work Most master key systems work off of a lock. A on how a basic pin tumbler lock will work: To open a lock a pin stack consisting of a driver pin and a key pin must be elevated so that the two rest on opposite sides of the shear line. A key lifts key pins within a lock. These key pins are all different sizes. The driver pins will be a universal size. Therefore, the key needs to have the right set of grooves to lift the key pins to the correct height. It is an oversimplification, but if you would like to find out more about the specifics you can check out the section of our website. With that understanding, it will be easier to comprehend the addition of a master key system. All that is needed for any standard pin tumbler to be converted for a master key system is to add a master wafer aka master pin between a driver and key pin. A master wafer is virtually a small hockey puck shaped pin. Once it is in place, the pin stack will have two shear lines. A shear line for a pin stack with a master wafer below or above the line. Convenience Most large institutions do not want their employees to carry around large quantities of keys. A master key system will allow for different levels of restricted entry. When a master key system is finished there may be a graduated level of access. However, the property manager will have one key that works for both locks. This can work to create a number of possible keys. Say there are five chambers in the lock and five active pin stacks. If each one of those stacks has a master wafer, then each chamber will have two possible shear lines. Of those 32 possible keys, only two keys need to be made. One will be for the person with access to what that lock is securing, and another for the person that has access to what every lock is securing in the location. Security Vulnerabilities It is often the case that convenience will lower security. The more convenient something is for the proper user, the simpler it is to defeat. Master keyed locks are a great example of this. A master key system will make your locks vulnerable to several types of attacks: Decoding Exploratory keys are used to master keyed systems with only your change key and the lock it opens. With the knowledge of what type of key it is, you can gather the key codes, and cut the zero cut to a one. Try out that key. Once you have worked your way down to the deepest groove depth, you should have an understanding of the pinning on that first cut in the key. If there is only one depth that turns the lock, then there is no master wafer. If the lock opens at two depths, then it does have a master wafer in the first pin stack. There may be more shear lines if there are more wafers or pins. With the next exploratory key, keep the depth closest to the shoulder at the only functioning depth or at the depth that the original key did not have. Have the next cut at zero, and then begin the process again. This process will be repeated with each groove in the bitting. Each time you make another exploratory key, you will keep the only working depth or the depth that your original key did not have. To save time in the exploration process, you can assume that there are no master wafers that are changing the depth value by a factor of one either higher or lower than the depth on your working key. Master wafers with a differential of one depth are often not used because they can jam up the internals of a lock. Once you have a key that works in your own lock, that has as many different cuts as possible, you will know all the possible keys that will work in your lock. You will have to fashion a key for each possibility. Multiple master wafers will be used to make more complicated systems, such as grand Master Keys, and Great Grand Master Keys. If the system is on a Grand Master, Great Grand Master, or anything higher, the number of functioning key codes you end up with will increase accordingly. For every additional master wafer, you must add one extra shear line to the chamber. Another way you can cut down time in your decoding is to do some research on the lock. If the lock is a Kwikset, then it will have a Maximum Adjacent Cut Specification of. That means that a cut on either side must not exceed a difference of four. For example, a key can have the bitting 2, 4, 5, 2, 6. The difference between 2 and 4 is 2; the difference between 4 and 5 is 1; the difference between 5 and 2 is 3; the difference between 2 and 6 is 4. If the 4th groove had been a one, then the difference would have been 5 between grove 4 and 5. That would have violated MACS. Because this will never happen, when you are decoding for this key you would know that there is no possible key with the bitting 2, 4, 5, 1, 6. So out of your possible 32 biting combinations that you may need to try, there are perhaps some that can be crossed off the list before you make them. Picking Adding master wafers to your lock will hurt your security, with a. However, as long as a master wafer creates a secondary and functional shear line, security will be compromised. Essentially, there are two different ways to pick each chamber. In a five chamber lock, with a master wafer in each, there are 32 different ways to pick the lock. This increase in picking weakness will make the lock more susceptible to. Due to the fact that any amateur can rake a lock, the number of individuals that can open your locks dramatically increases. In the security industry, the amount of skill it takes to defeat your protections is directly correlated to the amount of crime being deterred. Are picking attacks common in your area, industry, etc? You will also need to weigh how much having a master key system will. Making a Master Key System As we discussed early on, a master key system will make one lock open with the use of at least two keys. If you are looking to make a master key or master key system, the first step will be to gather two keys with the same style. Once you have these keys, you will need to decode their depths. You can do this most easily with a. In the event that you do not have a key gauge, you will need to get creative with the tools you do have. If you are a locksmith or have the tools and time to make a key with the exact cuts you want, there is no need to use two existing keys. You can also if you wish to do this work more often. Regardless of whether you will be making keys or using pre-existing ones, note the existing, or intended, groove depths. You should have the ability to , so you can access the pins. Now we begin creating the master key system. In our case, this would be 2, 2, 5, 2, 6. If a depth repeats that is the lowest depth. You may keep the pins for any chamber that is not having a master wafer added. In our example that would be chambers 3 and 5. Once you have a working lock, that can be opened with two keys, one of the keys can be assigned as the master and the other as the change key. To continue building out the master key system, simply repeat this process with your master key, a third key, and a second lock. Try to stay away from using number one master wafers. If you are just using keys that you have, there may be no way around it, but in a professional setting only master wafers with a value of two or greater should be used. As I have previously stated, the smaller the master wafer is the higher the risk of damaging the lock, which will result in having to call a locksmith to. Additional Security There are additional security measures, , that can be added onto a master-keyed system. These auxiliary precautions will make picking and decoding more difficult, but not impossible. Adding sidebars and active elements to the key will make exploration much more complicated. A master system does not even need to use a pin tumbler type lock. Disk detainer locks can be mastered to serve as a more complicated and secure means of protection. As the protections are added, the lock will need to become more complex. Whenever you are adding security be careful that you are comprehending the complexity of the system. If you are brainstorming your very own ideas about additional security, I would recommend researching your idea. In the rare case that someone has not already had your idea, try and find a device that works similarly or in a more basic way than your idea. This is the mechanism that should be deconstructed and understood. Test all additional security before using it in your operational security. Conclusion A master key system allows two or more keys to open one lock. To make a master key system, you need locks and keys that are the same make and model, and a way to rekey those locks. Although these systems often use pin tumbler locks, they can use different lock types for varying levels of security. The main selling point for master keys is that they limit the amount of keys needed to open multiple locks. These systems can get pretty complicated with the introduction of grand master keys and great grand master keys. The more master wafers, the more keys there are that can open the lock because the number of shear lines increases. Master key systems are very susceptible to picking and decoding. The easier a lock is to pick, the more thieves there are who can steal from you. Completing a risk assessment will give you a deeper understanding of whether or not your threats and vulnerabilities should concern you. Anytime you are attempting any work on your own security, evaluate your strengths and weakness. There is no need to break your door locks in the hopes of saving a few dollars. Do not use any of this information for criminal activity. This post is intended for educational purposes only. Be safe, and know your security.
A key lifts key pins within a lock. You can also if you wish to do this work more often. When a master key system is finished there may be a graduated level of access. Whenever you are adding security be careful that you are comprehending the complexity of the system. PST cutoff time, then it will ship that day and arrive 2 business days later. If you decide you want to discontinue the service, you can cancel your subscription at any time. If each one of those stacks has a master wafer, then each chamber will have two possible shear lines. Customer may be required to run system self-test master key lock or correct reported faults by following advice given over phone. A master key system will make your locks vulnerable to several types of attacks: Decoding Exploratory keys are used to master keyed systems with only your change key and the lock it opens. How do I find my serial number?.
