>In response to LockPickingLawyer's findings, a Level spokesperson told us that while the potential threat of a lock picker is eye-catching, only 4% of homes are broken into using this method (according to US Department of Justice (opens in new tab) and FBI statistics).
So basically what Level is saying is that locks are basically security theatre, and they're happily complicit in it: locks don't actually need to be secure, because no one tries to pick them, now please buy our $330 lock.
When I read that statistic, I was wondering something else: perhaps only 4% of homes are broken into using this method because most locks aren’t vulnerable to these?
Not really. Good locks are not vulnerable to a kid that followed a YouTube tutorial. Better locks come with a rating that’s supposed to estimate how much time will a properly equipped professional need to open them. It’s typically single digit minutes.
It’s just that every other break-in method is easier.
That’s an interesting hypothesis, but it’s largely not true. If you can buy the lock at a hardware store, it can be picked quite easily. It’s absolutely the case that locks are security theater, or perhaps more charitably they are there to keep honest people honest.
The Schlage B60N deadbolt is widely recommended, widely available, has an ANSI Grade 1 residential rating (resistant to common attacks) and costs less then $50 on Amazon.
I feel bad, because I was waiting on this response. It’s an ok lock which I have picked a lot of. Don’t rely on it to stop anyone with access to YouTube.
Edit: the Schlage connect is in this same category; widely recommended, highly certified, easy to pick. Locks are theater.
It’s certainly better at providing the psychological safety that you have “a really good lock”, and since that’s what locks are for that’s important. With that said, nobody being stopped by the Schlage but not by the Level. Especially since as you point out the default configuration of the Schlage is trivially bypassable with a boot.
Most burglaries are drug addicts busting a door in to grab whatever. The 4% number is a conceit… who are these lock pickers and who are they targeting? My guess, people dropping $300 on a lock.
So basically what Level is saying is that locks are basically security theatre, and they're happily complicit in it: locks don't actually need to be secure, because no one tries to pick them, now please buy our $330 lock.