Feel free to post any questions you may have. (Please read the "Welcome to the Public - Please read this FIRST" and the "Read this before posting a question
" parts before you do.)This is not an order of importance this is just and order in which they came into my mind
:First of all make sure your Euro profile lock is installed properly. If it protrudes from the surrounding surface more than 2 mm it can be broken off.
Proper installation of all locks are crucial.
If you use more than one lock it might be a good idea to use different types, to avoid all lock having the same weakness and forcing the criminals to have a broader expertise.
Look into the matter of shielding the lock.There shield greatly heighten the security offered by the lock. It is a major defence against all kinds of destructive entry.
Plus it makes it impossible to ID the lock in advance, making it harder for the criminals to prepare themselves.
Here is a picture or a good security shield:
(Picture taken from Security Snobs, with their prior agreement. This is a company I have dealt with and had positive experience but I have no affiliation with it or any other lock maker.)
Make sure the door handle is cannot be easily taken off. Some are only fixed with 2 Philips' screws which can be screwed out in a few seconds. That can leave the locking mechanism exposed to attacks.
Security door fittings are recommended.
Control you keys:
You should also be careful who you give the key to, (or to a lesser amount whom you show the key). Most keys are easy to make copies of and some can be "decoded"(= the information to reproduce it) quickly. An expert can decode keys from a photo or in an ideal case even from sight. That however should not be a worry for average households or businesses. It needs considerable expertise to decode the key just by seeing it.
Keep track of who has the keys.
Also make sure there are no key of the lock you do not know of (for example in the hands of previous owners.)
If your lock comes with a security card, be sure to keep it in a safe place. Not only will you need it to make new keys, but anyone with access to it can get new keys to your door.
Do not leave your keys under the doormat or in a "secret" place near the door. If you have a person you trust, maybe even a neighbour, you can give them a key for emergencies. But seasoned criminals will find all your "secret" keys very shortly.
Make sure you pay attention to all ways of entry. There is no point in spending several hundred dollars on the front door when you have an easily accessible back door with the cheapest lock.
While the statistics I've read show windows not to be a common way in with robberies, keep in mind that there are windows and without any reinforcement (security foil or bars or similar things windows are a possible way of entry.
It might be good idea to have a bit of a gravel stripe right under the windows. Walking on those is really noisy and criminals dislike noise.
Keep in mind, that criminals prefer to work hidden from the eyes of others. If you can make you doors well lit with security lighting and well visible for example by trimming nearby bushes.
Do not make their job easier by leaving useful tools lying around. Ladders and prybars are very useful to criminals.
Look around your house try to think about what objects and surrounding elements can be useful for a criminal.
Make sure you have a strong door. Doors often have a rating by independent insurers.
When at home:
Those little chains which allow you to open the door a little but but try to keep people from pushing the door all the way in: they are 99% worthless. They can be easily snapped with a pliers or cutter tool, or can be broken out of the place.
Use a door viewer (with a broad angle so they can't hide right in the vicinity, and if they look bad ask them what they want.
Do not let suspicious people in your home. It sounds obvious but often robber trick or con their way in, claiming to be some sort of authority. (TV, phone comapny and so on). Ask for an ID and check with the company on phone.
If you are broken into police usually advices not to confront the attacker, but to flee and notify the police.
Keep in mind that most attacks (at least here) happen in a destructive way. Many weaker doors even give up to a few forceful kicks. The frame of the door is also a common victim to attacks.
That is why it might be a good idea to use a secondary lock. Like a deadlatch or a door bar (most of the pics shown by goggle for this word are really ugly, but believe me there are some very tasteful door bars.)
Don't be afraid to ask and get informed:
In many countries local police offers free security advice. Don't hesitate to ask them for it
Many offer tips on their websites.You can contact a few local lockies and they will surely be of assistance in beefing up your security.
Look for independent review of the lock. There are many institutes which test locks professionally, like SKG in the Netherlands or VDS in Germany. Some consumer magazines test locks as well.
Locks regulated by standards and tests some more meaningful then others. VDS and SKG are two of the better institutes.
The point here is learn to make a difference between advertisement of the company itself and and independent test.
Alarms are useful, but only when they are turned on. Similarly, do lock the doors, even the secondary lock.
A lock which is more rare in your country will have higher chance to be unknown to the criminals too.
If you have insurance, keep in mind they might have special requirements when it comes to locks.
One thing you should not worry: if you google a lock chances are you will find a video on youtube showing that that particular lock can be picked in very short time. That is not a good measure of security. Individual skills vary greatly, and it requires a very-very long and diligent practice to get good in picking. Criminals rarely do that, simply because it's not worth the effort to get necessarily good. It's much easier to break in with other methods. The statistics I've read also underpin that picking is very rare in robberies.
Some videos are even fake. Many are claimed to be fake by the manufacturer of that lock
Finally here is a short list of companies which I personally think make good locks. Keep in mind that they all make locks with different levels of security and that this is only a very subjective opinion. It is only for general information and it's vague. It does not mean that only these companies make good locks, all it means is that I find these companies strive to make good locks and I find that they do.
Dom, Evva, Kaba, Gege, Abloy, Assa, Ikon, Keso, Mottura
Again: I am not personally affiliated with any of the companies.
), it is possible to get through it.