Locks and Security News: your weekly locks and security industry newsletter
24th April 2024 Issue no. 702

Your industry news - first

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We have Mail: Now is not the time to water down security standards

Fear of crime is high amongst consumers. But many people have good reason to fear their property is unsafe. There are 20 million residential doors that are vulnerable and present an open invitation to burglars. Anyone who knows how can break in to the average door in under a minute.

Being able to offer a real security solution to homeowners is a big sales opportunity. But you need to be able to sell a product which meets or exceeds today's consumers' security requirements not yesterday's.

British Kitemark Certification (BSI) and Secured by Design (SBD) are the most well known security standards. But, security is an evolving battle between criminals and technology. What was once judged to be adequate in ensuring a property was secure soon becomes out of date as criminals learn a product's weaknesses and limitations, and find new, more direct ways to break in.

Security standards and their tests are meant to be proxies for real life methods of attack. Snapping is now the most common form of forced entry, yet existing security standards don't use snapping as a test method.

The new Sold Secure Diamond Standard, operated by the Master Locksmith Association (MLA), replicates real life methods of attack, including snapping, and is recognised as the most stringent test for security products. Currently our own ABS Snap Secure Cylinder is the first and only high security cylinder to achieve Sold Secure Diamond standard.

BSI (in conjunction with SBD) is set to launch a new security standard in the next few months. But it is liked to be based around a cylinder and security handle combination test. We believe that this will not only be difficult to police but that it will also compromise security and undermine the reputation of the industry.

Given homeowners' concerns and burglars' focus on snapping as the easy way in, is this really the time to water down security standards? Now is not the time to set a standard on the basis that most hardware manufacturers can easily meet it. Surely the industry should set a higher standard that will last for years and protect the consumer and the reputation of the industry.

Yours sincerely

Steve Stewart
Managing Director
Avocet Hardware
ABS Division

2nd February 2011