This is a fun subject and while may not have a direct correlation to whatever it is you do, lockpicking can be a great way to decompress on occasion, but I suggest it for anyone with an interest in security as a confidence builder but who am I kidding, its fun*.
*Disclaimer: I will neither advise or condone you doing lock picking to conduct any illegal activity. Use these skills responsibly and obtain permission before picking someone else’s locks.
I’ll never forget my first time going to DEFCON (8). It was a much smaller conference back then much resembling the Security BSides conferences of today in terms of size and crowd. It was at the Alexis Park Hotel. I remember tripping over lots of cables ran everywhere and how crowded it was but the one thing I recall most was my very first DEFCON talk I listened to.
The speaker was doing a talk on lockpicking and had a box of different types of locks and was effortlessly picking one after another all while talking. If that wasn’t impressive enough he mentions mid way through picking locks that he was not using standard picks and had actually been using street sweeper bristles due to the ease of finding them in his neighborhood, the malleability of the bristles to form any type of pick he would need and the ease of concealing them in some of the most unexpected places.
Years later I finally decided to buy a set of picks and a lock to practice on. I struggled with it for quite awhile but after getting a brief lesson on how locks work and practicing on a couple simple locks it wasnt long before I was able to pick the lock I bought awhile back.
Since then I have picked a variety of locks and realized I came full circle by creating my own pile of picked locks (the picture above). I have also picked door locks and even gun safety locks. I’m going to try a few other types like handcuffs or combination locks, then try picking without a standard set of lock picks or equipment you would find at the links below.
The Open Organization Of Lockpickers (TOOOL)
Southord: Locks, picks, and other tools.
Locksport: For those of you that are into lockpicking beyond the casual level.