Quick Norcross Locksmith LLC: When to Replace Locks

Quick Norcross Locksmith LLC is here to provide information on when locks should be replaced. Of course, a lock isn’t like a light bulb that is going to have to be changed rather often. It’s not like the filter in your refrigerator that you have to watch out for. But locks still do have to be replaced every so often, and we can provide you with information on signs that it is time for a lock replacement.

There are certain scenarios which can arise that would indicate it is time to replace your locks. For one, if you move into a new place, you should have the locks changed out. This is something the previous owner might not have done or might not have been able to do, on account of contractors and brokers and agents having a copy of their key. When you move, you should have the locks replaced. You just don’t know who still has access to a key and would otherwise be able to get into your now home.

Lost House Key

If you lose your house key, you should have the locks replaced. In a best case scenario, a good person would pick up the key and try to return it to you. But you always have to be cautious, and in a worst case scenario, someone could potentially figure out whose house the key belongs to. You’ve heard stories of people being followed home while out running errands – be cautious and just change the locks! In some cases, a rekey might be possible. This is something that you should speak with a locksmith in your area about. If you happen to be in or near Norcross, GA, of course our local experts can help you for a reasonable price – we offer very competitive rates, as do most locksmiths!

Break-In

Another reason to replace your locks would be a break-in. This, like the other instances we are describing, would apply to one’s home, office or vehicle. Any property that is broken into is going to need new locks installed. A burglary is a difficult enough thing to deal with. There have been people who have had their most prized possessions stolen, like jewelry that was passed down from generation to generation. It is a horrible, invasive thing to experience, but if you have gone through this awful scenario, it is important to amp up your security. A locksmith can help you to do this, and they will start by replacing your locks. Perhaps if you did not previously have an alarm system installed, you are going to want one. Or maybe you will want added layers of security, like deadbolts. Maybe you will even want to go keyless. Talk to a locksmith about these things.

Divorce or Relationship Ending

If you go through a divorce, have your locks changed! Even if your divorce has been quite amicable, it is important to note that emotions can run high. It is not a bad idea to have the locks changed.

Lock Damage – Wear and Tear or Break-in

If there was damage to your locks, you should have them changed. This can occur because of a break in, or it could occur for other reasons. You will notice that your key doesn’t slip in as easily, or maybe you can see indications of damage taking place or having already taken place. Either way, you don’t want locks that are falling apart and therefore don’t offer any security. Have the locks replaced!


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We hired ethical hackers to hack a family's smart home — here's how it turned out

by Luke Denne, Greg Sadler, Makda Ghebreslassie

Vulnerabilities revealed in smart home devices prompt 1 manufacturer to immediately beef up protections

image from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/smart-home-hack-marketplace-1.4837963

Security was a key consideration for Kenwood and Yarema when they shopped for their devices. So the couple was shocked by how easily a team of ethical, or "white hat", hackers hired by Marketplace took control of their devices — a series of tests done with the family's permission.

Normally hired to check the security of complex IT systems, the team from Scalar Decisions was instead tasked with testing the security of the family's smart home.

Could smart home devices be vulnerable to hackers? Earlier, CBC Marketplace's Makda Ghebreslassie and security expert Theo Van Wyk answered your questions.

 Sitting in a van on the street outside, the Scalar team managed to crack the family's Wi-Fi password in less than two hours. The same password had been used to set up the thermostat, allowing them to remotely turn the heat up or off completely.

'We have a child in here'

The hackers then turned their attention to the family's front door. Using a sophisticated phishing email, the ethical hackers managed to trick Kenwood into giving them her log-in details for her home hub.

The family uses a Wink Connected Home Hub, allowing them to control their lights and front door with a smartphone app.

After receiving the email, Kenwood believed she was logging onto the Wink website, when instead she was handing her password over to the hackers. With full access to her account, they were able to unlock the couple's front door and enter the home.

That password had also been used by Kenwood across other accounts, including the family's Nest security cameras, allowing the team to log in and view what was happening inside the home.

And it gave the hackers the ability to send voice commands to the couple's Amazon Echo, where they could potentially place Amazon orders using Kenwood's stored credit card information.

"It's terrifying that they're able to get into so many devices," said Kenwood. "It's our home ... we have a child in here."

After seeing how their smart home could be hacked, the family's first step would be "taking the door lock off the Wi-Fi," said Yarema.

'Be alert for phishing emails'

Reusing the same password across multiple accounts — something many of us are likely guilty of — made the family's home less secure, said Arsenii Pustovit, leader of Scalar's ethical hacker team.

"You want to have different passwords for each of your online accounts," he said.

Since most of us struggle to remember multiple passwords, he suggests using something called a password manager. It generates complicated passwords for each of your online accounts, but you only have to remember one password — for the manager — to unlock them all.

Article Source:  We hired ethical hackers to hack a family's smart home — here's how it turned out

Related Article:  Glitch in Yale's smart security system sees Brits 'locked out' of homes


When a locksmith is needed for home use, always choose the best! Get a quote from Quick Norcross Locksmith LLC.

Quick Norcross Locksmith LLC: Transponder Keys: Potential Problems

Even though you may not know what a transponder key is, you most probably use at least one – and you use it quite frequently. The key you use to unlock and start your vehicle is a transponder key. Perhaps you noticed that the key contains something more than just the metal part. There, in that plastic case, the transponder resides. Without the transponder, your car will not start. A key that has a transponder which malfunctions is almost useless. We say almost because the key will still unlock the car in many cases, even when the transponder is malfunctioning.

Unfortunately, unlike traditional keys, transponder keys are quite sensitive. Not only do they require battery power to work, they can also get easily damaged. If you drop the key repeatedly, the transponder may malfunction. Sometimes, the transponder key may stop working for no obvious reason. In any case, you need to take action as soon as you notice that the transponder key is malfunctioning. If you don’t, you will end up not being able to start your car. Here at Quick Norcross Locksmith LLC, we are experts at working with this type of key. We can help you with anything from reprogramming the transponder to replacing it entirely. We may not know what the problem is when you call us, but we will quickly dispatch a specialist to your location with all the necessary tools and equipment. Our locksmiths have years of experience working with transponder keys, so rest assured that we will be able to help you right away.

How Do Transponder Keys Work Exactly
A transponder key works via radio frequency. The transponder inside the key communicates with your vehicle and sends the ignition codes to the onboard computer of the car. The codes are preprogrammed into the transponder or are generated and sent in a somewhat random fashion. In other words, it would be very difficult to dupe a vehicle to start if one does not know the proper codes. There are vehicles that will not even unlock if the transponder codes do not match with the ones the vehicle is expecting.

Because the transponder key lets the car know that the rightful owner is nearby, it should work flawlessly. If it malfunctions and sends the wrong codes, the vehicle will refuse to start or even unlock the doors.

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Why You Need a Gun Safe

No matter how responsible you think you are as a gun owner by registering your gun, you aren’t as responsible as you think you might be if you lack a gun safe to keep your gun from being stolen or used for the wrong reasons. In some places, having a gun without a safe is illegal. Everyone benefits from your having a gun safe, including you. Not everyone is as responsible with a gun as they should be. If you don’t already have a gun safe, perhaps you need some compelling reasons to purchase a gun safe. At Quick Norcross Locksmith LLC, in Norcross, GA, we have listed some of the top reasons for investing in a gun safe.

Safety
One of the biggest reasons for you to keep your gun in a safe is for safety purposes. You have to think about what could occur if your gun fell into the wrong hands and was used to harm someone. There are a lot of problems that you might experience as a result of having your gun fall into the wrong hands. On many occasions small children have been known to play with guns and they have accidentally fired them and killed or harmed someone. If you don’t ever want this to happen to you, get yourself a gun safe.

Having your gun inside of a glass gun safe isn’t enough to keep them out of the wrong hands. Just imagine someone breaks into your home and they see your firearms on display. Do you honestly think they will not break the glass to get what they want? There are better ways of putting your firearms on display. Why not consult with one of our locksmiths to find out what others use to display their gun collection.

Some states will also require your gun safe to have a locking device on them to make sure that the safe is securely locked. The device keeps the gun locked in place until a key is used to release it. This offers added protection for you, as it prevents someone from taking your gun without the right key.

Protect Your Rights
Gun activists don’t think anyone with a gun is responsible, whether they have them locked up or not. They simply feel as though having a gun is a threat to public safety. Those who abide by all of the necessary gun laws are no exception to these activist. They simply do not feel as though anyone should be allowed to have a gun who is not in law enforcement. If someone were to take your gun and use it in a hold up or worse, a child were involved in a gun incident involving your gun, this would garner a lot of attention from the media. Activists would undoubtedly say that this proves their claims. In order to protect your 2^nd Amendment rights, you have to be responsible with your firearms by keeping them safely locked up.

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Garage door locks; additional security

Would you like a smart and discreet way of making your Norcross, GA home more secure? Here it is; add a garage door lock! Here at Quick Norcross Locksmith LLC we are often asked about adding additional locks and locking hardware to area homes and businesses to make them less susceptible to armed intruders, burglars and thieves. Adding garage door locks is one way to do just that. While not a cure-all for those problems, the addition of a good lock to secure your garage door adds additional protection and real peace of mind.

Why add another garage door lock?
At first, the subject might seem odd. Add a lock to your garage door? Why? What could possibly be so valuable in your garage that you need to go that far? Actually, this ties in perfectly with our efforts to be discreet. If you are obvious in your security attempts, people automatically assume that you are trying awfully hard to protect something really valuable, and that in itself can bring intruders, and would-be thieves. Take most average garage spaces. Most people park their car(s) inside the garage. Cars represent one of the biggest expenses at your home. Even if you have a used compact car, the vehicle is worth several thousand dollars. If you have two or more vehicles, the value quickly adds up. What else is in your garage? Many people keep bicycles, boats, skateboards, motorcycles, ATV vehicles, powered lawn mowers and other similar items. By the time you add tools, stored belongings, paint, water heaters, water softeners and extra refrigerators, your garaged belongings start to represent quite an investment in time and money.

Empty garage
But wait! What if you don’t have all of those things? What if you only have a few of them or none at all and your garage is empty? Why add an extra lock for it, then? If your garage is attached to the main part of your home, it has an interior door that leads to the inside. This door is often left unlocked by those living at the home. All a criminal has to do to gain entry into your home is bypass your garage door. 

Don’t I have a lock already?
You might! If you are like most, you have an installed garage door opener system already in place. This opener unit allows you to open and shut your garage door with the tap of a button at any time; even from inside your car or house. These openers have a built in lock on them already. See for yourself; try closing your garage door with your opener remote or wall switch. Once closed, try manually lifting the garage door. You can’t, can you? That’s because the built-in lock has kicked in and secured your garage door.

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Quick Norcross Locksmith LLC: Benefits of Home Safe

Home safes are no longer a rare feature in homes today. You can find them in many homes no matter how big they are or where they are located. However, there are still many homes that do not have a safe installed. Since you are here, we’ll assume that you are thinking about getting a home safe for your home. Here’s some advice- stop thinking and just do it. There is a great deal of value in having a safe installed in your home.

When you are ready to install that safe, make sure you get it professionally done. Quick Norcross Locksmith LLC in GA is a great place to call on when it comes to the installation of safes and any other service regarding safes and other locks. You will get a clean, professional install for a very reasonable price.

Why Should You Buy a Home Safe?

If you do not have a home safe in your home just yet, there is a lot that you are missing out on. No need to worry though. You still have time to make sure you get a safe and get it installed in your home. You may be wondering what items you will put in your safe. Well, that’s the beauty of a safe. You can put just about anything inside it. You don’t have to own exquisite and expensive jewelry or continually keep a very substantial amount of money on your property to own a safe. You can store things such as your passport and other legal documents in your safe or any other item that you consider extremely valuable.

The only real limit that you may have when it comes on to what you keep in your safe is the size of your safe and its weight limit. Apart from that, you can store just about anything inside it.
Here are a few other reasons why you should consider purchasing a safe for your home.

1. It is a very good way to protect items

There are many ways that you can protect valuable items or things that you cherish. But, having a safe in your home is one of the best ways to do so. Safes often have a very secure locking mechanism. From combination locks to fingerprint readers, there are many ways that you can make your safe inaccessible to others. And, since there are so many options when it comes to the amount of protection that you can have, the choice is yours.

This is actually one of the things that you should consider when purchasing a safe- the amount of protection that you need for your items. Make sure the safe you purchase will be able to protect your items adequately.

2. They are very convenient

Some people may be under the impression that have a safe deposit box is a much better alternative to a home safe. However, that deposit box can be very inconvenient. Instead of getting up, getting dressed and going to the location of your safe deposit box, you could just be opening your home safe to retrieve your important items. Plus, there is no recurring monthly or yearly fee to keep your home safe operational.

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Ignition Cylinder Problems and Solutions

Driving is not a necessity it is a privilege. Most people take this for granted because they have always had access to a vehicle. However, when you’re down and out because of a problem with your car, then you might begin to appreciate this luxury. Since automobiles are mechanical, they are prone to have problems from time to time. If you neglect regular routine maintenance of your vehicle, you’re bound to experience more problems than a car that is being properly maintained. In addition to the maintenance of your car, you have to make sure there is sufficient gas in the car and that the payments are being made on time. If you’re starting to have problems with your car, it can be very frustrating. When you have a jammed key or are unable to turn the key in the ignition, this will cause a lot of stress. If your key is stuck in the ignition, call Quick Norcross Locksmith LLC to get it out for you. If you get upset and simply snatch the key out of the ignition, you’re in for more trouble than you ever imagined. Your best option is to remain calm and consider your next move before hastily making a move.

Even though your car key looks ok, it doesn’t mean that it is. Your key might be slightly bent and you might not notice it just by looking at it. In some cases there are small flaws in how the key was cut, which might make it hard to get the key out of the ignition. This is something that happens more often than you know.

When you’re experiencing a problem with your ignition while it is still turned ON, here is what you can do:

Check Your Gear – The gear should always be in the parked position if the key is going to be able to turn inside the ignition. When it is in the parked position it will turn.

Loosen Up the Key – Gently and slightly wiggling the key to loosen it might be all that you need to get the key out. You wouldn’t want to yank on it because you might break the key off in the ignition

Check Your Dashboard – Look at the gearshift on your dashboard to make sure that it is in the Park position. Sometimes it is easy to knock it out of gear and this will prevent the key from turning.

When you’re experiencing a problem with your ignition while it is still turned OFF, here is what you can do:

Check Your Battery – When there is a dead battery, nothing you do will get your key to turn over until the battery has been replaced. When you call upon the services of a locksmith, this is often the first thing we’ll check when we arrive since this is often the cause of your problem.

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Norcross Locksmith (678) 671-2370 Quick Norcross Locksmith LLC

For more detailed information about our company and the locksmith services that we offer throughout the Norcross area, browse through our website at http://www.quicknorcrosslocksmith.com.


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