Are smart door locks safe?

Smart door locks are already a familiar product to the public. In addition to the convenient unlocking experience, their safety performance is also a focus of people's attention. So are smart door locks safe? Are the products of those Internet brands trustworthy?

01 Are smart door locks safe?

As the first line of defense for home security, door locks have always been the focus of public attention. So how is the security of door locks judged?

Lock cylinder

The most important part is the lock core. According to national standards, the lock core is divided into three levels: A, B, and C, and the security level gradually increases from A to C.

From the figure we can also see that the C-level lock core has significantly higher requirements than A and B levels in terms of anti-drilling, anti-sawing, anti-pulling, anti-impact and anti-technical opening, which means that the C-level lock core takes longer to open.

Here I need to make it clear to everyone: any lock cylinder can be opened, but the C-level is relatively more difficult to open, which reduces the risk of theft, and the thief does not have that much time to open the lock.

In addition, there are many people on the Internet who claim that the C-level lock cylinder is useless, but professionals can still open the lock quickly. Please note that professional locksmiths not only need to have skilled techniques, but also need to have lock opening qualifications and be registered with the public security bureau. Therefore, those cases of unlocking in seconds on the Internet cannot be regarded as normal phenomena.

In short, you can directly choose Class C when choosing the lock cylinder.

Panel and lock body

In addition to the lock core, we also need the lock body and panel. The lock body and panel of some smart door locks are made of poor materials and are easily pried open by force.

Currently, most products have zinc alloy panels, which ensure safety and durability, while the lock body is mainly made of stainless steel. The overall anti-pry performance is still very good. In addition, smart door locks are generally equipped with prying alarms. Once violent prying is detected, a notification will be pushed to the user's mobile phone.

Fingerprint recognition module

Many people worry that fingerprint recognition is not safe and that a thief can unlock the phone by making a fingerprint model. Is this true? False.

Currently, there are two types of commonly used fingerprint recognition modules:

The optical fingerprint module mainly uses light reflection imaging to identify the user's fingerprint; the capacitive fingerprint (semiconductor fingerprint) uses silicon wafers and conductive subcutaneous electrolytes to form an electric field. The ups and downs of the fingerprint will cause different changes in the pressure difference between the two, which can achieve accurate fingerprint measurement.

Among these two solutions, the optical fingerprint lock has weaker anti-counterfeiting performance, and there is a certain possibility that it can be unlocked by tools such as fingerprint film and fake fingers. However, many brands are now also upgrading their technology, and the protection performance has been greatly enhanced; the semiconductor fingerprint lock has much better anti-counterfeiting performance, and only recognizes living fingerprints, not fake fingers, and is also very good in terms of recognition accuracy and sensitivity.

In general, the current market is dominated by semiconductor fingerprint recognition, which is a mature design, so there is no need to worry too much about security. Even for optical fingerprint unlocking, many brands have upgraded the design, and it is not a fake fingerprint film that can solve it.

Chip module

In addition to the above content, some friends may know about the "black box". The black box mainly interferes with the chip by force, forcing the chip to restart and thus achieve the purpose of opening the door.

Current smart door locks are basically equipped with a voltage stabilizing module on the circuit board to prevent current overload caused by such violent interference. In addition, they are also equipped with an anti-interference door lock panel to eliminate the possibility of unlocking the door with a black box.

02 Are Internet brands trustworthy?

Now many Internet brands have also begun to launch their own smart door lock products, so are their products trustworthy? If they are big brands, then yes.

First of all, we need to understand one thing - in most cases, these Internet brands are produced through OEM factories, and the quality of OEM factories that can cooperate with big brands will not be bad.

Secondly, the brand will also give the OEM some special customization requirements, such as raw materials, etc. which will be different from other brands, so there is no need to worry too much about the quality.

So what are the advantages of Internet brands?

1. Ecosystem. With the continuous coverage of 5G base stations, smart homes have become popular again. People hope to obtain a low-latency smart interactive experience, and smart door locks, as the first threshold and an important component of smart homes, are naturally not to be ignored. The advantage of Internet brands lies in the creation of smart home ecosystems, such as Mijia, Haier Smart Home, Tmall Genie, etc.

2. Price advantage. Internet brands have a deeper understanding of users, so they are more affordable in terms of product pricing. For example, Xiaomi's smart door locks range from the 999 yuan Xiaomi Smart Door Lock Youth Edition to the current top 1799 yuan fully automatic smart door lock. There is always a model suitable for consumers to choose from.

3. After-sales guarantee. After-sales service is always linked to cost, so choosing a big brand is always more secure than a small brand. At least big brands can afford the labor costs, while small brands may suggest that you find a repairman to repair it yourself.

03 Conclusion

Society is always moving forward, and we must also actively embrace new things. The popularity of smart door locks is gradually increasing, and Internet brands have also made a significant contribution to it, so there is no need for everyone to be prejudiced.

The current smart door locks have actually developed quite maturely. The difference lies in the linkage and compatibility of different platforms. If you just want a convenient experience, almost all smart door locks can meet your needs. If you want to build a smart home, then systematic smart home platforms such as Xiaomi, Tmall, and Haier Smart Home are more recommended.