Safecracking

= Safecracking =

Safecracking is the art of opening a safe without the proper key or combination. Safecracking may be either non-destructive or destructive depending on the techniques used.

History
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Non-Destructive Safecracking
Most non-destructive safecracking focuses on defeating the lock on the safe, either through manipulation or bypass. Manipulation may take the form of lockpicking, impressioning, or decoding. Manipulation via decoding is the method most commonly associated with non-destructive safecracking given the popularity of combination safes and frequent portrayal in film, television, and literature.

Manipulation
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Auto-dialers
Auto-dialers are computer controlled machines that brute-force the combination of a safe. Auto-dialers may either test the entire set of possible combinations or take into account the tolerances of the lock to reduce the search space dramatically. Auto dialers may also test factory default or predictable combinations given the model of the lock and habits of the owner(s).

Radiological
Radiological safecracking focuses on using special tools and devices to view the safe in various methods not normally discernable by the human eye.

Penetrating radiation and viewing devices are used to reveal the correct positions of internal components. This approach is most commonly used to find the correct position of wheels in a combination lock. Wheel made of non-metal materials, such as nylon, are used to frustrate this kind of attack.

Thermal imaging is used against push-button or keypad based combination safes to reveal heat residue on points recently touched by an authorized user. While this technique may not directly reveal the combination, it can drastically reduce the search space of potential combination.

Destructive Safecracking
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Safecracking in the Media
Safecracking is frequently portrayed in television shows, films, and literature. As with lockpicking, the tools or techniques used are often inaccurate, namely the use of a stethoscope while performing manipulation of a combination safe.

Television:
 * Mythbusters

Films:


 * Bad Santa
 * Blue Streak
 * Brainiac
 * Die Hard
 * Heat
 * Hudson Hawk
 * Killing Zoe
 * Ocean's Eleven
 * On Her Majesty's Secret Service
 * Safe Men
 * Short Circuit 2
 * Small Time Crooks
 * The Bank Job
 * The Italian Job
 * The Ladykillers
 * The Newton Boys
 * The Score
 * Thief
 * Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
 * Vabank
 * You Only Live Twice

Literature:
 * A Retrieved Reformation