Lock Picking Done Right

In this week’s mailbag we cover…

What to consider when deciding to work with the Chinese…

How Amber Guyger entered the apartment…

How to keep you storage water fresh…

My recommendation on password creations…

Whether or not a fireproof gun safe with work as a Faraday Cage…

The damage done by lock picking…

And more!

Let’s dive in…

I’ve been considering applying to a company that hires people to teach English to Chinese children via the internet. It’s a work from home job, and pays well for that situation. 

I’ve had conflicting thoughts about doing this, as it’s for children… but they grow up. And they grow up in a society that by and large doesn’t like America…

– Barbara B

Answer: First, I definitely would check out the company you will be working for and find out whether they are a U.S. company or Chinese company. Do a lot of research to make sure they are legit.

I would be cautious working for them if they are a Chinese company since I wouldn’t want to share any personal information such as my Social Security Number, etc.

As far as teaching the children, I would look at it as an opportunity to show them that Americans aren’t the enemy, and perhaps teaching them will give them a better impression of the U.S.

How did Amber Guyger open the door to the apartment?

– Grant B

Answer: The guy who lived in the apartment (unfortunately) left it unlocked. Always remember to lock your doors.

I have a 30-gallon water barrel. What do I need to make the water stay fresh longer?

– Larry G

Answer: One of the biggest keys to making the water stay fresh is to store the water in a cool, dry place. In other words, if you store your barrel in a garage where the temperatures can reach the 100’s in the summer then the water won’t stay fresh as long.

In addition, ideally you want to store the barrel on top of two 2X4’s or off the ground. This will reduce the chances of the floor leaching chemicals into the water.

Finally, some people will recommend treating the water, however this isn’t something I think is a must, because if you are filling the barrel with tap water then the water has already been treated with chemicals by the municipality that supplies your water.

I recently read your article on creating passwords. 

Unfortunately, a lot of websites are still requiring passwords that consist of at least 8 digits consisting of upper case and lower-case letters along with numbers and special characters. 

So, will your recommendation of using four words work on these websites?

– Fred J

Answer: As you mentioned, if a website requires you to use letters, numbers, and special characters then you will still need to do so.

With that in mind, I would imagine as more companies update their website security they will begin to allow more options when creating passwords, especially since we know that the old standards aren’t the most secure ways to create passwords.

In the meantime, you can still create a password like PurpleDogsRunFast75$.

Can’t remember if you’ve touched on this before but is a fireproof gun safe sufficient to work as a Faraday Cage?

– Sean P

Answer: Depending on the specific fireproof safe, there is a chance it could work, but I wouldn’t count on it. You see, many fireproof safes are actually designed with seals that expand when heated.

In other words, these seals aren’t as tight as they would need to be to work as a Faraday cage. Another problem is that if your safe has an electronic lock it will probably be damaged and won’t be able to open after an EMP attack.

If your lock has been picked, does it damage the lock so that the key is more difficult to turn?

– Mary O

Answer: This is a possibility especially if the person who may have picked the lock is inexperienced. When you pick a lock once there isn’t typically damage to the lock unless the person really didn’t know what they were doing and damaged the lock.

Usually, a lock would have to be picked many, many times for it to sustain any permanent damage.