Many lock installers, locksmiths, online sellers, hardware vendors throughout the UK and even SecuredByDesign (the Association of Chief Police Officers) are recommending you buy/install kitemark locks as per the statement below on the SBD website.
Secured by Design recommendations
The lock cylinders should be tested to BS EN 1303 Grade 3 and can be replaced.
The current kitemark standard EN 1303:2007 does not test adequately for cylinder snapping.
The fact that SBD and some locksmiths who consider themselves the custodians of security and credible sources of information have for some time, been fully aware of this and continue to advise the public to fit non secure locks I find a little hard to take. Unfortunately some organisations are happy to miss lead claiming those type of burglaries don’t happen in this area or hide behind false standards for commercial reasons.
At time of writing the only standard to fully test for all weaknesses in euro profile cylinders is Sold Secure Diamond.
There are plans to introduce a new standard, driven by the double glazing industry (not locksmiths or security experts), which I believe will cause more confusion and miss-selling for the public, and also has has too many commercially interested parties driving it for it to be un-biased. The MLA and many other credible sources have serious reservations about this standard. I will update in the blog should this be pushed through.
..stick to Sold Secure Diamond – ABS Locks – tested to a real standard against real world attack techniques.
