Set up and run by members from the The Open Organization of Lockpickers (TOOOL USA), attendees to this year’s event will yet again get a chance to try their hands at bumping and other physical security bypass methods.

It has always been customary for TOOOL-sponsored physical security sessions to incorporate some degree of audience interaction and hands-on training. Sometimes this has taken the form of publicly-submitted locks being given on the spot security analysis, other times members of the general public with no lockpicking experience have been invited to attempt a bypass in order to demonstrate its ease. Overall, however, the most rewarding and educational form of audience participation has tended to be occasions when a wide array of hardware is put forth and individuals can attempt use of the very tools and techniques demonstrated in the security session they just witnessed.

When sample locks and picks are made available, the public inevitably finds most equipment astonishingly easy to compromise and comes away with a better understanding of how to protect themselves. It is in this spirit of educational fun that The Open Organization of Lockpickers has begun to organize “Lockpick Villages” at security events around the world. Attendees of technology conferences can learn about physical security in a training session, then can immediately attempt to apply what they have witnessed… often to great effect.

Picks, wrenches, and plenty of guidance and advice are made available to the public in the Lockpick Village. All who participate are guaranteed to have a good time and to come away with a healthier and more in-depth understanding of physical security hardware. Please feel free to bring a lock that you trust and see if it stands up to our battery of tests.