Making security screws even more secure

The problem with all security screws is if professionals can buy the relevant drill inserts then invariably so can the vandals and criminals. Today's article looks at ways of further securing your equipment without going to the expense of designing completely bespoke one-off security screws or nuts.

Mix up the screws
Rather than using just one screw type, increasingly professional installers are opting for two or more screws types. For higher torque applications this will often involve mixing pin hex screws and 6 lobe pin (Pin Torx) security screws. Of course, the would-be criminal is capable of buying both drill inserts or wrenches. However, by using two screw types, this greatly limits the number of impulse attacks. Put another way, the only people that will be attacking the fixing are those with a premeditated plan to do just that.

Position in hard to reach corners
By locating a security fixing close to an adjacent wall or walls (perhaps in a corner) the harder it is for would-be vandals to grab and gain leverage to loosen it. Again, although not completely attack-proof, anything that makes it harder to remove can only be a good thing.

Position in a recess
If the screw can be drilled in an area that has a raise recess around the edge of the screw head, again it makes it far harder to gain sufficient leverage to release the screw.

Select higher torque products
Although selecting higher torque products does not protect against an attack from people with the correct tools, the higher torque products like the Pin hex and Pin Torx screws can be tightened far more than the snake eye or clutch head screw. With this being the case, they are far harder to remove with standard tooling.

Buy less common patented products
Whilst products like the Sentinel, Scroll nuts, Kinmar and NOGO products shown on www.SecuirtySafetyProducts.co.uk have grown in popularity they remain relatively obscure in the whole scheme of things. The less common the product is, the less likely it is for the would-be criminal to have the correct tools to remove it. Scroll nuts and Kinmars in particular have grown in popularity in 2010, with many shear nut and 4 hole nut customers now turning to these more unique alternatives.

Of course if you are buying off the shelf two-way screws or nuts, there will always an element that can remove them. However, by following some of the above you can limit the chances of an attack. Alternatively, if you require a sufficiently high number of screws, bespoke screws can be made to measure to ensure only you can remove them.