With digital keys dominating the security news headlines, it’s easy to wonder if physical keys are going the way of the dinosaur. There are many digital lock and key options (like the August smart lock), and sure, their convenience does sound appealing, but that convenience might come at a price. As we all know, technology is progressing at an incredible rate, and it’s not all positive. Criminals are using technology to hack into everything these days (or so it seems), and if you go the digital key route, you might be ‘hacked’ yourself, ending up with someone gaining access to your home or facility.

Physical Keys are Here to Stay

I asked several knowledgeable people here at LockNet their thoughts on digital keys to get their opinions on whether or not physical keys would eventually fade from the scene. Here’s what Rob Owen, LockNet’s Director of National Accounts – Construction, had to say, “I believe digital keys will become a large presence, but I do not see them replacing physical keys – at least not in my lifetime. There are two reasons for this. First, physical keys are not affected by defective computer chips. Second, with the advancement of access control locking systems, there is no need to spend the extra money on a digital key for the override key when the physical key will do the job at a significant cost savings.”

But Digital Keys are Leaving Their Mark

Of course that’s not to say digital keys aren’t still a force to be reckoned with. Like Elise Miller, our Director of National Accounts – Sales, said, “I think digital keys will have a big impact on the market. While I would love to believe that eventually we will not have a need for a mechanical key, I think there will always be a need for at least one door at every location to need a real key – one that does not need anything special for it to work.”

She makes a good point. With digital keys, the chance for a computer to go down or an electronic chip to glitch is a real possibility. Those are real risks, risks you won’t face as long as you have the tried and true physical key close at hand.

While the future of keys remains uncertain, I think it’s safe to say that physical keys are in it for the long haul.