The real job of the locks on your doors is defeat the attacks of the opportunist, or amateur thief, to make it tough enough that they will bypass you and go to an easier target. Lock manufacturers produce locks that are designed to resist varying types of attempts to defeat them, these range from hitting them with a hammer to picking the lock. As soon as a new type of attack is introduced they will come up with a way to defend against it. The result is that there are a wide variety of deadbolt locks on the market, that offer varying degrees of protection, knowing which features to look for will make a huge difference in the ability of your lock to "keep honest people honest".

Locks manufactured in the US are graded by their ability to withstand attack by the American National Standards Institute, or ANSI. They are generally graded from grade 3 to grade 1, with grade 3 being the least secure. Many locks are imported from other countries some are not graded at all, others are built to the specifications of the various grades, however not actually tested. If this is confusing to you ask your professional locksmith for a recommendation.