Whenever I hear about computerized locks, I wonder whether a lock has back doors, whether it fails open or closed, how easy it is to make duplicate passcards, whether the audit trail is vulnerable to simple countermeasures and so forth. That’s of course no worse than the problems of the noncomputerized counterparts, but in so many institutions there’s a tendency to trust computerized systems and eliminate some of the defense-in-depth.

implement a biometric identification system

Safety deposit boxes are made for anonymous access. They by nature are supposed to be open to anyone who meets the security criteria. They are also very protected by law. Obtaining search warrants for them are not a routine matter. Often times they are granted AFTER you are arrested and rarely before.

Cyberlocks

Kudos on the Cyberlocks. You can find many instances of bank employees stealing from the safety deposit boxes. Although in an older bank that does not have up to date technology means these are actually MORE effective in my opinion. My father used a bank where if you lost your key, the only way to get it open was to locksmith it or drill it.

One thing that I think was left out of the article was the Patriot Act. They can now inspect the contents of your box. It reminds me of the old crooked police quote “We find the suspect, then we find the evidence”. I do not personally know of an instance when something was seized. Although one would have to think of the items you might put in a safety deposit box.

. Family Heirlooms (not always legal)
. Personal Information (secrets)
. Very expensive Jewelry
. Photos of teenage girlfriends (illegal)
. Etc……

Do you want someone to know any of this? I guess the best place to keep something is to bury it, just like in the old days.

Very nice article and well written. It was a privilege to read.

I apologize for taking so long to reply. I found this article detailing some specifics about safe deposit box usage: http://www.foreignborn.com/self-help/banking/10-sd_boxes.htm
I do not believe you can personally take the actual box out of the bank, but I may be wrong.
From reading the article, there appear to be 4 possibilities as to why the box would be taken out of the bank:
1) Law enforcement authorities could have accessed it
2) The box may have been declared “abandoned” and the contents turned over to the government
3) The bank may have failed and been acquired by a different bank
4) There may have been a misunderstanding or mistake at the bank

Hope this is helpful.
-Chris