A garage door keypad can be a great way to conveniently open your door from the outside when you’re not in your car. If you can’t be home to let your kids in, it’s another way for them to enter the house when you’re not home. And, since the keypad is permanently affixed near the garage door, it can never get lost like a garage door opener remote might. It’s also nice for letting guests come and go with a temporary code, which is usually quite simple to set up. However, if your numeric keypad is over ten years old, it might not be secure.

Security Risks with Old Keypad Technology

Older garage door keypads may have universal open codes that can be found online. Think about it – when a new keypad is installed, there has to be a sort of “backdoor” code that allows you to set up your own personal code. These older, standard keypads can actually be really easy for thieves to inspect and come back later with a manufacturer reset code that’ll let them in. We’re also in the age of the internet, it’s not hard to just Google a keypad’s master code.

This isn’t just limited to garage door keypads, if you have an automated gate then you should check it too. Older gate keypads have the same vulnerabilities that any garage door keypad would have so it’s best to replace them at the same time. You can even have them connected to the same security system if you do so you can control both barriers from the same device. Open your driveway gate and your garage door at the same time for a convenient path into your home after work. Your keypads will interact with a central system that will connect to your phone or a smart opener. This means your keypad can respond to NFC chips or perhaps an RFID card that you’ve set up.

Your Garage Door Keypad Can Also Get Hacked!

Older keypads can also easily be hacked by external devices, making it simple for thieves to gain access to your garage. This is also true with wireless garage door remotes. When garage remotes were first invented, they could open anyone’s garage. It wasn’t uncommon to accidentally open your neighbor’s garage while closing your own. You might still find this today if the opener system is old enough or with specific models.

There are some universal garage door opener systems that target older models for break ins. They quickly change between known frequencies until the right option is found and your garage door will open as if you just came home. Think of it like older TV remotes: you just need to program the remote to connect it, not the TV itself.

New Keypad Technology is Worth the Upgrade

If your keypad or wireless garage door opener system is more than 10 years old, it may be a good idea to replace it. Newer technologies have been developed in recent years that make it much more difficult for thieves to hack garage door openers. Some are even triggered by fingerprint instead of a numeric code. This biometric-based keyless technology can be programmed to learn up to 10 individual fingerprints, so your kids can still get in the house themselves, but now they don’t even need a code to remember – they just need a fingerprint.

What if I Don’t Want to Replace My Garage Door Keypad?

If you’ve yet to upgrade your keypad, whether you don’t have the funds or you just don’t feel the need, there are a few things you can do to increase security on your current keypad:

• Change the code often, so that it’s not evident which buttons are regularly pressed.
• Clean the keypad regularly so that all the numbers look the same. If it’s worn out, it’s pretty simple to change out the skin and revitalize the keypad’s appearance.
• Keep your code private.
• Lock the door between your house and garage

No Garage Door or Gate Keypad System Is Perfect

No security system is 100 percent foolproof. New garage door keypad technology is definitely better than the old stuff, but it doesn’t mean the older technology is worthless. Just being aware of the security of your garage and taking the same precautions you take with your home’s other entryways is a great start.

If you’re interested in improving your garage’s security system, call us at Sacs any time. We provide and install all new types of garage door opener security systems, so we can give you the professional advice you want and the new security system you need.