The Open Organisation Of Lockpickers, or TOOOL, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing the general public knowledge about locks and lock picking through teaching, research, and competition. TOOOL in the United States is a volunteer-led organization with many chapters in the states, including an affiliated chapter in Canada.
What we do
Since 2010, TOOOL has taught thousands of people how locks work and how they fail, building engineering literacy, empowering smarter consumer choices, and opening doors to careers in security. Our work is powered by volunteers and focused on three programs:
Chapter-led education
Chapters across the US host monthly meetings that are free and open to the public, plus hands-on sessions at local maker fairs and security conferences. Find a meeting near you.
Education at events
We bring hands-on lock education to large audiences at events like DEF CON and our annual Lockfest, through Lockpick Villages, talks, workshops, and sportpicking competitions. Bring TOOOL to your event.
Research and development
We develop and improve the tools, curriculum, and vetted equipment that make our teaching effective, and we work to identify flaws in security products and disclose them ethically, so manufacturers can build better products and consumers can make informed choices. Learn about our research.
Get involved
- Attend a free meeting at a chapter near you
- Become a member and join our community
- Explore our learning resources
- Support our programs with a tax-deductible donation
Read more about our mission and strategy and programs, or contact us.
“Rogues knew a good deal about lock-picking long before locksmiths discussed it… If a lock is not so inviolable as it has hitherto been deemed to be, surely it is to the interest of honest persons to know this fact, because the dishonest are… certain to apply the knowledge practically… the spread of the knowledge is necessary to give fair play to those who might suffer by ignorance.”
A.C. Hobbs, Locks and Safes: The Construction of Locks. London, 1853.
“Security is achieved through openness. Take things apart and play with them… exposing bad security is what protects us all.”
Deviant Ollam, Introduction to Lockpicking and Physical Security. DEFCON 13, 2005.