A padlock for doors, which opens with a key
A padlock is a portable lock that is part of a metal structure and that allows securing suitcases, chests, doors and other items. Padlocks can be key- operated or key- operated.
Secure belongings
When the use of a fixed lock is not possible or is inconvenient, a padlock can be used. Many times padlocks are used on chains or closures ( zippers ).
When leaving a bicycle on the street , to mention one possibility, it is possible to secure it by attaching a chain to a post and placing a padlock. This way, if a thief tries to steal the vehicle, he or she will have to open the lock or cut the chain.
Padlocks are also often installed on luggage . A padlock prevents, or at least makes it difficult, to open a suitcase , which constitutes a security mechanism that protects the contents.
time lock
A time lock , on the other hand, is known as a lock that can only be opened when the set time arrives, regardless of whether the opening key is known. The most common use of these padlocks can be seen in bank vaults .
Another name for this concept is time lock . In addition to being used to secure certain parts of banking entities, it is also used in various containers that must store extremely valuable belongings. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the time lock cannot be opened whenever the user wants, but rather works based on a timer that is programmed with a specific date and time.
As if the security provided by a time lock wasn't enough, more than one is usually used. In armored vaults , for example, three are usually placed, one of them being the main one and the other two being support. The fact that it is not enough to know the key to open it is one of its main characteristics, which was specifically designed to prevent kidnappings focused on the opening of safes by their owners.
The timer also prevents entry to security cameras outside of previously established times . Like almost all devices , in the beginning the time lock was mechanical, but currently it has an electronic version.
something invulnerable
It is important to mention that locks are symbolically linked to something that cannot be violated, modified or broken . A love lock , in this framework, is one that is placed in a public space as a symbol of the feeling shared by the members of a couple .
In computing
In the field of computing , finally, the icon of a padlock implies the existence of a security mechanism that protects the information. When a padlock appears in the address bar of a browser, for example, the software is indicating that the data being transmitted is encrypted .
To open this padlock you need to know the numerical key
But this icon can have many other meanings, since this is decided by the developers. For example, in the program Photoshop , the most popular tool for image design and digital drawing , the padlock symbolizes locking a layer; That is, when the user wants to freeze it to avoid errors or involuntary edits, they have this option, and the program places a small lock next to the layer to remind them that they will not be able to alter it until they remove the lock.
It is also possible to use the padlock image to refer to privacy or protection using a secret key. In short, when we see this icon in a program or a web page we know that it symbolizes security, whether in the company's sense, ours or both, depending on the case.