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(KMOV) -- Nearly every door in every home in every neighborhood around St. Louis is outfitted with a typical door lock.

They're known as pin tumbler locks, and locksmith Kenneth Kim says you'll find them just about everywhere.

Even your great great grandparents were using this lock.

(KMOV)

It was patented the year the Civil War broke out.

But that was then, now your door locks may not be as secure as you think.

That's because of something called a "bump key.”

It's called a “bump key" because when you use it you have to give it a "bump" when you put it in the lock.

As with most things these days word of the "bump key" has spread across the Internet.

We won't tell you how to do it but you should know that the word is out.

“Bump keys” are easy enough to find on Ebay.

A German documentary called the keys a thorn in the side of police.

Some locksmiths fear that publicizing “bump keys” will lead to increase use in burglaries.

Some police say that burglars, for the most part, are somewhat lacking in finesse.

The best safety advice is to check for blind spots around your home and install good lighting.

Keypads and locks that open with your thumbprint are already around, but mostly for commercial use.  It may be a few more years until they're widely used in homes.

One thing you may be seeing more of is a Bi-lock key.

Kim says other brand names to look for would be Assa, Medeco or Primus, which can be bumped but it's difficult.

Kim says that if you want to change the locks on your home to locks that are "bump" proof, plan on spending roughly $70 for each lock.

Another option to protect you from “bump keys” is to use a deadbolt lock that locks from the inside, but does not have a key entry from the outside.