' ';

Critical Hole Discovered in All Home Security Systems

Press Releases

A vulnerability in the way a reed switch security contact operates may allow an intruder to break into any home undetected.

WAUKESHA, Wisconsin – Invented in the 1930’s for telecommunications applications, the reed switch magnetic contact has since been adapted for use in home security systems to detect unauthorized access through doors and windows. Despite its widespread acceptance, the reed switch contact’s easily exploitable operational flaw undermines its ability to effectively act as a security system’s first line of defense, compromising the integrity of the entire system.

Exploitable Security Hole: Reed Switch Magnetic Contact
“Most people don’t realize how easy it is for an intruder to defeat a reed switch security system contact and evade detection,” said Rick Kirschman, Founder of MAGNASPHERE Corp. “Magnets are the kryptonite to the common reed switch. If a rogue magnet was placed within range of a reed switch contact, an intruder could enter almost any home undetected without triggering an alarm. How safe are you really if your home security system can be defeated with a simple magnet?”

Magnetic defeat crime presents a serious threat to a homeowner’s personal security since it requires no special skills, uses limited resources, and leaves no forensic evidence. “At the heart of every home security system lies trust; trust that the system is going to work when you really need it,” said Kirschman. “How can you trust a security system built around the exploitable reed switch contact?”

In the 1970’s, once it was discovered how easy it was to defeat a reed switch contact, the U.S. Government demanded a more effective countermeasure to protect its highest classified areas. While these magnetic defeat resistant devices are now commonly used to detect breaches in high security facilities, their high cost and large size made them an impractical security solution for most residential applications.

MAGNASPHERE Plugs Critical Security System Holes
: Invented by Dr. Randall Woods, the MAGNASPHERE high security switch was designed to address the undetected breaches of security that could occur while using reed switch based home security system contacts. “When my neighbor’s home got robbed and the alarm didn’t go off, I wanted to know why,” said Dr. Woods. “I soon discovered the reed switch security flaw and set out to design a more secure switch technology that would do the job that I thought the reed switch contact was supposed to do.”

Resistant to external magnetic defeat tampering and virtually unbreakable, MAGNASPHERE’s patented “reed switch free” technology provides the absolute highest level of intrusion detection available to homeowners today. “Criminals can break into a home with reed security contacts and evade detection rather easily,” said Kirschman. “On the other hand, MAGNASPHERE security sensors are resistant to defeat attempts – plus, they’re competitively priced and available in the same discrete casings as the reed switch contact. Why would anyone choose to use the one that might not work?”

About MAGNASPHERE Corp.
MAGNASPHERE Corp. is a privately held company founded in 2002, with the purpose of providing superior performing magnetic contact sensor technology to the residential, commercial, and federal government security markets. MAGNASPHERE represents the first significant improvement in magnetic switch and sensor technology since the introduction of the reed switch in the 1930’s. MAGNASPHERE’s patented, award-winning technology establishes new industry standards for high security sensor performance while providing an affordable and more effective alternative to reed switch based security contacts.