The history of safes reveals an origin in the former medieval chests used to store and hide away precious items. Medieval chests were often handmade, the box itself was made of a sturdy wooden material, metal straps and locks were placed on the outer surface of the chests, but the chests themselves where hardly burglar proof. Anyone with enough will and a few extra moments could pry open the box or break the box open to get to the contents inside. Thus, a need for a sturdier form of security was presented.

Home/burglar alarms had their beginnings in the United States more than 150 years ago when Augustus Pope of Somerville, Massachusetts, devised a system of protecting doors and windows using magnetic switches or contacts. Wired to a battery and a bell, the switches closed if an intruder opened one of the doors or windows. This set off the bell that was usually located in the bedroom, awakening the home owner.

The history of locks is vast and dates back to the times of the Old Testament of the Bible. Early locks were primitive, but could be highly effective, and they have changed over the years to become what we use today. There are several periods in the history of locks when they took on definite characteristics to match those of the architecture and culture of that time. Locks have grown to be more complex, and today can include very useful features such as keyless entry systems. Electronic locks are very useful, and today we can even lock our computers with passwords to protect information. Locks have played an important role in history and will continue to do so in the future.