shroud of protection

The best lock in the world is only as good as the hasp that holds it. If you take a sledgehammer to a normal lock and hasp, it won't be more than three or four solid hits before one or the other gives way. The hasps that you find at most hardware store are only as good as the screws holding them in place. Also, a pair of bolt cutters works just as well on the hasp's tongue as they do on the lock itself. Hasps need to bolt through whatever they are attached to — not just screwed into it. Support them with a steel back plate on the other side of the door. The same nuts that hold the hasp hold the back plate in place. In order for the bolts to tear out, a burglar has to take out the area of the entire plate. And that isn't really likely to happen. A shrouded hasp protects the lock itself from being directly struck. You can also buy attachable four-sided steel boxes that bolt through the door itself. These units cover both the lock and the hasp and protect them from sledgehammer, bolt cutter and prying attacks.