Do you have any idea of what holds Fort Knox together? Fort Knox is made with 750 tons of heavily clad and reinforced steel.
The importance of an effective security system for small businesses cannot be overemphasized and every business owner knows that. We know that most businesses utilize safes in one form or another, while others secure their valuable commodities in safes so secure that they cost more than the businesses will earn throughout their existence.
The toughest Safes we will discuss here are ones that we hope a small business will never need, mostly because they don’t need this type of security, but also because they’d never afford it.
World’s 5 Expensive Safes
1. Fort Knox – the World’s 5 Toughest Safes
As previously mentioned, Fort Knox is comprised of 750 tons of reinforced steel and 4 walls, 4 feet thick, around it. But perhaps it is not a fortress so impenetrable that anyone can’t break-in. You will only need to get through the aforementioned walls if you can get over 4 fences (with 2 of them running massive volts of electricity through them. If you got that handled, you just have to dodge the attention of an experienced team of armed guards.
If you somehow manage to get that far, you will need to figure out how to successfully pass through multiple locked doors and finally, to a twenty-two-ton reinforced vault door. In case you thought that was it, it isn’t. You will now need to get everybody who works at Fort Knox because each individual knows a part of the code needed to open the vault. Not a single soul knows the entire combination.
Next, you will have to search for mini vaults concealed properly in there. Then, you also have to find a way to get out as fast as possible, which you can’t. Before you are done figuring out your way around, you will have been surrounded by about thirty thousand soldiers waiting patiently for you outside. Sarcastic enough? The point is if there is less than zero percent chance of anything, it’s of breaking into Fort Knox’s safe.
So what exactly is it that is so precious that Fort Knox is such an immense fortress? Inside its vaults are 5000 tons of gold. Now do all of the security measures make sense?
2. Svalbard Global Seed Vault – the World’s 4 Toughest Safes
Below the island of Spitsbergen, lies the Svalbard Global Seed Vault interred 390ft deep into the solid rock. Want to visit? Good luck. This vault is a mere 620 miles from the North Pole. It’s not exactly the most hospitable of locations. Aside from its original security system, Svalbard is surrounded by deep, subzero ocean waters, as well as more than a few polar bears patrolling the area.
Built to withstand harsh weather events and natural disasters, this vault is not just designed for keeping things safe. It’s concealed and obscured very deep in the rock so that it is capable of tolerating disasters such as earthquakes. To prevent flooding by rising seawater levels, it was also built 430 meters above sea level.
Something this intricately protected and fortified must be holding on to something very important right? If you want a hint, look at the vault’s name. Inside its protective housing, Svalbard houses around 500,000 different plant species. These are stored here so that if devastation and disaster wreck the world, these species of plants will be able to be replanted and repopulated. After all, what can be more comforting than being able to see your favorite plants and flowers after a cataclysmic calamity?
3. Cheyenne Mountain – the World’s 3 Toughest Safes
A 25-ton door with an endurance strong enough to withstand a 30 megaton blast keeps safe the insides of the vault inside of Cheyenne Mountain. For reference, it would take 1500 nuclear detonations to even begin to break through that type of fortification. So what is so important is that it needs to be so securely guarded 2000 feet inside a titular mountain?
Cheyenne Mountain’s vault provides shelter for people the employees of this unquestionably most secure workspace in the world. As the vault is so deep in the mountain, the air people breathe inside needs to be pumped in from outside and processed. Its filtration system filters out most biological, chemical, and nuclear air contents, making the space have some of the cleanest air on the planet. Now that is a serious job perk, is it not?
So who is working here, exactly? During the cold war era, this was the home to NORAD and the US Missle Warning Center. Currently, it is operating on “stand by” and is manned by a skeleton staff making sure that if need be, the vaulted fortress of Cheyenne Mountain can be fully operational again.
4. Iron Mountain – the World’s 2 Toughest Safes
The Iron Mountain sits 200 feet beneath an ancient limestone mine, guarding 1.7 million square feet of vaults designed for super-secure storage. To gain access to the vaults inside Iron Mountain you would need to convince or trick 2 groups of security personnel to let you inside. And if you think you can sneak in with nefarious means, you will find that those who have the authority to let you inside also have the authority to dig up the most minor infractions from your past.
This vault houses a wide range of valuables such as the remains of Flight 93, the real picture of Albert Einstein’s raspberry, and even the actual copyright of the light bulb autographed by Thomas Edison.
95% of the owners who store things in this vault have their identities highly guarded, especially considering that most of the contents are classified as top secret, but the US government clearly makes use of the space, as to the Smithsonian and Warner Brothers studios. In a specially dedicated sector of the Iron Mountain vaults, lies Room 48, a backup center for most of the big businesses in the United States.
5. Bahnhof, Stockholm – the World’s 1 Toughest Safes
Formerly utilized as a nuclear bunker, the Bahnhof is owned by the Swedish internet provider Bahnhof and resides 100 feet beneath Stockholm streets. The vault’s entrance is guarded by a 1.5-foot steel door. In the unlikely case of an extensive power outage, backup generators will keep the lights on and content operational for multiple weeks. So what is it protecting? Let’s just say that the US government would love to get in to take a look around. Give up?
The vault in Bahnof houses Wikileaks servers, its systems are filled to the brim with top-secret information, broadcasts, and other confidential media that large organizations and governments are keeping out of the public sphere. Now you know how Julian Assange has been able to keep so many secrets so safe.
What’s Inside the World’s 5 Toughest Safes Conclusion
It is quite impressive how much one can find out about what’s housed in the world’s most secure vaults and safes online. No wonder it takes massive metal doors, intra-mountain lairs, and squadrons of armed guards to secure them.
If you don’t have the resources for that type of security, chances are you are better off not letting anyone know that you have valuables (be they financial or informational) that you are holding onto. It’s always helpful to remember that secrecy is the main part of security. If no one suspects you have anything to steal, they likely won’t try to just steal from you on a whim.
But say you owned one of these safes or had access to them, what valuables would you store deep in their secret vaults?
Frequently Asked Questions:
are liberty safes good?
Yes, Liberty Safes are generally considered to be good safes. They are known for their high-quality construction, strong security features, and good customer service. However, the specific model and features you choose should be based on your specific needs and budget.
do gun safes need dehumidifiers?
Yes, gun safes often need dehumidifiers to protect firearms from moisture damage. Moisture can cause rust, corrosion, and other types of damage to guns, so keeping the humidity level low inside the safe is important. A dehumidifier can help to remove excess moisture and maintain a safe environment for your firearms.
how heavy are gun safes?
Gun safes can vary in weight depending on their size and construction. A small, basic gun safe can weigh around 100 pounds, while a larger, high-end safe can weigh several thousand pounds. As a general rule, the heavier the safe, the more secure it is likely to be.
Hello, my name is Idammah, and I am the founder of Wolfionaire.com, a personal development, and finance blog focused on motivation, success, and wealth. I am obsessed with studying the world's wealthiest individuals and learning about their path to success. I believe anyone can achieve their financial goals with the right mindset and strategies, and I hope to inspire and empower my readers to pursue their own path to success.
