High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Safe-cracking is the process of opening a safe, generally without the combination. It may also refer to a computer hacker's attempts to break into a secured computer system, in which case it may be shortened to "cracking" or black hat hacking. Secured boxes have existed for centuries, but it wasn't until the late 18th century that use of cast iron became widespread and was used to create solid metal boxes. During the 19th century, safe-cracking techniques (known as box jobs) became widely used in bank robberies. In the 20th century, improvements in steel production and a decreasing reliance on physical currency led to a decrease in the prevalence of safe-cracking.