How can I quickly open a safe deposit box?

The only ways to open a safe deposit box are

• picking the lock (can be made faster with Lockpicking Expert from Ghost)
• using the saw.

It is worth noting that the saw is a lot quicker, but also a lot noisier.

You cannot open the safe deposit boxes with C4. There is no icon for it and the icon is required to place C4.

Without the C4 or Saw skills (in Technician and Enforcer, respectively), lockpicking is the only way to open security deposit boxes. Without the Lockpicking Expert skill (Ghost), it's 20 seconds to pick a security deposit box. With the basic Lockpicking Expert, this is cut to 17 seconds. With the ace Lockpicking Expert skill, it takes 15 seconds.

In any version of the game, its impossible to open a SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX with c4. However SMALL SAFES can be opened with c4. Safety deposit boxes are only openable by the saw and lockpicking. You cannot drill safety deposit boxes to clarify only small safes. Anyone that says you can use c4 is mislead and is mistaking small safes for safety deposit boxes also safety deposit boxes line the safe walls to clarify for anyone else that says that you can open them with c4