From Slashdot comes the news that Kensington laptop locks may not be all they crack up to be (pun intended). Seriously, the author ("Marc") of the security alert claims that the lock can be breached without the use of force in less than a minute using common objects. However, the language is used in the alert seems a bit alarmist, and "Security Laboratories" does not seem to enforce very scientific means of experimentation:
All versions of this lock have not been tested. Therefore, no representation is made with regard to the security of other like models, or different manufacturing runs of this device. Only one model of this lock was tested. [Emphasis mine] Reader is responsible for determining the security of this product. Security alert is valid as of the date of issue, and may not apply to subsequent models.
I was thinking about buying one of these cables (all Dell computers come equipped with Kensington security slots; mine is at the lower right corner of the machine, near the Windows XP and Intel Pentium 4 with Hyperthreading stickers; I created an image of it, but The GIMP crashed right before saving it). Of course, my laptop will probably be in my room if it is locked with a Kensington cable. I doubt any potential thief would go through the trouble of lugging my nine pound laptop down four flights of stairs, especially if forced to choose between it and my roommate's laptop.
At 2:05 on August 9, 2004, Margaret wrote:
Yes. STEAL THE ROOMMATE'S LAPTOP. IT'S REALLY SPIFFY. Think that'll deter 'em, Martey?
At 4:59 on August 9, 2004, Martey wrote:
Well, Apple notebooks do have a high resale value, as I am sure you know. My alternate plan is to rig buy a broken modular bay from eBay, rig it up with thermite or some other explosive substance set to go off if the computer is turned on, and leave it half-inserted - enough so that the thief will take it, but not enough that I will blow myself up by mistake.
Seriously, the worst part of laptop theft (in my opinion) is the fact that many thieves reformat your hard drive, erasing all of your precious data (and eliminating the effectiveness of software-based tracking, used to great effect in this January 2002 story.
At 4:59 on September 18, 2004, Xor: The Musings of Martey Dodoo wrote:
Thievery When I read The Crimson on Wednesday, I noticed that the rate of petty theft had increased on campus (although you would not know from the headline, "Violent Crime Eases"). Two laptops were stolen from Margaret's room this week. This is the first ti...