Laptop Locks: Not Quite So Secure

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Jeff Gamet

3:00 PM, Aug. 24th ET, 2008

Articles by Author Jeff Gamet on Twitter Contact Author Bio

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Laptop locks have been a required piece of gear in the road warrioris bag for years, but apparently the traditional Kensington lock isnit quite as secure as many people have thought. One coffee shop goer figured out how to outsmart one of the laptop security locks with little more than a cardboard tube.

A 2600 t-shirt clad gent shows in a video how he fashioned a small cardboard tube out of a toilet paper roll and then pick a Kensington lock all in about a minute.

Bypassing Kensington lock security.

While the video shows how to pick the lock, the more important message is how easy it was to perform the act without being noticed. It also serves as a clear reminder that leaving your laptop unattended in public -- even when secured with a cable and lock -- greatly enhanced the chances of it being stolen.

[Thanks to the tech & gadgets blog for the heads up.]

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