Kensington Locks and notebook security in general

Hi, just a few quick questions I hope some people can give some insight into.

1.) How reliable are Kensington notebook locks? I'm using a combo saver and the first one I had fell apart in my hands so I'm questioning the quality.

2.) Can I (fairly safely) use locks from other manufacturers in a Kensington lock slot?

3.) Just a small little hole on the back of a laptop doesn't seem like extreme security. By the looks of it, if I pulled on the cable hard enough I could pull the lock out of there with only a bit of localized damage. Anybody have any idea?

Thanks.

 

I just purchased a Kensington-type lock for my new notebook, but here is what I have learned.

1.) There is a very disturbing video of a guy using a toilet paper tube and breaking through the lock-and-key K locks. I myself purchased a 100,000 combination lock.

2.) I've heard mostly negative reviews from Kensington, so I ended up purchasing a PC Guardian lock. This company won a couple awards for their lock, and I think their cable is a little thicker. Don't buy the locks with alarms unless you want to go nuts, as they seem to go off very easily.

3.) I think the K lock slot is a bit stronger than it looks. I kind've doubt that too, but I've read that the actual slot works okay, it's just the matter of the lock.

So basically, Kensington and Targus locks are crap, but maybe consider a PC Guardian lock.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by beammeup4

 

Hello ricky,
There are also usb security gadgts out there that will encrypt a notebook if it goes beyond a certain distance from the transmitter. I haven't tried them yet but I think some research might bring up some ideas, try a google search.
Valsmere

 

well yeah i've heard about that... i'm not as concerned about the data as i am about the actual hardware. I don't save many passwords, and i make quite a few backups so it's just a matter of losing $2k in hardware!!

 

if someone wants to steal your computer then the lock wont matter. it stops the casual thief. a guardian lock or kensington is the same to a pair of cable cutters.

 

yeah... that's about as much as I can hope to save myself from... the casual thief. i don't think there's too many people walking around university libraries with cable cutters but then again, i might be surprised.

 

This thread reminds me of something that my Father used to say " Locks are only for honest people" , and this was said when he was on the police force. One thing to remember is that nothing is bullet proof , meaning that if someone wants it bad enough they will get it; no matter how secure you may think youe item is.

Just some thoughts on this subject.
Valsmere

 

Perhaps you should just take out an insurance policy on your laptop for the first and maybe second year. Once the price drops it becomes less desirable to steal, and you can afford to buy a new one should someone actually steal it. Besides those locks are already about 50 bucks, and don't provide that same sense of security that an insurance policy does.

 

hehe... already ahead of the game there. insurance covers it, but I've already had an LCD monitor stolen. Insurance is going to cover that $500, so I don't want to get this stolen too and then be labelled by insurance companies as high risk so that nobody insures me!!! So far I guess I feel pretty comfortable with the kensington lock. I don't plan on leaving it alone very often. And at home I'm defintely paranoid enough to hide it and then lock it!!

 

Hi all, sorry to dig up an old thread, but I'm preparing to purchase a laptop and as such I've been looking on and off at anti-theft devices. I agree and understand that none of these will really prevent a determined thief, but it seems like most thefts would be thefts of opportunity, so if they can deter the casual thief that would be pretty good.

As far as them being all the same to a pair of cable cutters, if they were, I would just get any of them, but the few reviews I've been able to find (why are there so few?) seem to indicate otherwise. I keep coming back to this Network Computing World comparison ( http://www.nwc.com/1320/1320f45.html) where they state that "It took us about 25 seconds to cut through the [Kensington] steel cable using a small cable cutter." On the other hand, they say that the Notebook Guardian Ultra model took 15 minutes to cut through! The Kensington sounds like it would be quite susceptible to a thief while the guardian sounds like much more of a deterrent.

Has anyone gotten the Notebook Guardian that can comment on it? Any other newer lock/anti-theft comparisons that anyone can point out, or any other useful discussion? I'm sure we'd all like to keep our conveniently portable computers safe, so it would be great if we could figure out what the best solution is. Or at least which is less bad!

 

i brought a 1000 combination lock from kensington for $15... cables cant really stop theifs... takes about 10mins to go through all 1000 combinations, the cable itself is pretty thick, but still can be cut, but if you have one, even if it sucks, chances are, people wont waste time trying to take yours unless you have some top secret goverment crap on your hard drive that they want... it doesnt stop them, just scares them

 

hmm... i've been meaning to sit there and try going through all 1000 combinations... but honestly... why couldn't Kensington just add one more number?? I'd rather a thief spend their time trying to break the case, or cutting the cable than to find they just started turning numbers and made off with *my preciousssssss* completely intact (ahem... moving on)

but it's pretty much universally agreed. notebook locks are deterrents, not foolproof methods.

 

so will the guardian work in a kensington slot?

 

Yes it will.

 

Anyone use the Targus notebook lock?


http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.asp?sku=PA410U

 

That one's not much thicker than the Defcon 1 that NWC tested in their article and which they said could be cut with one quick snip.

 

I own that lock, it works nicely. Yeah it can be cut, but honesty who walks around with bolt-cutters in the libary or to get a cup of coffee at starbucks? As long as your not leaving your notebook overnight in central park a lock will do it's job.

And I don't agree with calling laptop locks deterents. Putting a sticker saying, "don't steal me" is a deterent. A lock will stop someone from walking away with it. Of course someone could steet it if they had the right tools, but the same can be said of the locks on your home. Every lock - even $200 ultra secure locks have been shown to get defeated in seconds by someone who knows what their doing. But your not a member of the CIA; your an average joe who uses common sense, doesn't walk away from his laptop (locked or not) for hours at a time, and wouldn't dare leave a laptop by itself in an area where it's obvious it could get stolen if left for even a minute.

 

A "small cable cutter" ( http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Images/Products/size_3/BHJ1307.JPG) is quite different from a "bolt cutter" ( http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/56025_lg.jpg). As for who might walk around with them, I think it is quite within the bounds of possibility that a regular or semi-regular thief might stroll through a coffee shop with this pocket-size tool in his possession, inconspicuously spend the 25 seconds it would take to clip any flimsy cable (Kensington, Targus, etc.) he runs across, and walk out with the laptop. It's really a question of the odds, depending upon where you take your laptop, and what level of security you're comfortable with. To me, something that can be easily circumvented by a small, concealable, common tool in the time that it takes for me to turn my back doesn't do the job.

 

some Kensington locks have notebook replacement warranties on them.

 

I think they all do, but the replacement is only valid for a year and after that you have to pay a renewal fee if you want to keep it. Also, they stipulate that it does not apply if:
D. The laptop was stolen by any means other than violating or breaking the
Kensington® brand Guaranteed Notebook Replacement MicroSaver® Lock.
I don't know how you could really prove that your laptop was actually correctly attached to the lock and it was closed and so forth or even that it was actually stolen. Particularly since the thief will probably just snip the cable and run off with it still attached to the computer, leaving you with no physical evidence. I don't know what kind of proof they require, but I suspect it's more of a marketing gimmick than anything.

 

From what I got out of this thread, if you're only buying a "small" cable-lock, the manufacturer doesn't really matter, as they can all be cut easily?

Psychologycal protection and protection from opportunity-thiefs are ok for me, but if I can get real protection or a few bucks more... Please tell me!

 

Anyone know where to find one of the Guardian Ultra's for cheap? I might just go with a Kensington though, if none of the Guardians are less than 30. The Kensington will serve it's purpose for me, im not worried about people with wire cutters, more like people who just pick it up and go.

 

The cheapest I've been able to find it is Amazon.com for $32.99 and free shipping: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00007IFCM/
There are a few other places that sell it for $32.99 too.

 

I too have found in my research thus far that the Notebook Guardian Ultra is likely the strongest lock on the market. Unfortunately, its also 1.1lbs, lol. The slimline model is 0.6lbs, and the 10k combo model is 0.32lbs

Ideally I am trying to keep my laptop bag as light as possible.
I am gona call them when I'm ready to order and ask for their oppinion on the 3. I figure the combo model will do fine in most cases. Ultimately, someone could spend like ~20-30 min or something to go through all of them, but why the hell would I leave my laptop lying around, ALONE, for that long? lol. Then again, maybe the keyed slimline will do a better job. LOL. Right now I am under the impression that these locks are NOT vulnerabel to the same attack that was performed on the old Kensington models. I read in a review somewhere that Kendsington discontinued the old line with that flaw a while ago.

Thus, also making me question, do I think I will ever need to leave the laptop by itself? I figure this will have more use in an office environment than in a cafe or libarary because in an office environment, one would more or less assume to leave the notebook at your desk throughout the day, etc. Whereas, in a cafe, you'd probably prefer to just put the thing away and take it with you to the bathroom (or maybe not).

So I guess this will come down to the standard guardian 0.52lbs or the ultra guardian 1.1lbs if I really want to get a lock. After all, this would be protecting an IBM Thinkpad T43, retail value $2099 .

 

why would you leave your computer just sitting around anyway, put it away and take it with you, i am so baffled by the concept of locking up your notebook like a bike?

 

lol i agree, laptops are portable...i close my lcd, put it into my bag, and walk to the washroom for 5min at the library. i don't see a problem with walking it up ur arm up the cash register if you have to...it's like carrying around a ... notebook...

 

Okay here's one. How do you handle leaving a laptop in your hotel room? All other points so far are valid regarding the "hey just carry it, its a laptop!" factor, lol

Um. Put it in its bag, lock the bag, and again lock the bag to something I guess, but to do that, you would need a lock... of a different type tho.

 

I can comment on the hotel thing. A couple of years ago my wife left our laptop in her hotel room. When we got back it was gone. Our employer uses this particular hotel a lot and puts us up there. After that I found out around 15 others had been robbed there. I believe the maids were doing it. The room was not broken into. We actually did sue the hotel, but after a year we ended up settling. They were going to sue us over our website about the hotel anyway and we just were sick of trying to figure out our legal process (since it was escalated beyond small claims court).

I have to stay in hotels for my job all the time. I've spent the night in a hotel about 1500 times in my life. I personally hate hotels now. I'll try to give you all some tips.

-Never leave your valuables in your room if you can help it.
-Always put up the "Do not disturb" sign. If you will be there for a few days, let the hotel management know that you don't want anyone going in your room. If you need new towels, get them while you are there.
-Alert the front desk to anything suspicious or wrong, including a maid trying to enter your room while your "Do No Disturb" sign is up.
-Sates and cities have their own hotel laws. It's good to be aware of them. In Ohio for example, the front desk must lock up your valuables for you if you request or sign a statement saying they refused if they don't hold them for you (ex. their safe is too small for your laptop).
-If you are robbed, call the police and file a report THAT DAY. Insurance may require it and if you sue them you will want it. And of course alert hotel management.
-If you must leave your valuables in your room, hide them every time you leave. Don't walk around with your valuables for hotel staff to see. Some rooms have a safe in them--use it.
-Don't use a case that screams "There's a laptop in here!" Example: the Dell cases that say Dell right on the front! A maid knows you brought a computer in your room and can easily see if you brought it back out with you.
-Have homeowners insurance or renters insurance and this is crucial--check the policy and make sure it covers theft from a hotel room. The renters policy I bought after the theft cost me $180 a year and covered $3000 worth of stuff in a hotel room. Read your policy and make sure it's in there. Now, my homeowner's policy has a limit on certain categories, $5000 for computer stuff I think. Make sure your policy covers what you have and where you have it.
-If you can, stay in better (and more expensive) hotels. They usually have higher quality people working for them and take more care in security.
-Be careful if you leave a key at the front desk for someone else to pick up. We did this once and a stranger showed up with a key to our room. The front desk didn't even check the person's ID to see if it was the right person.
-If you hear of bad things or read bad reviews of a hotel, don't stay there!
-Will require more work, but you can look up police reports for a particular hotel. May not be of much good since most robberys at hotels go unreported.
-Don't stay on the first floor and make sure your windows are secure before leaving. Leave a light on and maybe the TV too, but not too loud. You don't want hotel staff to come in to turn it down.
-Don't be afraid to ask the hotel about your security concerns.

I've learned I much rather prevent a theft then deal with one after the fact. If I'm robbed again I probably won't sue anyone, but instead just use my insurance (wish I had it when I was robbed). I will file a police report. Always create the paper trail.

I am planning on getting a security cable. I have no experience with them and had been looking at the Kensington alarmed model. It just seemed cooler to have one with an alarm than not. I believe a theif will do one of the following:

1.) See the cable and move on.
2.) See the cable and cut if off.
3.) See the cable and try to rip the computer from whatever it's attached to. Hey, if it breaks the computer he's out nothing.

Someone said the alarmed models go off when they shouldn't, but I have no experience with them yet. It just seems that if the thief is going to continue his operation after seeing the cable why not have something else there too, like an alarm?

There are also software options. There is software that runs in the background and gives you some tracking capability when the theif logs onto the internet. It also allows you to remotely delete files while he is on-line. The only thing is you will have to have a way for him to easily access the web, like no Windows password. Otherwise he may just opt to wipe the hard drive.

You can also put a password on your bios. I am not aware of the limitations this will have, but it will be a lot harder for the theif to use it. I believe you can password protect the hard drive within the bios too. I think this prevents the HDD from being used if it is taken out, not sure though.

So what am I going to do? Keep my laptop with me when I can. Hide and lock it when I can't. Always have insurance and half-way assume it is just going to get stolen. Don't keep too much private stuff on it.

Well, that's all I can think of right now. Hope this huge post helps.

 

Thanks e6bwhiz! Thats good input!

 

Any suggestions for hiding AND locking the laptop in a hotel room? Anything larger than an ultraportable is not going to fit in the room safe. I suppose you could hide underneath clothes in a drawer, but it wouldn't be locked. Or you could put it in your suitcase or pack, and then lock that, and hope the hotel employees aren't curious enough to break into your suitcase or to take the entire suitcase!

 

I carry a lockable binder case and usually use that. You can also cover it with some clothing and chain it to the bed or something. You can place it in a bag and have the chain lock coming out of the bag and it can be chained to the desk or something.