Engineering Blunders

Kinda fits in the what were they thinking catagory.

Funny lock hacks from DefCon.

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Best Regards Tom.

Reply to
azotic
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Tom,

Thanks for posting. Knowledge is power and this is important stuff for people to know.

As a non-malicious hacker type, I always tell people that safeguards and security only keep honest people and the idiots out of your private stuff. ...That is unless you actually take the time to learn for yourself what it is you are dealing with.

If you buy an off the shelf product, software package, etc. and don't know how it works, you can never know what actual weaknesses exist.

I thrive on random information and love seeing stuff like this but shudder when I think that the information was covered by Wired and will make it to the thieves and dishonest out there before the manufacturers can provide a fix, etc.

In this case, the fix won't help someone who bought the product yesterday or last year, etc.

Wish I could attend DefCon personally - but don't want my photo and name on the government's hit list either.

This is not directly related to metalworking but the concepts apply so closely to the design work many of us do that I feel it was close enough to being on topic that it counts... If that matters to anyone.

Regards, Joe Agro, Jr. (800) 871-5022

01.908.542.0244 Automatic / Pneumatic Drills:
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V8013-R
Reply to
Joe AutoDrill

I went some years back, with a cryto professional friend who was also going to the preceding Black Hat conference. Interesting, though my lack of blue hair and/or copious beard left me feeling a bit out of place. ;-) I skipped the lock-picking workshops- but there was an interesting talk on quantum computing by an MIT researcher.

The Feds were actively recruiting there, BTW.

Reply to
Spehro Pefhany

Way off the metalworking topic now, but I read his mini-article that was published on the subject. Interesting. Way over my head, but interesting.

Doesn't surprise me. The best tech people come from these melting pots in my opinion. The brightest minds think so far outside the box that it is often considered "wrong" by others for lack of understanding... Or because it's wrong sometimes too.

Reply to
Joe AutoDrill

I can get through a typical door lock in a few seconds. 14" channel lock plier, grab the base of the dead bolt and twist. The "high" quality pot metal breaks easily and once the lock mechanisim is gone the bolt can be reached and popped open with a screw driver. Of course the lock is junk, but the person wanting to get in don't care! With a minor amount of care there is no damage to the door either, and very little noise. I managed apartment buildings for a few years and every so often I popped locks off to gain access to an apartment. Replacing the lock was cheaper than a locksmith. Greg

Reply to
Greg O

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