Last summer my colleague Erik Larkin went to Defcon, the security conference. He learned how to unlock card-protected, locked office doors with a homemade $10 gadget. He blogged it--see "Simple Hack Can Unlock Most Any Office Door ." (There's also a video on our site, "$10 Hack Breaks Key-Card Security.")
I found the story fascinating. Coincidentally, I was sitting on a similar story, trying to decide whether it was a good thing to blog it. I talked with lots of people, including a locksmith, and decided that it's better for you to know about the topic.
Bumping Locks
Lock bumping is a technique that's easily 50 years old and gives just about anyone a way to open a deadbolt lock without damaging it. All it takes is a special key (they're readily available on eBay) and a plastic tool called a Tomahawk, though the handle of a hammer or screwdriver could work, too. The key essentially bumps the pins in the lock, allowing it to open.
Here are a few resources for you to understand more about lock bumping.
- Start with a video with the sensationalist flair of a TV report.
- If you're ready to try it, here's a video that explains how to make your own bump.
- This white paper has lots of details on bump key techniques.
- There's even a bump key forum.
Not to Worry
Overall, I don't think it's anything to worry about.
I asked my locksmith--he's been doing this for 40 years--and said it's more likely a burglar will kick in the door. In fact, we've been burglarized twice. The first time, the back door was jimmied out of the door frame with a screwdriver; the second, the burglar cut a circle out of a window, opened it, and just waltzed in the house.
David B., a buddy of mine from Florida, handled the security and lock system in a portion of the Miami Dade airport. He said, "If [lock bumping] were as easy as it is claimed to be, I wouldn't need a $100 set of lock-picking tools and a lot of patience and luck."
A blog entry on the San Diego Lock and Safe site puts lock bumping into perspective.
BTW, for the paranoids in the audience, I offer you the latest in home protection gadgetry: the InGrid Home Kit Wireless Home Security System (read our review for details).
Me, I haven't done anything differently. I still have piranhas in the moat and six guard dogs roaming around the yard.
Dig This: Need a chuckle? Follow these steps: go to Google; enter "find chuck norris" without the quotes; click "I'm Feeling Lucky." [Thanks, Brad.]
WinPatrol Adds Keylogger Detection
I don't always jump when I hear about an updated software version. I'll wait and see what others have to say, especially with antivirus, anti-spyware, and firewall apps.
I consider WinPatrol one of those critical apps I depend on, and don't want to mess with. Yet each of its upgrades has had something useful. For instance, in a previous version WinPatrol incorporated Delayed Start, a handy feature that helps Windows load faster by letting you choose nonessential programs to launch up to an hour after the system boots. That's ideal for dealing with programs such as pop-up blockers or backup programs.
In the most recent upgrade you'll find keylogger detection--and that's in both the paid and free versions. Because I trust Bill Pytlovany, the author, I encourage you to grab the upgrade. (I definitely did!)
Hey, wait, you say you don't know about WinPatrol? I've used it for over four years. Among other things, it helps me keep my System tray uncluttered by monitoring those beastly apps that insist on loading when my PC boots. Read what I said about it a while back.
You can grab a copy of the free WinPatrol 2007 from PC World's Downloads library ;to upgrade the free and paid versions, go to the WinPatrol site.
Quick aside: You may be interested to hear why Bill was so incensed about keyloggers that he decided to add the detection feature; read "Ex-Husband Gets Jail Time for Keylogger."
Dig This: Try White Dwarf-- a pretty good time waster. Collect the magnetic green dots and avoid the red ones. [Thanks, Mike D.]
Dig This, Too: Take a look at department store HEMA's product page. Everything's in Dutch, but just wait a couple of seconds and watch what happens. [Thanks, Brian, Joyce, Lincoln, and others.]
Destroy Your Hard Drive--Permanently
Watch this: I'm striking an old SCSI hard drive with a hammer and sending it to byte heaven. Up until now, I thought that was the quickest and easiest way to destroy a hard drive.
"A hammer's terrific for onesies or twosies," said my buddy, an IT guy at a local school district. "But what about getting rid of a big collection--like, 100 drives?"
The guy was seriously unhappy about my hammer idea, so I wasn't about to suggest he start an artificial reef off the coast of California.
At CES, I found a perfect way to guarantee a hard drive is completely and utterly destroyed. It's the Norazza Hard Drive DataDestroyer, model DD7000 . Just insert the drive, pull down the lever, and in less than 5 seconds, the device bores four holes into the drive, effectively destroying the platters. If you need a heavy-duty, fully automatic version, check it out in the YouTube video.
Now for the reason you might want to keep using a hammer: The automated version costs $8000 and the manual one is $4000.
Dig This: Some people think Google Maps is entirely too evil. [Thanks, Pete.]
Dig This, Too: Can and bottle throwing--it's the hottest new recycling sport. Lower the volume and start with Can's Professional and then watch Bottle Throwing Professional (about 30 seconds each will give you the idea). Then you might ask yourself: How many hundreds of takes did each take, well, take? [Thanks, Jorge L.]
Steve Bass writes PC World's monthly "Hassle-Free PC" column and is the author of "PC Annoyances, 2nd Edition: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things About Your Personal Computer," available from O'Reilly . He also writes PC World's daily Tips & Tweaks blog . Sign up to have Steve's newsletter e-mailed to you each week. Comments or questions? Send Steve e-mail.
