Aardvark Daily

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Things that go bump in the night

If you own anything of value and you rely on expensive, sturdy padlocks or deadlocks to keep it safe then today's column will scare the snot out of you.

We've all seen how, on TV or in movies, the evil villain or slick sleuth is able to gain entry into even the most tightly locked building by carefully juggling a paper-clip, hair-pin or set of skeleton keys right?

What if I were to tell you that it's actually a whole lot easier to defeat even very expensive and sturdy locks than these works of fiction would suggest?

What's more, how concerned would you be if I told you that the information needed to completely negate the security supposedly offered by such security locks was readily available on the internet?

Still not convinced that your locks are useless against some miscreant with an internet connection, a couple of bucks worth of every-day tools and a desire to separate you from your worldly goods?

Read on and weep...

Before I continue however, I have to say that I had to think long and hard before publishing today's column.

Should I provide a pointer to information that would effectively place everyone's property in jeopardy?

Or should I adopt the "security by obscurity" approach that has proven so useless in the cyberworld?

Well I finally figured that those who would take this information and use it to commit crimes are unlikely to be regular Aardvark readers so it's probably better my readers be forewarned of the risks so they can decide whether they are sufficient to require countermeasures.

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Yes, that's right -- information that could allow anyone to steal your big-screen plasma, your jewelry, your PC -- in fact just about anything you secure by way of lock and key can be passed on with impunity -- but telling someone to "hold down the shift key" when inserting a CD might cop you a prison term.

Now someone tell me that the recording companies don't have too much clout.

But enough suspense already.

Take a look at this YouTube video in which the concept, practice and application of a "bump key" is described and demonstrated in sufficient detail to let you make your own.

In fact, you can go searching for the term "bump-key" on your favourite search engine and learn a whole lot more about this simple technique for defeating even quite expensive and reputable locks.

Now tell me that this information isn't more dangerous than being told or shown how to use the shift-key or a felt-marker to defeat the DRM of a CD you've bought and paid for.

Here are today's questions for Aardvark's write-enabled readers:

Should the publication or dissemination of this kind of information (which is clearly going to be of great interest and value to the more nefarious members of society) be banned?

Regardless of the legality of such publication, should YouTube pull these vids and should bump-key become a prohibited search-engine term?

Are you worried that some kid with an internet connection and a file could walk right into your house, despite your expensive dead-locks?

Should the mainstream media highlight this huge security risk to the average home-owner/business? Or should they adopt the security by obscurity approach and hope that the average burglar doesn't stumble over this information for themselves.

Will you be making your own bump-key and testing the vulnerability of your house or business's locks -- then changing them to something a little more secure?

Have your say on this...

Oh, and don't forget today's sci/tech news headlines

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