Pens as Lock Picks

As I saw today on Boing Boing, you can open expensive U-Locks using simple Bic pens. I was skeptical, but there were numerous reports that it was possible as well as few videos showing that it could be done.

I still doubted that it could be that easy.

Using a bic pen as a lock pick

Well, it wasn’t that easy, but I managed to do it on the 3rd pen I chose (the first two bic pens had diameters too small.. the 3rd was a freebie pen that the U gave out).

Resnet

Resnet at the University of Minnesota recently added a new login procedure to get on the network every time you turn on your computer. It uses a login mechanism similar to logging into the wireless networks on campus. First you enter your username and password. Then it scans your computer for known vulnerabilities. The scan takes about 2 minutes to complete. After the scan is complete, the network will allow you to make outgoing network connections.

The system is not without flaws, namely

  • During periods of heavy load, I’ve seen random error messages that have prevented me from getting on the internet for as long as 30 minutes.
  • The system is inconvenient, as 2 minutes is a long time to do the scan.
  • Computers that shouldn’t have any vulnerabilities that it scans for (ie, Macs, Linux/BSD boxes, etc) still have to go through the same time consuming procedure.

Some ways of bypassing the login mechanism:

  • Keep your computer on 24/7
  • Buy a PowerMac and put it to sleep — this is a mode where the computer uses very little power (~10 watts) to only allow the computer to wake up quickly to a full powered on state. A nice side effect is that it keeps network connections open, which saves you from having to login again.