Pseudo-security

I just saw this on Picocool, a site I usually like a lot for its interesting or beautiful geeky little objects.

Flash drive padlock (via Picocool)
Flash drive padlock (via Picocool)

It’s a padlock for a USB thumb drive, to insert the USB connector into. And it strikes me as a very bad idea. Why? A three-digit code contains only 1000 combinations. If the thief or finder of the drive takes 3 seconds to try out each one of them, the lock can be removed in under 1 hour (1000 * 3 / 60 = 50 min).

Anyone relying on this device to prevent data breaches may be lulled into a false sense of security. If more drives are lost because their owners reduce their vigilance, the net effect may be worse than not securing your flash drive’s business end at all.