[conspire] Bicycle theft: good metaphor for computer/network security

[Rick Moen]

Spend some time studying security issues, and you realise that (1) a lot
of the same problems nad themes pop up in diverse contexts, (2) people 
in general are terrible even at _understanding_ security, and pay a lot 
of money to little practical benefit, and (3) a modest amount of
real-world testing is more useful than all the theorising and
merchandising in the world.

Spend some time on YouTube studying how bicycle thieves work, and which
locking mechanims suck and why.  It's very revealing.  

(Before someone mentions him:  Yes, I'm aware of the Lock-Picking
Lawyer and his YouTube videos.  Luckily for all of us who own things,
his remarkable set of skills is almost vanishingly rare.)

Anyway, here my part of a thread helping out a gal whose bicycle needed
to be freed from a bicycle rack because her (probably somewhat mediocre)
combination-lock U-lock no longer can be opened.  (She did manage to
free the bike with the rented 36" bolt cutters I suggested, though she
had to call in a strong friend to bounce on them.)





Kim , rent a pair of long bolt-cutters from Home Depot for $10.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/rental/Ridgid-Bolt-Cutter-36-14233/316822045

That's 36" cutters.  The 42" cutters of course have greater leverage,
and don't cost much to buy, but I'm not finding them listed online as
available for rental.



Kim , you're very welcome.  If you have a go at it with the 36" tool, I'll
be curious about your experience.  

Based on YouTube videos, I gather that most U-locks break using bolt
cutters without a need for gorilla strength, but, not being a bicycle
thief myself, only someone who hates bicycle thieves passionately,
haven't ever tried using their characteristic tools, and am curious how
_long_ a pair of bolt cutters is required for typical U-locks.

What I'm saying is, the 36" ones might work.  If not, you've lost only
$10.



Neil,  an angle grinder would definitely do the job.  Which is the main
reason I recently retired my 2005 Kryptonite Evolution U-lock for a
Litelok X1 -- one of only three U-locks known to defeat them.   But
angle grinders are a little exotic/expensive (exotic except among
habitual bicycle thieves).

I'd be very surprised if a construction site would let some random
passerby borrow one, though:  Liability issues.

A hacksaw may be sufficient for many (some?) U-locks, and certainly is
worth a try.  Here is a video of bolt cutters and then a hacksaw being
used on a fairly beefy(-looking) U-lock (under ideal conditions, in a
vice).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLFat5krTEY

(That's UK lock manufacturer "Halfords", some of whose models are a lot
better than others.  And, for the benefit of people watching YouTube
videos testing lock security, what we call a "U-lock" is called a
"D-lock" in the UK and Ireland.)



Kim,  I'm very glad that worked.

Bolt cutters (usually the 42" ones) are reputed to be the main
traditional tool of bicycle thieves, in part because they're quiet and
don't draw huge amounts of attention, and can be tucked into a
shoulder-toted toolbag.  (There are foldable 42" ones, which are best
for their purposes.)  

U-locks differ quite a lot in strength (many being made of thin,
relatively soft metal), and most Kryptonite models like my old 2005
Kryptonite Evolution are far from the best, despite their expensive PR.
Most bicycle locks are dreadfully weak, and succumb in seconds, and in
particular the chains and cable locks are hopeless. Many of those can be
snipped in seconds even with hand-held cable cutters.  Folding locks
aren't much better.

Simple hacksaws are also commonly used.  So are large hammers, if the
bicycle owner is careless enough to have the lock near the ground or a
concrete object.  So are crowbars.

Hydraulic bottle jacks can be used to pop many U-locks, placing the jack
in the middle of the lock if there's room.  (Don't leave room!)  

And the most powerful tool is the portable angle grinder, which requires
a bold thief or seclusion, because they're very noisy and give off lots
of sparks.  

I recently retired my 2005 Kryptonite Evolution for one of only three
U-locks that effectively defeat angle grinders, the Litelok X1.  (The
other two are the Hiplok D1000 and the Litelok X3.  All three are
expensive, but I hate bicycle thieves just that much.  Honorable mention
is owed, here, to the Skunklock, which they can cut through, but then
will wish they hadn't.  It's likewise expensive, though.)

If interested in learning about these matters, I can recommend watching
YouTube videos where people do real-world testing of bicycle locks.  It
was an eye-opener for me.

Of course, one's real-world objective usually isn't to make theft
utterly impossible (e.g., the other two angle-grinder-defeating locks
are even tougher than the X1, but also heavier and more expensive).  The
objective is to motivate a thief to attack someone else's lock as an
easier target -- like the old joke about not needing to outrun a bear,
only outrun someone else fleeing the bear.