Lock pick disguised as dry erase marker leaves at least 4 million hotel rooms vulnerable

[jsr]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/dry-erase-marker-lock-pick-hotels-concerned-article-1.1177430

Lock pick disguised as dry erase marker leaves at least 4 million hotel rooms vulnerable
Over 22,000 hotels use the locks. Lock manufacturer has vowed to fix flaw.
By Christine Roberts / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

This is no ordinary dry erase marker.

Three hackers have created a stealthy lock pick in the form of a pocket-sized marker which can spring open locks used in at least four million hotel rooms worldwide, Forbes Magazine reported.

"I guess we wanted to show that this sort of attack can happen with a very small, concealable device," Matthew Jakubowski, one of three hackers behind the device, told Forbes.

"Someone using this could be searched and even then it wouldn't be obvious that this isn't just a pen."

[MADem]

1. Gotta get one of these and use the room safe when out!

&feature=related

[jsr]

2. And sleep with one eye open:

[MADem]

3. Maybe a chair wedged under the doorknob too--just to be extra sure! nt

[Lasher]

4. I bet TSA would have a cow if they found that in your carryon.

Do they still confiscate little tiny fingernail clippers?

[jsr]

5. TSA says nail clippers have never been prohibited. But travelers disagree:

http://blog.tsa.gov/2012/03/tsa-taking-nail-clippers-from-soldiers.html

[Lasher]

6. I have had nail clippers confiscated more than once.

Happened during 2001 thru 2003

Edit: Your linked article says military charter flights are exempt. Its comments section confirms that they do indeed confiscate such articles from commercial civilian air travelers.

[jsr]

7. Also happened to a couple of people I know

So yeah, they're lying.

[Lasher]

8. I can remember one time

they let me keep the nail clippers after they broke off the one inch long nail file. But in prior encounters that was not an option. I have not flown commercial in recent years, so I don't know what to expect today at airport security checkpoints.

I browsed around a little at that TSA blog. The TSA rep was getting rightly flamed for telling some pretty lameass lies. This looks like an organization that is incapable of ever admitting to any mistake large or small. And never any sort of offer to investigate or improve on any shortcoming.

Thank you for the link to this interesting website.