I can provide some context. In the 90s, over 40 years ago, they enjoyed displaying their floppy discs to gain their guestsā envy but they were still wary of theft, so they placed them inside of heavy transparent enclosures. This practice descended from the premise of china cabinets. Iāve circled the floppy discs in blue for clarity.
On the other hand, I think most petty criminals probably aren't lockpickers, especially on their level. Probably more important to protect against someone drilling out the core or cutting the shackle. Of course, all this is a balance of how beefy and expensive the lock is versus how valuable and at risk what you're securing is.
I hate this saying because it's claiming lazy thieves are honest people. If you would steal a bike outside a grocery store just because it's not locked you're not an honest person.
The idea of data security just wasnāt a thing until very recently.
Credit cards sales were recorded using ink imprints of the cardsā raised numbers, and the āduplicate paperā was then discarded with little thought into the trash. Phone books listed names and addresses of anyone who didnāt pay extra to have them omitted (very few people bothered). Checks (the things you wrote and handed out to ANYONE from the phone company to the paperboy) usually included social security numbers, and most universities also used Social Security Numbers as student ID numbers and required them to be printed on just about everything until well into the 90s. Simpler times.
The uni I am going to right now, focused on technology, decided to use birth numbers (similar to SSN I guess) as a password for housing accounts of new students.
Birth number isn't even treated like something that should be super private. I think it still is considered private information like phone number and email address, but its only purpose is supposed to be identification. Some 4 digits that are chosen somehow + date of birth.
I was also surprised to just get sent the password for another system by email in plaintext.
I just burned some old ones I found in an old file cabinet the other day. I donāt think I ever had them myself, but I l remember a teller asking whether I wanted to include it.
Pretty much everyone I knew who had an Amiga had that box, and from the age of about 6 I was able to jimmy it open easily. Not that I had nefarious intent, just wanted to play Monkey Island.
My dad kept grainy porn gifs (technically, an animated format OLDER than .gif) on 5 inch floppies in one of these. I know it was porn because the lock sucked shit š
When I was 13, I looked at web pages about lock picking and then successfully picked the lock on our floppy disk case. Felt like a Mission Impossible operative for two whole days after that.
Edit: sorry for waking a necrothread. I was unprepared for how stale some posts are in this community.
Don't forget: all those discs have a "write protect" switch on 'em! Can't be too careful.
In reality, it's sometimes appropriate to set the bar at "tamper evident". Basically: did someone fuck with the data while nobody was looking? If the goods are just missing, or the enclosure is forced open (breaking it), you can reasonably answer that question.
43 Comments
nexguy@lemmy.world · 76 pts · 357d
In case anyone can't find the security parts I found it:
edgemaster72@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 357d
I hope they weren't counting on security through obscurity, because if so you've just ruined them
irelephant@programming.dev · 14 pts · 357d
here, I added more in case you guys didn't notice the lock
Valmond@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 357d
I don't understand...
Edit: woosh my friends š
Gullible@sh.itjust.works · 29 pts · 357d
I can provide some context. In the 90s, over 40 years ago, they enjoyed displaying their floppy discs to gain their guestsā envy but they were still wary of theft, so they placed them inside of heavy transparent enclosures. This practice descended from the premise of china cabinets. Iāve circled the floppy discs in blue for clarity.
Goretantath@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 357d
Oh wait lmfao! Didnt notice you can just pull the hinges out from the base and lift it off XD
Cruel@programming.dev · 7 pts · 357d
The security of 90s technology was largely based on the honor system.
NaibofTabr@infosec.pub · 49 pts · 357d
Locks keep honest people honest.
That's all.
Whelks_chance@lemmy.world · 31 pts · 357d
And children from messing with them
tdawg@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 357d
Considering most petty crime is a crime of opportunity then yeah. Locks are a good thing
NaibofTabr@infosec.pub · 5 pts · 357d
They are important, but they are limited in the scope of what they can do. Just watch LockPickingLawyer or BosnianBill or Deviant Ollam's I'll Let Myself In: Tactics of Physical Pen Testers, This Key is Your Key, This Key is My Key and The Search for the Perfect Door.
dalekcaan@feddit.nl · 6 pts · 357d
On the other hand, I think most petty criminals probably aren't lockpickers, especially on their level. Probably more important to protect against someone drilling out the core or cutting the shackle. Of course, all this is a balance of how beefy and expensive the lock is versus how valuable and at risk what you're securing is.
Jg1@lemmy.zip · 7 pts · 357d
Most locksmiths aren't at their level...
SARGE@startrek.website · 4 pts · 357d
Broken@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 357d
What ever happened to BosnianBill? I agree with your description of him seeming like a grandpa sharing.
I never got into lock picking, just did some small desk locks and such years ago, but I just loved watching him and enjoying his hobby.
spacesatan@leminal.space · 9 pts · 357d
I hate this saying because it's claiming lazy thieves are honest people. If you would steal a bike outside a grocery store just because it's not locked you're not an honest person.
Horsecook@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 357d
piccolo@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 357d
Locks counters the finders keepers rule.
ulterno@programming.dev · 1 pts · 357d
Hey look! I found a lock in the open.
I'll now be keeping it for myself and whatever is attached to it.
MnemonicBump@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 357d
During the pandemic I learned how to pick locks for fun and that was the exact thought that I had
Davel23@fedia.io · 34 pts · 357d
What kind of sociopath stored their 3.5" floppies with the metal shutter up?
SARGE@startrek.website · 14 pts · 357d
4am@lemmy.zip · 10 pts · 357d
Isnāt the lid and key supposed to keep the dust out?
Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works · 13 pts · 357d
No. The key is strictly for security. It does nothing for dust.
ulterno@programming.dev · 1 pts · 357d
The key keeps dust from getting into the lock.
They probably didn't have plastic/rubber inserts.
SARGE@startrek.website · 1 pts · 357d
VeryVito@lemmy.ml · 25 pts · 357d
The idea of data security just wasnāt a thing until very recently.
Credit cards sales were recorded using ink imprints of the cardsā raised numbers, and the āduplicate paperā was then discarded with little thought into the trash. Phone books listed names and addresses of anyone who didnāt pay extra to have them omitted (very few people bothered). Checks (the things you wrote and handed out to ANYONE from the phone company to the paperboy) usually included social security numbers, and most universities also used Social Security Numbers as student ID numbers and required them to be printed on just about everything until well into the 90s. Simpler times.
user224@lemmy.sdf.org · 5 pts · 357d
The uni I am going to right now, focused on technology, decided to use birth numbers (similar to SSN I guess) as a password for housing accounts of new students.
Birth number isn't even treated like something that should be super private. I think it still is considered private information like phone number and email address, but its only purpose is supposed to be identification. Some 4 digits that are chosen somehow + date of birth.
I was also surprised to just get sent the password for another system by email in plaintext.
Better than McDonald's security I guess: https://bobdahacker.com/blog/mcdonalds-security-vulnerabilities
4am@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 357d
Iām not sure I ever saw a check with a social security number on it, but the rest of this is absolutely true
Railing5132@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 357d
Was a common practice for me until my mid-20's. If it wasn't pre-printed on then, cashiers would ask what it was and write it in the check.
VeryVito@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 357d
I just burned some old ones I found in an old file cabinet the other day. I donāt think I ever had them myself, but I l remember a teller asking whether I wanted to include it.
58008@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 357d
Pretty much everyone I knew who had an Amiga had that box, and from the age of about 6 I was able to jimmy it open easily. Not that I had nefarious intent, just wanted to play Monkey Island.
PurplebeanZ@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 357d
Can confirm. Had Amiga, and had that box.
vrighter@discuss.tchncs.de · 3 pts · 357d
had that box, didn't have an amiga.
Got one 2 months ago though!
BootLoop@sh.itjust.works · 13 pts · 357d
You could get in without the keys if you dropped it from chest height but there would be evidence of accessing the data.
Steve@startrek.website · 4 pts · 357d
Or if you figured out how to make or buy a wave rake.
pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 357d
That plastic lid opens from prying gently at the rear pressure hinges pretty easily, if I recall correctly.
Kolanaki@pawb.social · 11 pts · 357d
My dad kept grainy porn gifs (technically, an animated format OLDER than .gif) on 5 inch floppies in one of these. I know it was porn because the lock sucked shit š
Rolive@discuss.tchncs.de · 10 pts · 357d
Good god it took me a while to realize you said grainy, not granny.
Rolive@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 244d
catsAndComputers@programming.dev · 8 pts · 357d
added layer of security i'd say
Cruel@programming.dev · 7 pts · 357d
I bet that whole case is just Microsoft Office 97. I remember that was like 50 floppy disks.
tuckerm@feddit.online · 6 pts · 357d
When I was 13, I looked at web pages about lock picking and then successfully picked the lock on our floppy disk case. Felt like a Mission Impossible operative for two whole days after that.
morphballganon@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 357d
Pretty similar to a lot of mailboxes
MIDItheKID@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 357d
Or filing cabinets. Which is where sensitive information was often stored in the days of floppy disks.
pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 357d
And, this case could be set inside a locked filing cabinet, for twice the security!
dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 308d
Edit: sorry for waking a necrothread. I was unprepared for how stale some posts are in this community.
Don't forget: all those discs have a "write protect" switch on 'em! Can't be too careful.
In reality, it's sometimes appropriate to set the bar at "tamper evident". Basically: did someone fuck with the data while nobody was looking? If the goods are just missing, or the enclosure is forced open (breaking it), you can reasonably answer that question.
irelephant@programming.dev · 3 pts · 307d
I am wildly inconsistent with my posting.
I think necroposting is a good thing though.