Category Archives: padlocks

When they make physical locks, do they really just make a few variations of the keys and then mix them together and sell? [duplicate]

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I always assumed that each lock is unique and can only be opened with the keys it was sold with (or any copies made later from those originals). But the truth seems to be that they just make “a few” variations (10? 100? 1,000? 10,000?), mi… Continue reading When they make physical locks, do they really just make a few variations of the keys and then mix them together and sell? [duplicate]→

4-dial combination padlock: Is it more secure to zero it out or to blindly spin the dials after locking?

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I am partially responsible for some resources protected by a 4-dial combination lock like this one:

There are two things that people will usually do after they’ve locked it:

reset all the digits to 0, so that the combination reads 0000… Continue reading 4-dial combination padlock: Is it more secure to zero it out or to blindly spin the dials after locking?→

Padlocks suitable as teaching aids for public key cryptography – do they exist?

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When explaining public key encryption, people commonly use the imagery of keys and padlocks. However, most padlocks have only one key (i.e. only one bitting), and work like this:

The padlock can be locked without any keys; … Continue reading Padlocks suitable as teaching aids for public key cryptography – do they exist?→