Kensington's Laptop Locking Station is a thief's worst nightmare... maybe
By Darren Murph 
posted July 28th 2010 8:58AM
posted July 28th 2010 8:58AM
New Kensington® Laptop Locking Station Provides Highest Level of Physical Security while Delivering Ultimate Ease of Use
Survey Shows Security Improvements Needed in Office Laptop Practices
Redwood Shores, Calif. - July 27, 2010 - Kensington Computer Products Group, a worldwide leader in delivering smart made simple™ computing accessories, today introduced its highest level of physical security for laptops with a new locking station and tether kit. The Kensington Laptop Locking Station offers superior laptop security combined with an exceptionally easy to use design. Ideal for business users, the product will also serve IT managers working to improve security compliance across an entire department or company.
The Kensington Laptop Locking Station is built with an all steel backbone that resistants cutting, drilling or prying. Users simply place their laptop on the base of the unit and close the side arm, with no key or cable required. To unlock, insert a key to release the laptop. The optional Tether Kit offers additional flexibility to users who do not want to permamently attach the laptop locking station to a desktop surface. Locking a laptop has never been this easy.
A recent 2009 TNS national survey commissioned by Kensington shows a workplace demand for improvements in laptop security practices. Kensington's new Laptop Locking Station elegantly fulfills that need. According to the survey, 49% of respondents' leave their laptops unsecured when they are away from their desks. Another 21% surveyed said that when they are away from their desks, they hide their laptop in a drawer. And when asked to select the place they are most worried about having their laptops stolen, 17% of the respondents indicated the office.
"Kensington customers have told us they need the highest physical safeguard possible for laptops while still having easy access to their hardware, and we listened," said Rob Humphrey, Director, Security Products Global Business at Kensington. "The Laptop Locking Station will finally give IT managers the ability to drive security compliance in the workplace by leveraging an efficient method to protect their investments. This is a product that is as easy to use as it gets, and provides a highly secure environment for your company laptops, deterring theft and guarding valuable data."
Kensington Laptop Locking Station (K64625WW; SRP $79.99)
We've made superior security easier than ever with the Kensington Laptop Locking Station. Just give the security arm a squeeze. That's it! Laptops are secured with far fewer steps and even greater security than a traditional cable lock. Unlocking is fast, too: just turn the key and the arm spring opens.
* All steel backbone and deflector plates resist cutting, drilling and prying
* High-security disk lock resists bumping and picking
* No key needed to lock, simply place the laptop on the base and squeeze the arms
* Station allows laptop to rotate, slide and tilt for optimal positioning and access to laptop ports
* Easy to install on any desk
* Master keying available
* Works with laptops from 13.3" to 17"
Kensington Tether Kit for Laptop Locking Station (K64632WW; SRP $29.99)
Add the Laptop Tether Kit to the Kensington Laptop Locking Station and you have a highly secure solution that doesn't have to be permanently attached to the desktop. Your desk stays unmodified and your laptops stay secure.
* Requires Kensington Laptop Locking Station
* High-security disk lock resists bumping and picking
* Secures laptops without marring or modifying desktops
One of those things that I would hate to carry around with me but I would hate it even more if I didn't have it when I needed it.
@Robhimself LOL I though this was portable watched the vid oops... Glad I work from home, only my 130 lb newfie would be guilty if my computer was gone.
@Robhimself
Wow! Now the theives needs a screwdriver to steal your laptop. Brilliant.
@Robhimself
now that's what the bezels are for.
@ma4dk
did you actually watch the video or just not pay attention?
the screws are covered up when the tether is locked down
@detonator
Right... cause prying up one-inch wood screws from a crappy press-board desk is REALLY hard for a thief to do...
@Gonzie looks to me like they are just covered with little plastic inserts
@Robhimself I know the steel cable is not as essential to the whole setup, but I just wanted to point out that almost all security cables can be cut with cable cutters. Might not seem like a threat, but you realize you're in an office setting with departments like maintenance or electrical who has access to these tools. In my experience, theft is usually within the company as we had several items taken over weekends with no break-in but the cables cut. -_-
Wow.......I'm not gonna need that at all.......unless my sister tries to steal mine.....
Buy it as a deterrent
(Hit your sister with it)
@TheRealCJ
It's ok, I already hit his sister.
looks cool but would really hate it if i lost my keys to it !
@Bocefuss4500
I was thinking the exact same thing, if you lose the keys you better hope you never need to go and get repairs
That thing looks really secure http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUKP8h3OSfw&feature=related
@slipdisc
1) Blurry Video? CHECK
2) Video from some random/unknown User? CHECK
3) No Proof that this is a Kingston Cable? CHECK
...and folks, that is how you make a misleading and uninformed video!
@urda There are plenty of others on youtube. That was just a random one I found. Go ahead and CHECK.
to bulky
I just want to know where in life you would need such a thing. In order to use it you must screw down the laptop on to your desk. Not to mention thats also how you can remove it. Keys? Who need keys when you can just take the whole thing and worry about unlocking it later.
@Nebulaterous Once you unscrew it the lockbar will just slide right off the laptop, no keys needed
and Macs
Her hands are shaking why is that?
@HellFlyer too much human meat.
Wait... so all that steel and you screw it into FIBERBOARD with four rather smallish screws? Complete with torque boosting wings. I predict 15 seconds of forceful but controlled wiggling will get that thing freed from the desk and then you can just lift it right up. All that design... so little function...
Or you could just plug the kensington lock directly into the laptop!! But then again you wouldn't need that bulky, expensive, ugly desktop station, so what good is that solution...
@kallekenkel If you yank real hard on those kinds of locks, they come right out of the laptop. Leaves a hole, but so what, that laptop still works.
This strikes me as something that'll work about as well as "the club" did for cars... Why deal with the lock when you can just cut the steering wheel/desk?
I think if someone is gonna steal your laptop. Nothing will stop them. And if they can't get it. They wi have great pleasure destroying your computer.
Guess what, none of you are important enough for someone to want to steal "your" notebook.
They just want "a" notebook, and even 4 screws is a hell of a lot more hassle than grabbing the untethered PC in the next cubicle or dorm room.
This thing works the same way as a bike chain, or car alarm.
It doesn't make theft impossible, it makes theft inconvenient.
@jon
And if you were that important, you should be encrypting your drives..
@jon
Exactly! All these squares sitting there talking about "I could wiggle that free in 15 seconds" as if thieves will stand there for 15 seconds.
Theft is usually a crime of convenience and opportunity. The guy with no lock is more likely to get his stuff taken than the guy with the crappy lock that makes theft a longer than 10 second affair.
@jon
I was thinking the exact same thing. this is jus a deterent. if someone wants information on "your" computer rather than "a" computer than depending on how badly they want it, they will most likely get it.
its like a front door with a deadbolt, it stops the 16 year old kid next door from coming into your house and drinking your beer, but it wont do much if ocean and his 11 (or 12, or 13) decide they want to get the that priceless family Heirloom displayed in your living room.
Is it me or the only thing necessary to unlock this is a screwdriver? Looking at how it's screwed into place >_>
nowadays time is limited and we have other things to do, so we just carry the table along with the laptop. Sell the table for more money
From where they positioned it on the desk it looks like you could just spin it 180 degrees and slide the laptop right out of the lock, no breaking needed
Well, for prevention of a simple ‘snatch and run’ I can see this thing as a deterrent, but not for anything beyond that.
@Saber You're right. Like almost all locks, they don't prevent a thief from stealing your stuff. They just help keep honest people honest. If a thief wants it, they will take it. One way or another.
If you're casing the house I would assume most pro burglars would carry a cordless screw driver and like many others have said if they don't give a crap they'll just rip it right out of the desk. Now thats if you know what you're dealing with. Again I would assume these people know these types of products and how to get around them.
I can't wait to try this out at starbux! It's like gluing a quarter to the sidewalk and watching people try and get it off. Only difference is the quarter will stay tethered.
thief will mere apply (threat of) violence to owner
unlock
steal
This thing looks like the locks they use in retail stores like Office Depot and Best Buy, except it lacks the metal arm going across the laptop and a shrill alarm if anyone so much as breathes on it.
So easy even a woman can install it!
can you use it with my bike?
All you have to do is get a screwdriver, unscrew it, and slide the laptop's lcd display out of the locks. That's secure?