[comp.sys.next] NeXT theft protection?

barry@pico.math.ucla.edu (Barry Merriman) (01/03/91)

My Slab arrived today---but before we install it, we want to think 
about security measures. The Slab is standalone, easy to carry, 
and fairly well publicized, so it will be a target for theft
(moreso than SPARCs, which don't really standalone well).

What are folks doing to secure their new NeXTs? Is there
an all black lock and cable available :-)? Or maybe a 
third party  NeXTLoCK :-)?


--
Barry Merriman
UCLA Dept. of Math
UCLA Inst. for Fusion and Plasma Research
barry@math.ucla.edu (Internet)

matthews@lewhoosh.umd.edu (Mike Matthews) (01/03/91)

In article <912@kaos.MATH.UCLA.EDU> barry@pico.math.ucla.edu (Barry Merriman) writes:
>What are folks doing to secure their new NeXTs? Is there
>an all black lock and cable available :-)? Or maybe a 
>third party  NeXTLoCK :-)?

>Barry Merriman

You will want to lock it down, definitely.

I had mine locked down by VersaLock.  It's essentially a two-piece-per-lock-
mechanism kit (one piece sticks to the desk, the other sticks to the
underside of the computer, and they lock together with a neato locking
mechanism).  We had to put one in the front and one on the side due to the
vents on the underside of the NeXTstation, but it seems pretty damn secure to
me...

I have no connection with VersaLock other than being a satisfied customer.
If anyone wants more information, mail me and I'll give you the number to
call.  I'm pretty sure I have mail working again...

(although I forgot to put /etc/organization back)
------
Mike Matthews, matthews@lewhoosh.umd.edu (NeXT)/matthews@umdd (bitnet)
------
WHERE CAN THE MATTER BE

	Oh, dear, where can the matter be
	When it's converted to energy?
	There is a slight loss of parity.
	Johnny's so long at the fair.

mwu@teri.bio.uci.edu (Matt Wu) (01/09/91)

In article <7791@umd5.umd.edu> matthews@lewhoosh.umd.edu 
(Mike Matthews) writes:
(about security kits)
>I had mine locked down by VersaLock.  It's essentially a two-
>piece-per-lock- mechanism kit (one piece sticks to the desk, 
>the other sticks to the underside of the computer, and they 
>lock together with a neato locking mechanism).  We had to put 
>one in the front and one on the side due to the vents on the 
>underside of the NeXTstation, but it seems pretty damn secure 
>to me... 

I don't know what thiefs are like where you work, but at UCI 
they can be pretty persistent. From my experience, cable 
locks may as well not exist, except maybe to prove to the 
insurance company that you had taken some security measures.

The locks that we're using right now are Anchor Pads. (I 
guess I should add the obligatory "I have no affiliation with 
this company besides being a satisfied customer" here) It 
would take a person several hours and a big crowbar to get a 
computer out of one of these things, and I'm not sure if 
there'd be much computer left at that point.

Still, keeping your backups in a secure place is never a bad 
idea.

Anchor Pad International can be reached at (213) 728-1086.

matthews@lewhoosh.umd.edu (Mike Matthews) (01/09/91)

In article <278A159E.25451@orion.oac.uci.edu> Matt Wu <mwu@teri.bio.uci.edu> writes:
>I don't know what thiefs are like where you work, but at UCI 
>they can be pretty persistent. From my experience, cable 
>locks may as well not exist, except maybe to prove to the 
>insurance company that you had taken some security measures.

I never said anything about cables; I agree that they're bad security.

The VersaLock pads are adhesive kits; one sticks to the desk, the other to
the computer, and they're held together by a complex locking mechanism.

>The locks that we're using right now are Anchor Pads. (I 
>guess I should add the obligatory "I have no affiliation with 
>this company besides being a satisfied customer" here) It 
>would take a person several hours and a big crowbar to get a 
>computer out of one of these things, and I'm not sure if 
>there'd be much computer left at that point.

There won't be much left of my 'puter if someone managed to pry it up now,
either.  I looked into AnchorPad; they cost about five times as much and
didn't look any better...

>Still, keeping your backups in a secure place is never a bad 
>idea.

Backups?  What are they? :-) :-) :-)

>Anchor Pad International can be reached at (213) 728-1086.

------
Mike Matthews, matthews@lewhoosh.umd.edu (NeXT)/matthews@umdd (bitnet)
------
Go 'way!  You're bothering me!