[IP] Master Key Copying Revealed (Matt Blaze of ATT Labs)

[Pete Chown]

Len Sassaman wrote:

> Most of the time, the lock is not the weakest point of attack.

Isn't this like saying that cryptography isn't important, because most 
real world attacks aren't cipher breaks?  Also, if you pick the lock, 
potentially no one will know that you gained access.  An ordinary 
burglar can just break a window, but someone with a more subtle reason 
for wanting to gain access may not want to.

If I wanted to make a building physically secure, my instinct would be 
to use electronic locks.  While attacks on, say, an iButton are probably 
possible, it seems to me that it must be an order of magnitude more 
difficult than attacking a mechanical lock.

Now, I'm not an expert on locks, so firstly am I right?  If so, does 
this mean that high security mechanical locks will gradually disappear?

-- 
Pete


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