Security Screws...Do you think they work???

M

Metallica_Band

2[H]4U
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Oct 23, 2002
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Hey there...I was looking around at one of my favorite places to look around at :rolleyes: and saw something new called Security Screws...here's some pictures:
securityscrewpackagefull.jpg

securityscrewdisplaybig.jpg

contentsfull.jpg


Now the gold ones look really good...but the black ones look almost like if you could just find something thin and flat enuff to put in there then you could open it up...maybe if they put a round circle in the middle of the black ones it'd be even more secure

ANYWAYS...there are only 16 screws total...not very much...but I just counted the important screws in MY case and I'd only require 14 screws to make everything that is expensive safe and secure...

another thing is the $12.95 price tag...and that doesn't include s/h...it could very well reach $1/screw+accessories...knda expensive if ya ask me...

Are there any other "security screws" like this that don't cost as much??? The only time I'd be using them is when I go out of town and leave my case at home all by its lonesome and when I take it to other places like LAN parties or someone elses house or to the family reunion :D

So anyone got any thoughts about this product??? Are there really any "break-ins" in computers?? Do ppl really go around and steal PC parts??? Are there any cheaper alternatives?? THANX
C'YA :cool:
 
Why? If I were really trying to break into a computer that had those, a pair of vice grips would take them off easily.
 
Originally posted by tdg
Why? If I were really trying to break into a computer that had those, a pair of vice grips would take them off easily.
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When was the last time you, or some one else, took vice grips to a LAN party
 
Originally posted by Metallica_Band
When was the last time you, or some one else, took vice grips to a LAN party
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When was the last time someone actually bothered to break open someone else's case at a LAN party and steal their equipment?

Although there are the rare cases of people that do actually steal components out of cases (and I mean RARE), chances are you'll never even hear it happening to a friend of a friend of a friend's uncle or anything like that.

And as tdg said, simple vice grips can remove them. Just because you don't think people carry them around doesn't mean people don't. Vice grips are extremely handy for removing stripped screws and the like as well. Chances are if someone was dedicated and really wanted to steal your precious video card or 650w psu then they'd have more than just a screwdriver on them.
 
Well they aren't really secure as much as they are obscure. The only reason they are "secure" is because nobody has a driver for them. If I really wanted to steal something from your computer and I saw those screws on it then I would just take the whole fucking computer. Not so secure then. And a lot of people carry around leathermans and pocket knives and such, and I bet you could get those screws out with one of those. It would be pretty damn funny if someone came by and only stole your security screws and nothing else.
 
Originally posted by jpmkm
It would be pretty damn funny if someone came by and only stole your security screws and nothing else.
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LOL!!! I could see myself doing that to someone...it'd drive the person nutz just to figure out what was missing besides the screws...
 
It's more of a deterrant than to provide security, kinda like "The Club"

If you want to do something quick, you're not gonna waste time futzing with an oddball screw.

Of course if you are determined, then its just a small bump in the road.


I'd have some fun with people. Take out the security screws, and replace them with rivets.
 
It'd be cheaper to just go to a hardware store and get a bunch of torx head screws, or better yet, torx security. No one carries torx around.
 
Originally posted by jpmkm
Well they aren't really secure as much as they are obscure. The only reason they are "secure" is because nobody has a driver for them. If I really wanted to steal something from your computer and I saw those screws on it then I would just take the whole fucking computer. Not so secure then.
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If someone is just opening a computer, and taking some parts out, it looks innocent. When someone is breaking the computer apart to take parts out, then it looks a hellova lot more suspicious. And when they take the computer and run, they would be questioned and noticed. Given the choice between joinking some crap from a computer that is closed with one thumbscrew, and a computer with 16 security screws, I think the vast majority would steal from the thumbscrew computer. Preventing crime is all about making the crime more difficult. You can't make it impossible ever, but you can make it so difficult that no one wants to do it.
 
This is the reason why you should only go to LAN parties when you have a friend that you trust with you so you guys can always watch each others PC. The best security for a LAN party is common sense.
Don't leave your PC with a radeon 9800XT, and AMD64 all alone with people you just met a few hours ago.
Would you give some person your car keys if you met them a few hours ago?
Would you let them borrow your house keys for a few hours?
HELL NO!

Just remember those "security" screws are not going to do shit if someone wants to steal your stuff.
 
Originally posted by YoUnAn
Just remember those "security" screws are not going to do shit if someone wants to steal your stuff.
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But they will help if someone wants to steal stuff.
 
you should get some of the screws that are heads are tapered in one direction so they can only be screwed in, can't be screwed out without some forward pressure.
 
Originally posted by mobiux
you should get some of the screws that are heads are tapered in one direction so they can only be screwed in, can't be screwed out without some forward pressure.
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Nah. The best way to secure your PC is fill and surround it with motion sensing lasers and fog so people can see those lasers. The reason you need to fog is that you need to make sure people ph33r to steal your computer, because the little laser pointers wouldn't actually do jackshit if someone stole the computer.

Or don't leave the computer unguarded among people you don't trust.
 
I've used those types of screws in PC's before. They were in a student lab. In addition to the security screws the boxes were attached to the work tables with steel cable and had "invisible" ink (glow in the dark) indentification marks on certain parts inside. Worked reasonably well. In the 3 years I was there we never had an entire PC stolen - just some memory.

Guy must have been some type of contortionist or something - and smart. He pushed in an empty drive bay cover and twisted his hand down and under to remove the memory. He/She was also smart enough not to remove all the memory - we would have been told imedately that a PC wasn't working. Because it still had some (I think he took 32MB, half of the 64) it just ran slow. We'll never know how long it ran that way before a staff member compained.

Moral of the story - if someone wants your shit they will figure out a way to get it.
 
Originally posted by Schmucker
It'd be cheaper to just go to a hardware store and get a bunch of torx head screws, or better yet, torx security. No one carries torx around.
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Who doesnt ?
PDRM0177.JPG
 
Originally posted by ilkka
But they will help if someone wants to steal stuff.
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Sure they might cause the thief an extra 5 min of work but it is not going to be a fool proof way of protecting your PC.
 
And the moral of the story kiddies, is that you shouldnt leave your computer unguarded even if you do have "security screws".
 
Think about it, if you are at a big lan party where you dont know the people and there are lots of them. The person that goes to this Lan party planing on stealing pards will have all the tools needed. He probably has a set of escurity screws just loke yours, and the tools to match. You could allways pop rivets, or strip the head out of the screw. How often do you need to take your video card out any way?
 
Also, I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but I read a review on those screw, and the outer hubs of those are free rotating, so no you can't just use vice grips. How effective they are, I don't know tho.
 
They are crap.

When I worked at BB on the merch team, we put a bunch of things like that on the digicams and camcorders.

2 days later 3 camera were stolen, the displays.

They are crap IMHO
 
I agree that they obviously aren't 100% secure, but they are more secure than standard screws or thumb screws... I mean, sure, if someone's wanting to bad enough, they'll find a way in. But if there are 20 other computers, chances are they'll find one with thumb screws rather than try to break yours open.

It may not be 100% secure, but who would bother trying to get into it when they can get into one 100 times eaiser? Better someone elses stuff than your own :D

Just my two cents ;)
 
i say somebody make a mod.. so taht there is another 500W power supply dedicated to shocking the person if they even try to touch the screw.. the power supply can be powered by a remote that can be activated via satellite. and the pc can have a 24/7 dedicated video camera surveillence.

just an idea :)
 
Best way to remove any screw that you dont have the proper driver for (minus spanner screws, those you can use filed down needle nose for), take a bic pen, melt the shit out of it with a lighter, and stick it in the screw, let it harden. You can use the bic pen then as a driver. It works far better than you would thinks...

**edit** just to let people know, I dont go around doing shady things, at my job we encounter alot of unusual security screws, and often need to remove them and we dont have time to go and buy the proper driver.
 
then again.. If you're worried that someone is going to walk off with your computer, you could always do this..... :D :p

evidently it works... most of the time...
 
i have an idea!!! why dont we built a super dooper protector robot thingy thats super duper and U83r and all that. or better yet we can mod our computers into our pants! That way theyd have to... erm, nevermind.
 
Originally posted by Frobozz
then again.. If you're worried that someone is going to walk off with your computer, you could always do this..... :D :p

evidently it works... most of the time...
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Dude, that is hillarious! I wanna do that... humm.... something usefull to do with this old mid-tower. :D
 
Ok If you are at a Lan Party with a bunch of strangers and you are worried about someone stealing your parts. SHouldn't you be just as worried about someone taking the entire machine? Once they have it at home it doesn't matter what screws you have they will get into it. Even if they can't your comp is still gone.
 
Originally posted by nater
take a bic pen, melt the shit out of it with a lighter, and stick it in the screw, let it harden. You can use the bic pen then as a driver. It works far better than you would thinks...
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NOT if the screw was screwed in real tight...you know how some guys tighten the lids on jars so tight cause they don't know their own strength...the wives can't get into them...LOL...if ya screw a screw in tight enuff then the plastic would just break
 
Just put everything in an old Compaq case, no one will go anywhere near it.
 
Originally posted by widefault
Just put everything in an old Compaq case, no one will go anywhere near it.
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HA HA HA!!! So very true...Compaqs are teh devil...THE DEVIL I TELL YA!!! No one would go near it...LOL!!!
 
Originally posted by widefault
Just put everything in an old Compaq case, no one will go anywhere near it.
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thats the best method...
I actually am considering making my computer a 'sleeer' by using an old case or something.


I have acutally always wanted to see a case out built for thingsl ike that, basically case security. I think teh best thing is locking side panels and perhaps steel all around. I'm not taking into the fact that someone can just put your case into their cars trunk and leave, but im talking about the security of the case around people.
Would be excellent for a school enviroment, perhaps somehting like the XASER III's where you can lock the whole front, and then also just allow access on the front to the drives and power buttons.

This would make a good mod im sure.
 
Just get an old case, beaten up a bit preferably. The compaq case will work, or better yet, a packard bell (ph33r!) then put a case badge on it that says "Pentium II 400, ph33r the POWER!" and a TNT (NOT 2) case badge on it. And paint is rust colored, and something really garish. (Make sure its a horrible paint job too.) Also, get bits of wire and drive/floppy cables, and make sure they are sticking out of various places in the bacl of the case.

Ugly is a good deterent. :)
 

Ugly is a good deterent. :) [/B]
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Not any more :rolleyes: Now you have given away my secret and everyone will be on the look out for obcenely ugly computers and such.
Uglyer = faster.
 
G4 cases - nice padlock spot for the side panel latch.
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Im sure that the G4 case alone would stop them, no need for padlock.

Who brings a mac to a lanparty?
 
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