[CMI-CM] Update Re: bike lock vulnerability

[rosemary braun]

After the news hit the national press, Kryptonite decided to offer
FREE LOCK UPGRADES... *if* you meet their conditions.  Here's the
announcement (thanks Arlene!) ...

-r.

| From Arlene Graves on Fri Sep 17 17:59:23 2004
| 
| Attached is an announcement posted to my bikelist, which your other 
| cycling friends might like if they haven't yet heard.
| 
| To: sfbike at topica.com
| From: jon winston <jon.winston at sbcglobal.net>
| Subject: [SFBike]  Kryptonite to upgrade your lock for free
| Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2004 15:52:30 -0700 (PDT)
| 
| KRYPTONITE OFFERING FREE UPGRADE WORLDWIDE FOR CONSUMERS' HIGH END
| TUBULAR CYLINDER LOCKS
| 
|     Unprecedented Offer Intended to Address the Needs
| of Loyal Consumers
| 
| Canton, MA  September 17, 2004 - Kryptonite today announced it will
| provide free product upgrades for certain locks purchased since
| September 2002, in response to consumer concerns about tubular
| cylinder lock technology.  Consumers can visit the company's Website
| (www.kryptonitelock.com) on Wednesday afternoon, September 22, 2004,
| to learn how they can participate in the security upgrade program.
| 
| Consumers who have purchased an Evolution lock, KryptoLok lock, New York
| Chain, New York Noose, Evolution Disc Lock, KryptoDisco or DFS Disc Lock
| in the last two years are eligible for a product upgrade free of charge
| from Kryptonite.  Customers will need to have either registered their
| key number, registered for the Kryptonite anti-theft protection offer
| or have proof of purchase to qualify.
| 
| Specifically, Kryptonite will provide for free cross bars featuring
| the company's new disc-style cylinder lock technology to consumers who
| have purchased Evolution and KryptoLok series products.  In addition the
| company will replace for free recently purchased Evolution Disc Locks on
| New York Chain and New York Noose with its "Molly Lock", a heavy duty
| solid steel padlock.  Kryptonite also will upgrade recently purchased
| disc locks.
| 
| Consumers who have had one of the Kryptonite locks mentioned with
| a tubular cylinder for longer than two years will be eligible for
| a sizeable rebate on the upgraded products.  This program will be
| administered through Kryptonite dealers and distributors.
| 
| A distributor and dealer swap program will be rolled out through direct
| communication from Kryptonite to all its partners.
| 
| Full details about this unprecedented program will be available on
| Kryptonite's website by afternoon Eastern Standard Time, Wednesday,
| September 22, 2004, at www.kryptonite.com
| ___________________________
| Donna M. Tocci
| Public Relations Manager
| Kryptonite
| An Ingersoll-Rand Business
| 437 Turnpike Street
| Canton, MA  02021  USA



> From braun at bangalore.ks.uiuc.edu Wed 15 Sep 11:25:51 -0500 
> 
> Sorry about the huge to: net, I've sent this to all the riders I can
> think of right now.  Word on the street (not debunked by snopes, appears
> legit so far):
> 
>   Locks with a barrel-type mechanism (like the Kryptonite u-locks) are
>   vulnerable to compromise using a bic pen or similarly elastic cylinder
>   as a pick. 
> 
> Metafilter has links to the original (14page!) bikeforum discussion and
> movies; see http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/35590
> 
> Anyone have additional info?
> 
> It'd be nice to get independent confirmation, if someone wants to try it
> (*ahem* on their _own_ bikelock, not a stranger's)... I've not read any
> reports of jamming the lock without opening it, but I'd consider that
> a risk.  Jamming it open post-pick is common, though at that point the
> lock's proven useless anyway.  
> 
> Anyway, take care.
> 
> Cheers
>   r
> 
> -- 
> +---------------------+------------ and Computational -----------------+
> |   Rosemary Braun    | Theoretical ^ Biophysics |   (217) 244-1851    |
> |  braun at ks.uiuc.edu  |  University of Illinois  |  3117 Beckman Inst  |
> +---------------------+--------------------------+---------------------+
> 

-- 
+---------------------+------------ and Computational -----------------+
|   Rosemary Braun    | Theoretical ^ Biophysics |   (217) 244-1851    |
|  braun at ks.uiuc.edu  |  University of Illinois  |  3117 Beckman Inst  |
+---------------------+--------------------------+---------------------+