Kensington Security Slot

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A Kensington Security Slot (also called a K-Slot or Kensington lock) is part of an anti-theft system designed by Kensington Computer Products Group. It is a small, metal-reinforced hole found on almost all small or portable computer and electronics equipment, particularly on expensive and/or relatively light ones, such as laptops, computer monitors, desktop computers, gaming consoles, and video projectors. It is used for attaching a lock-and-cable apparatus, in particular those from Kensington.

Locks are generally secured in place with a key or some mechanical PIN device and attached through a rubberised metal cable. The end of the cable has a small loop which allows the cable to be looped around a permanent object, such as a heavy table or other similar equipment, thus securing it in place.

1 Uses
2 Amount of security
3 Gallery
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Uses

Kensington locks are used in a variety of settings, generally as a deterrent to prevent opportunist theft. Individuals might use them in public places such as busy offices, coffee shops, and libraries. Companies may use them to secure expensive equipment which must be left in public places, such as computer displays in a retail store, or video projectors used in a hotel conference room.

[edit] Amount of security

Kensington locks are not designed to be an impervious protection measure.^[1] As most computer equipment cases are generally made of plastic or thin metal, the lock can be torn out, heavily damaging the case. However, potential thieves trying to resell such stolen equipment would presumably be reluctant to do so: the broken Kensington lock hole implies that the equipment was taken by force.

An unverified, unscientific internet video^[2] demonstrates that some lock mechanisms which use a round key might be easily circumvented in less than a minute, if one is prepared with simple tools.^{[citation needed]} There are versions of the lock that use a numeric combination (like a padlock) instead of a key, and there are versions which use a traditional flat key, which is understood to be more difficult to pick.^[1]

The cable itself can be cut if a thief has a wire cutter sufficiently strong to cut through the cable material, which varies depending on the security rating of the cable. Some cables may not be readily cut with one-hand clippers, meaning that a thief would presumably look conspicuous employing two-handed cutting devices.

Several manufacturers offer similar locking mechanisms that do not require a special lock hole.^{[citation needed]} They attach to a popular port, such as the VGA or printer port and have special screws to secure locks in place. Others are completely electronic, and emit an alarm if they are removed from the slot. These mechanisms are more universal, but occupy one port, so they are most likely to be used when Kensington security slots are not available. Most laptops manufactured since 2000 are fitted with a Kensington lock slot, with the notable exception of the MacBook Air.^[3]