Lock, Tag or Seal? — TechKnowSurge

About this interactive

An equipment lock, such as a Kensington lock, goes into a small slot on a laptop, projector or other device and locks it to a fixed spot with a twist of a key. It keeps honest people honest; a determined thief can crack it out, but it is better than nothing. An asset tag goes on the bottom of an asset so it can be tracked. Accounting usually wants anything above a certain dollar value, or anything easily stolen, tagged and kept on the inventory, and every so often the inventory is checked to make sure each item is still there. A serial number can do the same job, though some are long and hard to work with. Tamper detection shows whether something has been opened or got into: the ring on a pill bottle, the connector on a cable box that has to be snapped off, the seal on a device that voids the warranty once broken. It does not stop anyone; it shows that a line was crossed. To sort a card, ask whether the need is keeping the item where it is, keeping track of it, or knowing whether it was opened.

What you'll learn

Choose an equipment lock, an asset tag or a tamper-evident seal for a need about equipment or a product

Aligned to

CompTIA Security+

1.2 Summarize fundamental security concepts.

4.2 Explain the security implications of proper hardware, software, and data asset management.

Key terms

Kensington Security Lock: A physical security mechanism that inserts into a small reinforced port on portable equipment such as laptops to anchor the device to a fixed object and deter theft.
Asset Tag: A physical label affixed to IT equipment containing an identifier used to track and inventory organizational assets.
Inventory Management: The process of tracking and recording organizational assets to ensure accountability and detect loss or theft.
Serial Number: A unique alphanumeric identifier assigned by a manufacturer to a specific hardware device, used to track and manage equipment.
Tamper Detection: A mechanism or technology used to indicate whether a product, device, or system has been accessed or altered without authorization.
Tamper-Evident Technology: Physical or digital controls that provide visible or detectable evidence that unauthorized access or modification has occurred.

Topics

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