Device locks should be used on assets located in high risk, publicly accessible areas, as well as on mobile devices to lower the risk of physical theft.
Control Type: Physical
Control Function: Preventive
Securing physical devices with device locks helps mitigate the risk of theft by adversaries looking to physically steal organizational assets to perform offline data exfiltration and/or modification. At a minimum, device locks should be used to physically secure networking hardware in network closets. They should be seriously considered for employee workstations located in areas accessible to public, walk-up traffic, such as administrative assistant workstations in lobbies or guest workstations in a library or hotel. Organizations that primary use a mobile, remote work environment with high amounts of employee travel should consider issuing device locks to employees for use on their laptops. This can help prevent theft when working in public areas such as airports, coffee shops, and Internet cafes. If an organization wants to require the use of device locks in these environments, an accompanying policy should be developed and published.
There are several different kinds of cable locks, with different ones existing for different types of hardware and components. Below are some specific categories of device lock:
- Switch Controls: Cover power switches/buttons on devices to prevent unauthorized shutdown attempts.
- Slot Locks: A bracket physically mounted to the device is connected to a cable, which is then connected to a stationary component.
- Port Controls: Block access to unused device ports to prevent malicious tampering.
- Peripheral switch controls: Add an extra layer of security by placing an ON/OFF switch between a system and the keyboard/mouse input slot.
- Cable Traps: Prevent the disconnection of external components by running their cables through a locked unit.
The Kensington Lock is one of the most popular device locks on the market. However there are many different vendors selling locks of varying cost and quality.