Apple Begins Selling Kensington's Mac Studio Locking Kit

[MacRumors]

Apple today began selling a Kensington locking kit for the Mac Studio with everything needed to secure the computer to a desk or other surface, including an adapter, a combination lock, and a braided carbon steel cable with a nylon cover.

Kensington says the kit was "designed specifically for Apple" and can be installed in minutes, with no tools or modifications necessary. The adapter attaches to a slot that Apple built into the bottom of the Mac Studio and does not block any ports on the back of the computer. The kit is available to order for $64.95 on Apple's online store.

Kensington is a well-known brand for laptop security locks. Apple included a slot for a Kensington lock on many MacBooks until the early 2010s, and it appears that the companies partnered again to offer a security solution for the Mac Studio.

Apple first released the Mac Studio in March 2022. The high-end desktop computer is available with M1 Max and M1 Ultra chip options.

Maclocks also sells a variety of Mac Studio security accessories.

Article Link: Apple Begins Selling Kensington's Mac Studio Locking Kit

 

[MacWiz_007]

Nice try but if anyone really wants a Mac Studio badly enough they will take the 2 seconds it would take cut through this to snatch one up.

 

[headlessmike]

It’s a lock-dongle!

 

[AppleTO]

These locking cables are really only a deterrent for people walking by. You can cut through them in seconds.

 

[Crowbot]

Nice try but if anyone really wants a Mac Studio badly enough they will take the 2 seconds it would take cut through this to snatch one up.

Right. But that has always been the case with locks like this. It's for the casual, opportunistic thief.

 

[now i see it]

These fit nicely in a backpack. One handed use—

 

[mcfrazieriv]

All these people posting about ways to circumvent the lock. How about the OS security? Or the security cameras around the office or home? Or the door locks and the window locks? I mean... ya'll are the experts here.

 

[gizmopusher]

Kensington and has some weird Photoshop-work with crazy misaligned perspectives there. I mean, look at it -.-

 

[antiprotest]

If an astroid hits your house, the Kensington lock would not protect it. So it's useless.

 

[lazyrighteye]

If an astroid hits your house, the Kensington lock would not protect it. So it's useless.

I know it's early, but I'm already nominating this for Post of the Thread.

 

[usagora]

Nice try but if anyone really wants a Mac Studio badly enough they will take the 2 seconds it would take cut through this to snatch one up.

#lockpickinglawyer

I had these once. It keep honest people honest but nothing more. Any wire cutter will have that machine out in one second.

Well, duh, this is obviously to prevent petty theft / thefts of opportunity, not a determined thief. Same applies for any sort of normal locking mechanism people use for all sorts of applications. Do you not lock your house door, car doors, fences, etc.? Well, a determined thief can still get in easily there too. Doesn't mean it's not wise to take these basic security measures.

 

[xraydoc]

I'm surprised this didn't come out last year when the Mac Studio did.

 

[IIGS User]

"Locks are for honest people".

Physical security is all about deterrence, time, and inconvenience.


Detering crimes of opportunity. "hey, look at that snazzy new Mac Studio, I think I will take that". Not everyone carries wire cutters around.

Keeping something secure with sufficient time for someone responsible to respond. Along the lines of a safe or a home alarm system. IE, I have a safe in my basement. It would take someone probably about 4 hours to break into it without the help of the best safe cracking tools like a torch or a plasma cutter. Plus, after you got in my house, the alarm would be going off and the local cops are on the way. Hey, if what's in MY safe is worth that much effort, I got bad news for you. It's insured and your efforts were best spent elsewhere.

Inconvenience. Making it a pain in the but to swipe something. Keeping it locked (like with something like this) and being able to use Apple's "find my" tools to remote wipe or lock the device if stolen makes it less likely to be stolen.


The final unmentioned leg of all of this is GOOD INSURANCE. I try and tell people this, and a lot of time they don't listen. Anything of value can be stolen. Even if the thief is caught and prosecuted your chances of getting restitution is literally zero MINUS zero. You're not getting restitution. I deal with the back end of this as part of my career and I'm letting you all know you should never expect to get restitution in a theft case against a natural person.

So if you have good insurance, either through your homeowner's /renter's insurance, your credit card, or other insurance all you're ever out is your deductible. An amount you can budget for and control. Let the insurance company go after the restitution.

I can't emphasize this enough when it comes to theft cases. You should expect you will never be made "whole" by the legal system. This is what insurance is for.

Sorry for the long form post.

 

[sdf]

I have a first week Mac Studio and didn't realize it had a security slot. (I flipped it over: It does!)

 

[D-ConYT]

two words

wire cutter

 

[Enlightened Doggo]

Right. But that has always been the case with locks like this. It's for the casual, opportunistic thief.

It's only useful in the unlikely situation you have one of these in an area that strangers frequently transit. Hard to imagine putting a Mac Studio in that context for anything other than retail... Let's just call it what it is: bad design.

 

[bigjnyc]

This would only work on a desk bolted to the ground no? Otherwise you could just lift the desk leg and slide the cable down.... How many people actually have desks bolted to the ground? maybe in offices but def not for home use.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Right. But that has always been the case with locks like this. It's for the casual, opportunistic thief.

Which makes me wonder what was wrong with just the keyhole slot in the first place. Why does this require an adapter when they could have just drilled a hole? Same reason AirTags require an adapter, I guess.

 

[TheOldChevy]

These are the very last Mac Studio now that Mac mini are so powerful, so better lock these as museum pieces 😁

 

[Realityck]

On a related note the Apple Support web pages got a facelift.
This is the Mac Studio starting page now.

 

[oofio2461]

Is this to prevent little tommy from stealing this during school, and playing some not-so-legal emulators with a decked-out Mac Studio on his 480p Display?

 

[Realityck]

Is this to prevent little tommy from stealing this during school, and playing some not-so-legal emulators with a decked-out Mac Studio on his 480p Display?

Mostly it's for visitors to a business, usually a room adjacent to a lobby might not be supervised so they lock hardware down to prevent theft. It might be the same in a school library to prevent something as small as a Mac Studio from growing legs.

 

[Crowbot]

Which makes me wonder what was wrong with just the keyhole slot in the first place. Why does this require an adapter when they could have just drilled a hole? Same reason AirTags require an adapter, I guess.

My take is that, because the hole is on the bottom, the adapter brings the cord out the back. What I can't understand is why Apple put the slot on the bottom and not the back. Probably a space thing.

 

[torontotim]

It's entirely likely that for insurance purposes companies are obliged to lock hardware down.

I've been issued dozens of Kensington locks over the last 30 years and have never seen one prevent a theft, but I expect Kensington continues to lobby the insurance industry to convince them these locks prevent loss and should be required by the terms of insurance policies.

These days with empty office spaces, there are endless opportunities to walk into a building and walk out with displays, computers etc. I was in one of our buildings the other day and was the only person on a floor with hundreds of 27" displays on VESA mounts sitting at empty desks. Every one of them had a lock which would be easy to defeat, but likely required for an insurance claim.

And when a computer that fits in a small bag can run $8000 USD (maxed out Studio) I can see the value in locking them up as futile as the lock may be.

 

[coolfactor]

It’s a lock-dongle!

A perfect example of Apple's form-over-function design team. Much like the charging port on the bottom of the Magic Mouse. What possesses Apple to make such strange decisions? Thankfully, these bizarro designs are rare.

It's a hole, Apple! If you don't want it to be as visible, put a retracting cover on the side for when it's not in use! It should be on the side of the Mac, not the bottom!