A German researcher shows everything there is to know about handcuff security

Jul 17, 2012 11:43 GMT  ·  By

As an expert demonstrated, modern-day 3D printers can be used by criminals not only to replicate the front end of an ATM machine. They can also be utilized to produce keys that unlock police handcuffs.

At the recent Hackers On Planet Earth (HOPE) security conference, a German security researcher called Ray proved how plastic keys produced by a 3D printer and chiseled with a laser cutter can open Bonowi or Chubb handcuffs, Forbes reports.

The researcher – who occasionally works as a police consultant on handcuff security – doesn’t want to help criminals escape. Instead, he wants to highlight the vulnerabilities that could be used by crooks to set themselves free.

“If someone is planning a prison or court escape, he can do it without our help. We’re just making everyone aware, both the hackers and the police,” he said.

The most worrying thing in this case is the fact that all the handcuffs from a certain police station have the same type of key. The practice allows different officers to lock and later open the cuffs.

However, if a detained person possesses a key – especially a plastic one – he/she could easily break free.

But it’s not all bad. While Chubb cuffs can be easily unlocked with a Plexiglas key, other models – such as the ones from German company Clejuso – are not as easy to open with a plastic “lock pick.”

Furthermore, for some handcuffs, such as the Clejuso and Bonowi, it’s not easy to obtain the key CAD models. Since their blueprints are not publicly available, it’s more difficult for someone to create copies, with or without modern technology.

Almost each week we learn of another item that needs some work in the security department. In this particular case, many handcuff key models are already available on the Internet and it’s clear that law enforcement needs to take a closer look at them to make sure that they won’t end up tying individuals with a rope.