USPS Medeco lock on drop box

[phoneman85]

This is a lock on a US Postal Service drop box (one of the big blue mailboxes) and instead of the standard "arrow" lever lock, this one had a Medeco!


Any idea on the keyway? I'm sure it's Government restricted, like the Hi Shear padlocks. The face of the lock says USPS Medeco, and has the Medeco emblem of the two half moon shapes.

The lock is on a box at the tiny post office of Immigrant Gap California

[phoneman85]

I'm thinking this is Biaxial, as it had the symbol for it on the lock.

[Evan]

There are places where gangs of identity thieves have compromised the Arrow Locks by attacking USPS personnel and stealing the keys...

in the olden days one of those Arrow Lock keys would open all USPS locks in quite a large area... Security concerns are now shrinking the size of the areas accessed by one particular Arrow key...

The Medeco locks seem like an attempt to make duplicating the stolen keys more difficult than forming and pressing a piece of metal into a certain shape and then filing the notches in the correct places...

~~ Evan

[phoneman85]

Evan, that sounds like a probable reason, although this was in a really small town, the post office was about 50 square feet!
Maybe they are doing it as a trial in smaller locations as well as locations where theft of keys has been a problem?

[peterwn]

There are places where gangs of identity thieves have compromised the Arrow Locks by attacking USPS personnel and stealing the keys...
~~ Evan

Perhaps they should be using Cyber locks in critical areas. New Zealand Post went from lever padlocks to pin tumbler locks, then to Abloy locks and finally Cyber locks. They had a problem with systematic raids on street mail boxes using found / stolen keys. Another consideration would have been that box clearances are done by owner-driver contractors and the Cyber locks facilitated both key control and round auditing.

Customer PO boxes formerly used flat key lever locks, but use Abloy for newer installations.

[GWiens2001]

Here in Arizona, have seen only the Medeco locks on the mail drop boxes for years.

Gordon

[Squelchtone]

So hey guys.. this is one of those things that will probably end up in Advanced based on the function of the lock and what it is used to secure. This will pretty much determine what is Advanced going forward. Anything to do with vending machines, utility locks, parking meters, elevators, train switch locks, mailboxes, drilling safes, car doors and ignitions will be Advanced no matter if they use a simple wafer lock, an ACE II, or a Medeco or Abloy. Basically anything that can be picked in order to gain products, services, money, or mail which may contain identity papers and money in the form of bank checks.

I know it may seem silly that we can talk about a Medeco deadbolt or padlock, but cannot discuss it when it is on a post office owned mail box, but I hope you can follow my logic. As always, our rules are not set in stone and will continue to be change and evolve as time goes on.

Thanks,
Squelchtone

[GWiens2001]

So hey guys.. this is one of those things that will probably end up in Advanced based on the function of the lock and what it is used to secure. This will pretty much determine what is Advanced going forward. Anything to do with vending machines, utility locks, parking meters, elevators, train switch locks, mailboxes, drilling safes, car doors and ignitions will be Advanced no matter if they use a simple wafer lock, an ACE II, or a Medeco or Abloy. Basically anything that can be picked in order to gain products, services, money, or mail which may contain identity papers and money in the form of bank checks.

I know it may seem silly that we can talk about a Medeco deadbolt or padlock, but cannot discuss it when it is on a post office owned mail box, but I hope you can follow my logic. As always, our rules are not set in stone and will continue to be change and evolve as time goes on.

Thanks,
Squelchtone

It will also help to reduce concerns with postal inspectors, which is no laughing matter.

Gordon

[ARF-GEF]

I think that absolutely makes sense.
Let's not make that kind of people's life too easy by giving them a google friendly how to guide

[peterwn]

I think that absolutely makes sense.
Let's not make that kind of people's life too easy by giving them a google friendly how to guide

The thrust of this thread has had more to do with policies and practices and nothing on compromising locks (apart from theft or loss of keys). Presumably an organization does not like having its policies and practices discussed even when the 'source' information is in the public domain.

Having said that, an organization owes it to its stakeholders and community at large to ensure safety of people at large - staff, contractors' people, customers and the public. As I see it the most serious vulnerability is with the locks giving access to apartment buildings and condos, especially where several buildings can be compromised by one incident (eg loss or theft of a key). Above all else, it is these particular locks that need to be rapidly changed out in the event of potential compromise, and this should be one of the fundamental security policies. Probably, building owners or governing bodies (of condos, co-op's etc) may need to contribute to the on-going cost of maintaining such security.

It is worth noting that a college will move very rapidly to change locks where keys go missing or are stolen, especially where student or staff are potentially put at risk - this is expensive, and some are looking at ways of reducing the cost of this, even where initial costs are higher (eg by fitting electronic locks). Similar practices should apply elsewhere.