Draft:Marc Tobias
Marc Tobias | |
|---|---|
| Born | Marc Weber Tobias United States |
| Alma mater | University of Nebraska-Omaha Creighton Law School |
| Known for | Insecurity engineering |
Marc Weber Tobias is an American lawyer, writer, and researcher specializing in security systems, particularly locks and physical security mechanisms.[1][2][3] He is known for his work on insecurity engineering.[4]
As an attorney, Tobias works at Investigative Law Offices, P.C.[5][6] His practice focuses on technical fraud investigations and providing consultancy on security issues, including lock bypass techniques and the analysis of security system flaws.[7]
Early life and education
[edit]From an early age, Tobias developed an interest in disassembling objects to understand their functionality, which led him to focus on analyzing and testing the vulnerabilities of locks and security systems.[4][8]
Tobias earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 1970 and a Juris Doctor from Creighton Law School in 1973.[7]
Career
[edit]In 2010, Tobias began investigating gun safe security following the accidental shooting of Ryan Owens, a three-year-old in Vancouver, Washington.[6] The firearm involved was stored in an inexpensive safe provided by the county sheriff's office.[6] Tobias identified a design flaw that could allow unauthorized access, prompting him to evaluate the security of various low-cost gun safes.[6] He found that several safes priced between $75 and $200, manufactured in China were easily opened.[6] Methods used included gently bouncing the safe while lifting a corner with a finger and employing simple tools like paper clips, wires, and straws to breach the locks.[6]
Tobias co-founded the Security Engineering Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh with Eric Winter, where students study both technical and ethical considerations in discovering security vulnerabilities.[8] At the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering, he teaches methods for detecting flaws in locks, a field he refers to as insecurity engineering.[4][8]
Tobias has worked for the FBI and lock manufacturers, including Kwikset.[9] He serves as the co-principal of Security.org, which oversees The Sidebar and In.Security.[9][10][5] Tobias is also a member of UL's technical standards panel for locks, safes, and alarms, where he contributes to the development of testing and certification guidelines.[9]
Tobias is a member of several professional associations, such as the ALOA Security Professionals Association, American Society for Industrial Security, American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and the International Association for Identification (IAI). He also serves as a technical advisor to the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE).[7]
Writing
[edit]In 1971, Tobias authored Locks, Safes, and Security: An International Police Reference which is considered as the bible of lock busting.[11][12] The book's second edition was published in 2000 which was reviewed by the Journal of Forensic Identification.[13] It was also reviewed by David D. Daily of the Security Management in 2005.[14]
In 2008, Tobias co-authored Open in Thirty Seconds: Cracking One of the Most Secure Locks in America which describes methods to crack Medeco locks.[15][11][16]
In 2024, his eighth book, Tobias on Locks and Insecurity Engineering, was published by Wiley. The book discusses the historical development of lock engineering and examines the progression of lock technologies, from traditional mechanical systems to modern digital codes. It discusses how increasing complexity in lock design can introduce new vulnerabilities.[4] The book was reviewed by the Security Management and described as "comprehensive engineering reference."[17]
Bibliography
[edit]- Tobias, Marc W. (1971). Locks, Safes, and Security: An International Police Reference
- Tobias, Marc W. (1972). Pre-trial Criminal Procedure: A Survey of Constitutional Rights
- Tobias, Marc W. (1974). Police Communications
- Tobias, Marc W. (1975). A Field Manual of Criminal Law and Police Procedure
- Tobias, Marc W. (1971). Locks, Safes, and Security: An International Police Reference (2nd edition)
- Tobias, Marc W. (2008). Techno Security's Guide to Securing SCADA
- Tobias, Marc W.; Bluzmanis, Tobias (2008). Open in Thirty Seconds: Cracking One of the Most Secure Locks in America
- Tobias, Marc W. (2024). Tobias on Locks and Insecurity Engineering
References
[edit]- ^ Staff, WIRED. "Remember Pearl Harbor? This Lock Breaker Does" – via www.wired.com.
- ^ https://archive.triblive.com/business/technology/pitt-teaching-engineering-students-how-to-pick-locks/
- ^ "Laptop locks easy to pick - ProQuest". www.proquest.com.
- ^ a b c d "Reducing Insecurity in Security Engineering". Reducing Insecurity in Security Engineering.
- ^ a b "The Pen Is Mightier Than the Lock (Published 2004)". September 17, 2004.
- ^ a b c d e f https://www.reuters.com/article/business/children-can-break-into-gun-safes-with-paper-clips-straws-experts-warn-idUSL2E8IS03I/
- ^ a b c http://www.mys1cloud.com/cct/ebooks/9780398070793.pdf
- ^ a b c "Students 'break in' to security engineering at Pitt". March 13, 2018.
- ^ a b c "The Best Door Lock". November 20, 2024 – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "Hackable High-Tech Locks Pose National Security Risks". NBC News. August 8, 2011.
- ^ a b Manjoo, Farhad (July 23, 2008). "Pick a Lock, Any Lock" – via slate.com.
- ^ "Wired 13.02: The Lock Busters". web.archive.org. February 18, 2010.
- ^ "Locks, Safes, and Security: An International Police Reference - ProQuest". www.proquest.com.
- ^ Daily, David D. (October 1, 2005). "Locks, Safes and Security: An International Police Reference. Government Version 5.0". Security Management. 49 (10): 116–117 – via go.gale.com.
- ^ Zetter, Kim. "Researchers Crack Medeco High-Security Locks With Plastic Keys" – via www.wired.com.
- ^ Zetter, Kim. "Medeco Readies Assembly-Line Fix for DefCon Lock Hack" – via www.wired.com.
- ^ "Book Review: Tobias on Locks and Insecurity Engineering". www.asisonline.org.