You might think that the alt.locksmithing newsgroup would be a hive of leaked physical security secrets, but this is really not the case. Alt.locksmithing has long been frequented by professional locksmiths who both dismiss offhand any spilled information and spread misinformation in an attempt to confuse the readers.
However in 2000, a character called Freddie the Wire started opening talking about things which locksmiths had held as closely guarded secrets for years. The more Freddie posted, the larger the flame war became and the more Freddie responded with secrets. Suddenly information on drilling safes, bypass techniques, spiking, drill points, shimming padlocks, lock picking and impressioning was posted on Usenet for everyone to read.
No one will ever accuse Freddie of being a master of the English language and his postings should probably be rated PG-13 (at best). However, through the stilted wording and creative punctuation is a wealth of information.
Of course, Freddie’s legacy hasn’t gone away. Thanks to Google Groups, Freddie’s prose it still available today. Just a reminder once again that the Internet makes retrieving, retention and duplication of information (even locksmithing secrets) easy.
