'World's smallest combination lock' promises to foil even the best computer hacker

'World's smallest combination lock' promises to foil even the best computer hacker, say Sandia devleopers

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The "world's smallest combination lock," a minuscule mechanical device developed at Sandia National Laboratories, promises to build a virtually impenetrable computer firewall that even the best hacker can't beat.

The Recodable Locking Device, which uses microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology so small that it takes a microscope to see it, is a series of tiny notched gears that move to the unlocked position only when the right code is entered. It's the first known mechanical hardware designed to keep unwanted guests from breaking codes and illegally entering computer and other secure systems.

"Computer firewalls have always been dependent on software, which means they are 'soft' and subject to manipulations," says Larry Dalton, manager of Sandia's High Integrity Software Systems Engineering Department. "Our device is hardware and is extremely difficult to break into. You have one and only one chance in a million of picking exactly the right code compared to a one in 10,000 chance, with many additional chances, in most software firewalls. After one failed try, this new device mechanically shuts down and can't be reset and reopened except by the owner."

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