The locks must not be compromised. Instead, locks get unique serial numbers. TSA gets portable CNCs specifically designed to make keys, and mills the keys they want by scanning (qr/nfc) the serial no.
He makes a great case for keeping your laptop with your gun as the only way to guarantee its physical security.
[0] https://www.lufthansa.com/ba/en/sports-baggage [1] https://www.pewpewtactical.com/international-travel-firearms...
But can't they break it off without you present anyway?
The Royal Family having full gun rooms is ok and a tradition but the blebs even having access to a basic weapon is “problematic”.
You could even have the keys printed as the bag is working its way through the chute to the officers.
Better than the current system... (I don't think this solution is perfect, but it's better than either having your lock broken off, or having your lock be vulnerable to one of 7 known TSA keys.)
>You'd need some sort of super-fast-3D printer
Nah, just a modern electronic key duplicator. You can find a lot of kiosks and such these days that make use of tools like JMA's Multicode electronic key cutting machine [0]. No need for additive manufacturing here, just have a standard blank and very high precision fast subtractive is mature technology. Would not at all be a big deal to just feed an algorithm generated pattern into it instead of having it scan an existing key. In fact, I don't think the algorithm even necessarily needs to be proprietary or secret here? The specific threat scenario in this case involves those with brief access to the luggage between when you drop it off with the airport for flight and when you retrieve it again at arrival. Key cutting machines aren't exactly pocketable, so the fact that theoretically somebody could go to any kiosk or private machine and make copied keys in practice doesn't mean they can bring a machine into the cargo area and make use of it in real time. And with mass variation of keys and no single master, there is no way for an attacker to just have all the keys needed with them. Even the cost doesn't seem like more than a drop in the bucket on the scale of these things.
I don't know if it's actually a significant enough deal to bother with, but if it was this does seem like a potential easy low tech solution.
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0: http://www.jmausa.com/productosdetalle.aspx?idproducto=157
Any thief who wants to go through the trouble to getting TSA master keys can just as easily cut your uniquely serialized lock, exploit or cut the bag, or walk away with the entire bag.
The security of a luggage lock is provided entirely by deterrence. Even with a TSA lock on your luggage, the weakest security link is not the lock’s core.