Poll of the Day > Which of these 'bypassing security' writing tropes do you find the silliest?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I roll my eyes when I see these. It's like the writer wanted the pretense that a place has security but was too lazy to figure out a reasonable way for their characters to actually breach it.
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Number 3. Number 2 is second.

For the first one, some shows do actually mention the order. They say how many possible combinations it could be. And run through them.

For number 4, it could work. Most people try not to use certain easy passwords. But it wouldnt be that strange for someone to use an easy password. To guess it would still be weird, though...

For the fifth, not everyone does it. But some people do...
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Depends what you mean by "silliest"

1. Might be the least "silly" even if improbable - if you're going to brute force the door and you know how long the code is then this cuts the time down significantly
2. Impossible, so it's not just silly it's outright stupid
3. Also impossible, but the brazenness makes it kinda silly
4. Silly, but a little too real
5. Extremely silly in a funny way, especially if you need a different code to get to the first one (like WHERE'S THE PASSWORD!!! "Oh, it's taped to the inside of the coffee can"... ... ... "WHAT'S THE PASSWORD FOR THE COFFEE!!!!"

EDIT: And then he tells you the password for the coffee and open the can and it's the same password, so why didn't he just tell him in the first place

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https://youtu.be/a6iW-8xPw3k

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If its a mechanical lock, number one is true.

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The keypad thing.

Also the easy to guess passwords thing, that's actually reality.

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1. I wanna say if the numbers are known, there miiight be a way to logically guess the sequence/amount based on human psychology or whatnot.

2 & 3. Doors/gates unlocking during power outage seems too much of a trope so shocking/smashing the lock does not seem that different. Granted it would make more sense for the lock to stay locked when the power is out or the lock is damage with a manual override nearby for emergencies? Or would the manual override also be silly?

4. I cannot help but feel this is probably the most realistic security flaw.

5. This one always get a laugh out of me so I chose this one.

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If you shoot the electronic lock, it locks the door from both sides, even if you only shot your side.

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Keys, especially when the person finds the keys in the car on the sun visor. That's just asking to get your car stolen.

I can't remember any examples of the electronic lock ones

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DarkKirby2500 posted...

Knowing a keypad code by dusting for fingerprints, because the order of the code doesn't matter.

Pretty sure you can tell the order by which keystrokes are fainter than others >_>
<_<
>_>

Okay, maybe not, but it's still a cool trope.

That said, you have a chance of being right anyway and there's a logical way of excluding combinations. For example, if it's a 4-digit code with 1, 2, 5, and 9, you can generally assume that it won't be either that order or the reverse, which eliminates two possibilities right off the bat. And depending on the security measures, you might even be able to brute force your way through the rest instead of needing to be lucky with your first few guesses.

DarkKirby2500 posted...

Giving an electronic lock an electrical shock will cause it to unlock.
Smashing the electronic systems of a lock will cause it to unlock.

A cheap lock might be disarmed by either one of those, depending on how the mechanism works and what failsafes might be in place (ie, people don't necessarily want to be trapped behind a malfunctioning door).

DarkKirby2500 posted...

People using extremely easy to guess passwords for high security accounts (their own name, their catchphrase, etc.)
Everyone hides a key under something next to locked doors.

While these are always silly, they're also a good example of truth in fiction. A lot of people *do* hide keys by their front doors (where people are less likely to break into anyway) and companies sell things like fake rocks.

And a lot of people do have shitty passwords, although the ability to guess it is silly and probably the silliest example here.

DarkKirby2500 posted...

I roll my eyes when I see these. It's like the writer wanted the pretense that a place has security but was too lazy to figure out a reasonable way for their characters to actually breach it.

My favorite trope is catching the door -- A character can't figure out how to bypass a security measure, so he just waits for somebody with access to walk through it... and it never takes that long.


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https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BavarianFiredrill

This is my personal favorite

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Metalsonic66 posted...

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BavarianFiredrill

This is my personal favorite

"In order for it to work, the person's claim to authority must go completely unchallenged."

On that note, I know I will fall for something like this. If two fake police officers come up to me with a very convincing car, outfit, gear, badge, etc. and their demand is not too bizarre. 99% chance I will not question it.

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Have you seen the videos in which two guys and a ladder can basically go anywhere they want?

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Metalsonic66 posted...

Have you seen the videos in which two guys and a ladder can basically go anywhere they want?

I may have watched the video or read about it. Is there a psychological explanation behind other people's behavior regarding such a thing?

Kinda reminds me of the one bout a homeless looking like person lying on the sidewalk versus a well dressed person lying on the sidewalk. I do not know if this was an actual study or something made up to make people think bout their own behavior toward others.

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#1. to save time, cinematically speaking. depends on the mood and demands of the scene. If they are not under duress, no need to waste time to show them try all the permutations. But when characters are pressured, chased, usually director will have them go through several attempts before success.
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InfestedAdam posted...

Kinda reminds me of the one bout a homeless looking like person lying on the sidewalk versus a well dressed person lying on the sidewalk. I do not know if this was an actual study or something made up to make people think bout their own behavior toward others.

Homeless people sleep on sidewalks, well-dressed people usually don't. Therefore it's more likely for a well-dressed person to be in distress. And, even when both parties are in distress, a well-dressed person is less likely to be dangerous. It's very rational behavior. I imagine most people of even moderate intelligence should at least subconsciously recognize these factors and act accordingly, even if they're unable to articulate them. That said, if a homeless person is clearly in distress, most people will summon help.

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The fingerprint dusting one is legit though, especially for 4 digit codes and patterns. I unlock people's (in front of their face) to mess with them by looking at the fingerprints.

You can clearly see the worn out buttons as well, when they are buttons. from there you have a 1 in 4*3*2*1 (24) chance of getting it right, and you can start with the more pattern-like ones. You usually get about 8 tries, I usually get it. (the ones in a row or in a circle)

I liked when Syndrome used a 7 letter all caps word to the computer that controlled the whole island. Without a username.

https://youtu.be/IRPI3lSACFc?t=34

And of course that same computer is so secure they had to hide it behind 500 meters of lava.

To this movie's credit I like how he holds down the shift key when typing.

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Zeus posted...

Homeless people sleep on sidewalks, well-dressed people usually don't. Therefore it's more likely for a well-dressed person to be in distress. And, even when both parties are in distress, a well-dressed person is less likely to be dangerous.

Fair point. I have heard/read stories of people being assaulted when attempting to help the homeless.

Zeus posted...

That said, if a homeless person is clearly in distress, most people will summon help.

I admit I will have a tough call distinguishing the difference. A homeless person having a heart attack might be notable but one who has passed out due to some other health condition might be less so.

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captpackrat posted...

If you shoot the electronic lock, it locks the door from both sides, even if you only shot your side.

Yes, usually you have to get the pad to send a signal to the lock. If you break the lock, you can't make the signal. It's not making a signal at all times. That would be a waste of energy.

But shooting a physical lock does work, there was a Mythbuster's episode where they did it on their first try on a metal door.

DarkKirby2500 posted...

Giving an electronic lock an electrical shock will cause it to unlock.

This is more likely to work than shooting it, since sometimes the pad just sends straight DC voltage to signal "open", but it's more likely to just fry the control board of the lock before doing anything useful considering you're likely using something over or around 10,000 volts in any little shocking weapon thing.

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Come to think of it I bet the FBI unlocks phones by looking for skin cells on phones. Not even the FBI can break proper encryption. The days of hackers using manufacturer error to get into things is ending. It's all about social engineering... and people are still very, very exploitable.

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Yellow posted...

Yes, usually you have to get the pad to send a signal to the lock. If you break the lock, you can't make the signal. It's not making a signal at all times. That would be a waste of energy.

Alternatively, electronic doors typically are held shut so a power cut doesn't trap people in.
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Kyuubi4269 posted...

Alternatively, electronic doors typically are held shut so a power cut doesn't trap people in.

That's not how they work. I know that because I'm familiar with them. The vast majority of them require a signal, the poor ones require a DC signal and the better ones send a key (that you can actually reproduce with a recording device). Sometimes they send an encrypted key that changes based on the time.

But a logical response to that would be "cutting off power to open an electronic lock is a security risk that makes the lock useless even by poor lock standards".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUE6MHNOrvM

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The key in the not at all fake looking rock is great security

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Muscles posted...

The key in the not at all fake looking rock is great security

I like the ones that look like dog doo.

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TMNT somehow got into a secret government building through the sewer lol

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Secret government people gotta poop too

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Metalsonic66 posted...

Secret government people gotta poop too

Because they're all assholes?
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Revelation34 posted...

Because they're all assholes?

Secret assholes

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The easily guessed password one irks me to no end. The heroes look around the room for context clues and see that the villain has a book on ancient Japanese warfare or something and type in "Nobunaga" and boom, they're in. This is almost literally what happened in Watchmen and it bothers the hell out of me. Nobody makes passwords like that. Real passwords are a random word or short phrase followed by a couple of numbers. Nobody is guessing that on their third try.

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#3 would just make it impossible to open without tearing the whole system apart. Thats not a problem for the people who installed the system, but it would be for someone trying to break in.

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Whargarble posted...

Nobody makes passwords like that.

"According to nuclear safety expert Bruce G. Blair, the US Air Force's Strategic Air Command worried that in times of need the codes for the Minuteman ICBM force would not be available, so it quietly decided to set the codes to 00000000 in all missile launch control centers. Blair said the missile launch checklists included an item confirming this combination until 1977"

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Whargarble posted...

The easily guessed password one irks me to no end. The heroes look around the room for context clues and see that the villain has a book on ancient Japanese warfare or something and type in "Nobunaga" and boom, they're in. This is almost literally what happened in Watchmen and it bothers the hell out of me. Nobody makes passwords like that. Real passwords are a random word or short phrase followed by a couple of numbers. Nobody is guessing that on their third try.

Non-tech-savvy people frequently do, though. Granted, the Nobunaga feels like a total asspull.

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Zeus posted...

Non-tech-savvy people frequently do, though. Granted, the Nobunaga feels like a total asspull.

You mean you *don't* keep your password on a post-it on the back of a picture frame on your desk?

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