Kensington Security Slot

Kensington Security Slot Specifications for Hardware

This page is a resource for designers and engineers who are working to give customers the best options for physical security of computer and electronic equipment. Kensington encourages OEMs to continue to adopt the Kensington Security Slot and identify it on their hardware using the K & Lock® design. You'll find here the information to build the Kensington Security Slot into your hardware, thus providing the industry's standard security feature to your customers.

Why Utilize The Kensington Security Slot In Your Designs?

The Kensington Security Slot has been the industry standard since 1990, giving customers the best option for physical security of computer and electronic equipment (including Notebooks, Desktops, Flat Panel Monitors, Projectors, Servers, Printers, etc).
The Kensington Security Slot adds value to your product by offering your consumers a simple, built in security solution.
Major computer companies like Dell, Compaq, IBM, HP and Toshiba have adopted the Kensington Security Slot as a standard security solution.

Recommended Metal Backing

K & Lock® Design Specifications and Considerations

The following K & Lock® design should be used to identify products that are compatible with the MicroSaver Security Cable. This logo is the industry standard for identifying the Kensington Security Slot on computer and electronic hardware. Although this logo is trademarked and owned by Kensington, Kensington freely encourages OEMs to utilize this logo to identify the Kensington Security Slot. Kensington also encourages OEMs to utilize this icon in their product instructions, literature, and marketing materials. Additionally, Kensington encourages OEMs to include the "Kensington Security Slot" in their lists of specs for products, as questions from our end users are becoming more frequent about which products have the Kensington Security Slot.

Symbol. The icon indicates a product is compatible with the Kensington MicroSaver Security Cable. Products so marked can be secured by inserting and locking the Kensington MicroSaver into the Kensington Security Slot.

Orientation. The icon's orientation should be upright on the product when the product is in normal operational orientation. Other icon orientations are not recommended.

Size.The icon size is recommended to vary in height from 5 to 9 mm and must be scaled proportionally from the artwork. A good rule of thumb is to size the K-Logo proportional to other identifying icons on the hardware.

Placement. The K-Lock icon should be placed in a location that visually associates the icon with the Kensington Security Slot.

Use of the Icon in Plastics

Depth. If a recessed icon is used, the non-textured portion of the icon in the drawing below should be recessed from the surface of the product. The depth of the recessed area will vary with the icon size. Refer to the table below:

Icon Size (DimY)

Maximum Icon Depth

5-6 mm

.3 mm

6-7 mm

.4 mm

7-9 mm

.5 mm

Texture. The raised areas of the icon should have the same texture as the adjoining product surface. The recessed areas should be polished (see drawing above).

Innovative Use of the Kensington Security Slot in Chassis Design

Top computer designers have started incorporating the Kensington Security Slot into the metal framework of their computer hardware for added strength. Additionally, the Kensington Security Slot has been expanded in function to lock closed the chassis' of new desktop computers. This additional feature not only prevents physical theft of the desktop by attaching it to an immovable object, but it also prevents tampering with or theft of the internal components of the desktop computer.

Other ideas for using the Kensington Security Slot include designing it into the hardware to lock laptop computers closed, or to lock CD-ROM drives.