How exposed would you be if your Treo was stolen by an identity thief? Would your banking and financial information be vulnerable? How about your passwords? Identity theft is a serious problem that can cause years of difficulty. Thankfully, security applications like SecureX, mSafe, Warden, and TealLock provide solutions. (See our “Security Comparison Review” for more information about various alternative products.)

New Secure X, High-level Encryption

SecureX 1.0, the most recently released security application, will lock your Treo with one of the industry’s highest security algorithms, encrypt your data, and still sound your daily alarms such as calendar events.

SecureX stacks up well against other more well established Palm OS security programs, and it has a few unique features. It’s difficult to hack because it uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256 algorithm tied with the Secure Hash Algorithm, SHA-1. AES 256 was one of the standards adopted by the US Government, and SHA algorithms were designed by the National Security Agency. That adds up to some hefty encryption.

The install process requires you to tap around on the screen. This exercise creates an anonymous key that is used to encrypt your files. The approach is clever in its simplicity. No other encryption application employs this technique. Each tap returns a value that SecureX uses to create its encryption key.

SecureX has many of the features found in traditional Treo security applications. For example, you can wipe the internal memory and your SD card remotely using an SMS message. You can set it to lock when your device is turned off, or can specify an amount of time that must pass before the security features activate. You can also set it to wipe your Treo’s memory if the password is not entered in a set amount of time.

Some Unique Security Features

Unlike in other Treo security applications, with SecureX you can enter your password with either the built-in Treo thumb board or using an onscreen keypad. Using the thumb board gives you access to all the letters and numbers of the alphabet. Using the on screen keypad has advantages as well.

The SecureX onscreen keypad option offers the numbers 0-9 and the letters A through D. It’s quicker to enter a password using it, and you can still use the keys if you want. What’s special about this entry method is that the program can randomize the location of the letters each time your device is turned on. This prevents a hacker from guessing your password from the fingerprint pattern left on your screen.

You can also set options for application launch protection. This allows you to lock out specific programs even if your Treo happens to be unlocked at the moment. This means you can set it to require the password if someone tries to launch your photo program or your list of contacts. You can set it for any and all applications (or control panels) as you see fit.

Two of the best features that are unique to SecureX are the transparent encryption of all databases, and the alarm handling.

Transparent Encryption of all Databases

Application databases are encrypted and decrypted transparently without any user intervention. You can choose which application databases to encrypt and which to leave alone. You can also set it to encrypt only your private records and photos.

True Alarm Handing

Most security applications don’t support alarms for encrypted databases. Generally you have to choose between enjoying your reminders or enjoying the security of encrypted databases. SecureX offers a great solution.

Set this option in the SecureX preferences and choose the sound you want. When an alarm event occurs such as an appointment in your calendar, your Treo will turn on, sound an alarm, and turn off. This alerts you that an alarm event has occurred, and that you will need to turn on your Treo, enter your security code, and check what alarm is displayed. The alarm function works whether the database calling for the alarm is encrypted or not, and will sound the number of times you set, just like a regular alarm. You can also set it to vibrate. So far on my device, it’s been dead on!

The alarm function also activates when other applications want to use the Treo, like timed backups and updates. I use Agendus, which occasionally wants to go onto the internet to update a weather feature. SecureX chimes up, and when I unlock my Treo, the update commences automatically. The backup program alerts in the same manner, and works the same way.

There are lots of other nice features in this application, such as being able to encrypt databases and not just mask them. There is also a disable option for the camera and sound recording, which may be useful in the corporate world.

Limitations

SecureX has a few limitations. It won’t encrypt data on an SD card (though it can be set to wipe your card in some instances). As with any encryption program, you can lose all or part of a database if the Treo crashes while it is encrypting or decrypting. So it’s essential to always keep a backup!

I also believe the screen keypad could use some color and sprucing up. The numbers need to be larger in the buttons. It is, however, a utility application that does its job regardless of the amount of glitter. It is also retro-compatible to PalmOS 3.5 on any Palm device, and installs only about 150 kb. That’s a small footprint for this kind of security. Too much glitz could bloat it.

Quick Take

SecureX is an advanced robust security application useful when you want top-level, impenetrable security. This, and its ability to ring alarms in real time, makes it stand out nicely from some others. It is advanced, yet the interface is easily worked. The fat-finger screen keypad is helpful and makes it is easy to get in for us guys.

This is a solid security application from the developer, and worthy of addition to their Palm and Treo application lineup. Toysoft is a dynamic software developer with some tried-and-true winners under its belt, like Picture Dial, LightWav, Personal Audio Recorder, Voice Call and Freedom.

Related Links

Download SecureX now.

Visit the Toysoft Star Developer Forum.

Filed under: Software reviews