It’s hard to believe that nearly 10 years have passed since the introduction of the PalmPilot 1000, the first truly successful PDA. Apple fans will point out that the Newton was even earlier; however, it was overpriced and a bit ahead of its time. Nevertheless, PDAs enjoyed steady growth throughout the late 1990s as people found the PDA’s PIM (personal information manager) features and other extras indispensable.
Fast forward to today. Although PDAs are still selling at a fairly decent clip, many people are using the PDA functions in their mobile phones, as well. Clearly, as the technology matures, more people will be carrying sensitive data with them. So how safe is this data you store on your handheld device? Hardly a day goes by without some new virus infiltrating desktop PCs, or some mass consumer-data scandal or identity theft occurring at some big company in the United States.
Should you be concerned about the data on your PDA? If you store any kind of important data on your PDA, the answer is an emphatic yes. There are several kinds of threats that afflict PDAs. First and foremost is the threat of simply losing the device. Whoever finds it not only has your PDA, he also has access to all of the sensitive data you store on the device.
Viruses also pose a threat to your PDA. Several viruses that are PDA-specific have come up in recent news stories, although at the moment the cause for worry is still fairly low. However, we expect the threat of viruses will only mature and grow in a fashion similar to those that invade desktop PCs.
Another threat to be aware of includes various kinds of Internet-related break-ins. Now that many PDAs come with built-in wireless and Bluetooth functionality, it’s possible for someone over the Internet, or even across from you in the coffee shop, to access the data on your PDA or even plant a virus on your OS. Security is also an issue when you use your handheld as a wireless Web browser.
 Protect Your Data
We rounded up four of the leading security products for PDAs and tested each one for ease of installation, features, reliability, and documentation. We reviewed some security/encryption software in addition to firewalls because these programs fall in the same “data security” category, and it’s rare that someone would go through the trouble of installing firewall software only to skip protection against losing the PDA itself.
We tested all the programs on a Dell Axim X3i with built-in wireless connectivity and Windows Mobile 2003. Keep in mind that there are products specific to Palm OSes, as well as Pocket PCs. Be sure to purchase a compatible program for your handheld. If you have any doubts, contact your PDA’s manufacturer to ensure your PDA will run the program. Better yet, download a trial version. You can try out all the programs in this comparison before spending your hard-earned cash.
Some programs, such as Bluefire Security Technologies Mobile Firewall Plus (www.bluefiresecurity.com) and Mobile Armor eTGUARD (www.mobilearmor.com), are only available in professional and enterprise licenses that exceed 100 users. Another enterprise vendor, Credant Technologies (www.credant.com), released Mobile Guardian Personal Edition, which features personal firewall capabilities and is only available through original-equipment manufacturers such as HP. Check out these other programs if your needs run toward outfitting a large number of users.
Airscanner Mobile Firewall
$29.99 • Airscanner
contact@airscanner.com
www.airscanner.com |
Monitor your current open connections and ports with Airscanner Mobile Firewall. |
Airscanner Mobile Firewall, by far, offers the best firewall protection of all the programs we reviewed. It was the only program to come to the comparison test with real ammunition. The other products in this roundup are hybrids of various kinds, but none deliver the network break-in protection that Mobile Firewall does. Note that in order to get data encryption and virus protection, you need to purchase the Airscanner Mobile Security Suite, although each of the three modules is available separately for $29.99 each.
Airscanner Mobile Firewall monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic. It offers alerting and logging features, full packet filtering, configurable security zones, and a real-time connection overview window that summarizes all open ports and connected IP (Internet Protocol) addresses. You can configure the program to allow trusted computers to connect based on their IP addresses.
After you install the firewall, you can basically set it and forget it. A small icon appears in the lower right of your PDA’s display. The icon turns red when the firewall is active and green when you disable the firewall. There’s no perceivable performance hit while the firewall is active. Airscanner’s beautifully designed interface makes it simple to check out access logs, monitor network traffic, and more.
To keep the data your store on your PDA safe, we recommend using a mix of firewall protection, some kind of data encryption, and an antivirus program. Airscanner offers something for each of these categories, and it also delivers the only real firewall protection available to individual consumers today. The full security suite is more expensive than the other products in this roundup, but if you want the best PDA protection available to individual users, it’s the only game in town.
JP Mobile SureWave Mobile Defense 3.0 Professional
$39.95 • JP Mobile
(888) 665-2460
www.jpmobile.com SureWave Mobile Defense has garnered some rave reviews since its introduction several years ago. JP Mobile recently acquired PDA Defense from Asynchrony Solutions, and in the process renamed the product SureWave Mobile Defense. The program is not an actual firewall. Instead, it protects against physical attack by locking down your PDA and preventing unauthorized hands from accessing your data inside. SureWave Mobile Defense does this by using password protection and encryption.
The program offers a couple of interesting enhancements to basic encryption, however. Chief among them is a fail-safe mode that actually wipes data from the device if the software detects intrusions. Another plus is an application launch approval feature; set this up and a remote hacker can’t install and run anything without administrator approval.
Using the program we were able to encrypt files, directories, and access to programs without any trouble. It was easy to set up the master password and encryption password, as well. You can also configure the hardware keys to be part of the password for speedier entry, which is another nice touch. We had some trouble removing the application from our system; our desktop PC could no longer see our test handheld. We ended up having to do a hard reset on the PDA in order to completely clear the program from memory and restore everything to normal.
JP Mobile offers extensive product support, and we found the company helpful and courteous. If you keep sensitive corporate or small-business data on your PDA, buy this product and enjoy this product’s level of protection. Sure-Wave Mobile Defense doesn’t look like much, but it provides excellent data protection. If you lose your PDA, you can simply relax, knowing that your data will, indeed, self-destruct in 30 seconds.
Kaspersky Security for PDAs
$15.50 • Kaspersky Lab
sales@kaspersky.com
www.kaspersky.com |
Kaspersky Security for PDAs installs an Anti-Virus module and a DataSafe module. |
Kaspersky Security for PDAs offers antivirus and data encryption for a low price. You can create encrypted, password-protected files with the DataSafe module while the Anti-Virus module lies resident in memory. The program also lets you protect data on memory cards, information you hotsync or beam between your PDA and another device, in addition to your PDA’s built-in memory. And when necessary you can update the antivirus database via the Internet using your desktop PC.
The software drops two icons in your PDA’s Programs menu during installation. Tap the DataSafe icon in order to set up password-protected files and encryption. Load the Anti-Virus module to run virus scans. The installation also places an Anti-Virus Update icon on your desktop PC; use this to update the virus database on your PDA.
Unfortunately the program hasn’t kept up with the times. The DataSafe module only works with older OSes; if you have Windows Mobile 2003 or Palm 5.0, you can only run the Anti-Virus module, lessening the program’s value somewhat. We also had trouble with the Anti-Virus module. After we installed the trial software, we found that the security key to unlock the trial was not in the place the program indicated. In addition, the manual still refers to Windows CE, a term that hasn’t been in general use for years with regard to PDAs. (It actually refers to the system kernel beneath the Windows Mobile OS.)
Newer handhelds will benefit from the Anti-Virus module in this package. And for inexpensive, reliable encryption for older Pocket PC or Palm handhelds, Kaspersky Security for PDAs does the job. However, it’s likely that an older handheld capable of running this software wouldn’t have much in the way of built-in wireless networking or Bluetooth to begin with. Consider your needs carefully before purchase.
Utimaco Safeware AG SafeGuard PDA Personal Edition
$40.53 • Utimaco Safeware AG
(508) 543-1008
www.utimaco.com |
Getting Utimaco Safeware AG SafeGuard PDA Personal Edition up and running is simple; select a master password the first time you run it and you’re set. |
SafeGuard PDA Personal Edition offers a comprehensive encryption and secure user-authentication solution. It supports various methods of authentication, which include using passwords, numeric PINs, symbols, and even biometric signatures and fingerprint IDs (which certain HP iPAQ models support).
Utimaco Safeware AG has added several features to its latest version of SafeGuard PDA Personal Edition. You can encrypt your data at the file and application level, going beyond simple password access. There’s also a secure screensaver feature, which means the program will lock itself without you having to turn it off first. We had success encrypting data and individual files and found the process to be painless.
SafeGuard has a slick interface that’s easy to navigate, and its two applications, PrivateCrypto and PrivateDisk, are simple to understand. Other niceties include a password-protected screensaver, port-blocking for Bluetooth, WLAN (wireless local-area network) and phone functionality, ActiveSync security and support for storage cards, flash file store, and built-in memory. You can also use the program to lock the SIM (subscriber identity module) card in a Windows Mobile phone so that no one else can change it.
Overall, SafeGuard provides good value and works as advertised. We'd like to see some type of firewall functionality that prevents unauthorized snooping over the network; however, as it stands, no one will be able to read your encrypted data. Although JP Mobile’s SureWave Mobile Defense offers a wipe-data feature, SafeGuard’s slick interface and powerful encryption is worthy on its own merits and costs about the same. Check them both out before making your decision.
Conclusion
Now that the latest PDAs offer sophisticated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities, firewall and encryption software make a lot of sense. Consider using these products if you keep sensitive data in your
PDA. 
by Jamie Lendino
PDA Security Software
Securing your PDA is a fairly new problem. It’s only recently that hackers have begun to prey on these devices. It’s not really worth the trouble for the average hacker to break into a PDA just to steal your friends’ phone numbers (Paris Hilton’s infamous Sidekick hack notwithstanding). However, with the advent of hackers setting up evil twins and rogue access points in order to break into corporate networks, it’s only a matter of time before the sensitive data on your PDA is at risk.
We compare various features of each program we review in the main article in the chart below. We recommend a mix of firewall, data encryption, and antivirus protection for your PDA. It’s less expensive than securing your desktop and rapidly becoming just as vital. | Feature | Airscanner Mobile Firewall | JP Mobile SureWave Mobile Defense 3.0 Professional | Kaspersky Security for PDAs | Utimaco Safeware AG SafeGuard PDA Personal Edition | Verdict | | PDA protection | Desktop-level firewall protection for your PDA. | Port-blocking and data encryption but no active firewall. | Data encryption only (and only on older OSes) but no firewall. | Port-blocking and data encryption but no active firewall. | Only Airscanner offers true firewall protection. | | Data encryption | Not included in the firewall product but available in the Airscanner Mobile Security Suite. | Features comprehensive data encryption at the file and application levels, plus the ability to wipe data off the device entirely if necessary. | Basic encryption only with DataSafe; doesn’t work on newer handhelds. | Features comprehensive data encryption at the file and application levels. | SafeGuard PDA and SureWave Mobile Defense are your best bets. Airscanner has a separate module available. | | Antivrus protection | Not included with the firewall product but available in the Airscanner Mobile Security Suite. | None included. | A basic feature of Kaspersky Security for PDAs, and at the lowest price to boot. | None included. | Viruses are a new phenomenon with PDAs; consider virus protection. Note that Kaspersky works best with older PDAs. | | Attack logging | Airscanner offers comprehensive logging of thwarted attacks. | None included. | None included. | None included. | Airscanner has full attack logging similar to desktop PC firewalls. Others offer alerts after invalid login attempts. | |
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