While identity theft has always existed in one form or another, this Internet-connected world makes it easier for the bad guys. Antimalware works, but there are times when the next layer of security—biometrics—are called for.
As the OEM supplier of fingerprint software to Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and Dell, DigitalPersona, Redwood City, Calif., has a solid background in biometrics. DigitalPersona Personal 4.0 is the latest version of the company's suite of identity-protection software for individuals and business users.
Available in a standard version with a free swipe-style fingerprint reader, we evaluated the Premium version, which adds file protection and an easy touch reader.
Installing the application is quick and unremarkable, with the fields prepopulated to the usual default settings. After installation, the computer reboots and launches a wizard to enroll fingers into the database.
Enrolling fingers is easily done by clicking on the respective finger of the appropriate hand on the on-screen diagram and gently touching the finger to the window of the reader. The reader's eerie blue glow flashes red for a moment, and the scan is complete.
The entire process happens almost instantaneously. The wizard requires that you repeatedly scan each finger four times to get an accurate sample. In addition, it recommends a minimum of two fingers per user be registered.
After setup was complete, the application launched and warned us that Windows didn't have a password (our test computer only had a domain password) and prompted us to create one. This is the only area where we ran into a minor issue with the program. At this point, the wizard launched and reviewers were prompted once again to enroll at least two fingers. Furthermore, the program automatically launched using the Windows user, and we had to manually start it from the Programs folder to log into our domain account. These were minor inconveniences, but a nuisance, nonetheless.
The included touch scanner is a pleasure to use compared to the swipe version that is typically found in most notebooks. Gently touching a finger to the reader is all it takes to trigger it. The real heart of the product, though, is the software, and DigitalPersona is intuitive in that area too.
Displayed with frames, the left side of the window is a menu of installed applications from within the suite; the right side shows the respective information and settings. The first application, Online Accounts, provides for account management. A second application, Security Check, gives a quick analysis of security status and password strength. The final menu item, File Protection, is an additional feature only available in the Premium version of DigitalPersona Personal. Essentially an encryption program, it allows the user to right-click on a file or folder in Windows Explorer and encrypt the contents.
A mandatory passphrase is also created, so as the application is uninstalled, the file(s) can be decrypted via an included recovery tool. The encrypted files icon is changed to a padlock on top of a document, and the extension .dpc is appended to the original's extension type. When the icon is selected, the user is prompted to place a finger on the reader, which will then unlock the files. This feature worked flawlessly and can be very useful in certain business functions (i.e., payroll). The only disappointing aspect about File Protection was that once decrypted, the file remains in that state until actively re-encrypted. There are also two easy-to-use shortcuts using the Ctrl and Shift keys in conjunction with a fingerprint, which are customizable within the program.
Despite the few minor complaints, we find DigitalPersona Personal 4.0 Premium to be a robust application with a nice feature set and believe it's worthy of a spot among the arsenal of other security necessities, such as antivirus and antispyware.
