Craig Crossman photo Craig Crossman
National Newspaper Computer Columnist

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ID VAULT PROTECTS YOUR ONLINE INFORMATION

You're about to enter in your user name and password to access your bank account information, perhaps to make a transfer or check your balance. But how do you know that website you're looking at in fact belongs to your bank? You feel confident it is because you bookmarked it before or you typed in the address yourself. But with today's sophisticated malware that can redirect your browser without you knowing it, for all you know that website could be a phishing site that's waiting to steal your password. And that's just one of the many hazards out there waiting for you.

Thankfully there are things available that can protect you. It used to be that malware such as computer viruses and the like were there just to bog your system down or even worse, erase all your data. But today's malware doesn't want you to know that it's there. Because it's no longer the geeky teenager playing a prank. It's organized crime that's trying to steal your money and now they can do it without having to wave a gun in your face.

One of the ways you can protect yourself is by not keeping your passwords on your computer. Yes I know that your web browser can conveniently store all of your names and passwords so that when you go to that website, it's automatically entered in for you. Unfortunately that can leave you vulnerable if your system in infected with spyware that's designed to find that information and send it to the bad guys. ID Vault is one such product that uses some very clever and sophisticated technology that keeps all your sensitive information off your hard drive. The ID Vault works much like one of those flash memory sticks that you plug into any USB port. It looks like a little padlock. You just press on the hasp and the USB plug pops out. After you plug it in, the ID Vault uses its own memory to store all of your name and password information inside of it and its encrypted. When you're done, simply remove it. Now if the bad guys go looking for your stuff on your hard drive, it just isn't there.

Along with the ID Vault is the ID Vault subscription service that provides complete access to the company's Trusted Network of over 7,500 financial and shopping websites. If your are diverted to a phishing website, the ID Vault will know it's not legitimate and prevent you from entering in your name and password information. A phishing website may look perfect but it can't be physically located at the same address the real website resides. Those real website addresses are continually being maintained and updated by the ID Vault Service so that if a legitimate change occurs, you won't be left out in the cold. And if you are diverted or you click on a link within an email that claims to take you somewhere, your ID Vault will be watching to insure that you're where you are supposed to be. The ID Vault can also be used with non-financial sites as well. In fact, it works with any site that requires a name and password.

The newest 2008 version of the ID Vault can now store user names and passwords for up to 100 online accounts and information for up to 25 credit cards. If you have more than those limits you can use more than one ID Vault. You can, for example, use one for only the shopping sites you frequent and another for banking. You can even use an ID Vault to back up another ID Vault in case it's lost or destroyed.

The purchase price of $39.95 includes a 12 month subscription to the ID Vault Service. ID Vault works only with Windows XP and Windows Vista.

www.guardid.com


Craig Crossman is a McClatchy-Tribune newspaper columnist writing about computers and technology. He also hosts the nation's longest running nationally syndicated radio talk show on computers and technology, Computer America, heard on both the Business TalkRadio Network® and the Lifestyle TalkRadio Network®, weeknights at 10PM Eastern time.  Visit his website at http://www.computeramerica.com

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