With so much to keep in your head these days, there is no way to do it without a very secure data access/safe program. In my opinion, one of these programs is a must have on the BB. While these programs are sometimes thought of as password safes, they are really data safes. Both of them securely save your data such as passwords, serial numbers, access codes, and web logins, and enable you to quickly get to them on both your desktop and your Blackberry. Both DataVault and Cryptmagic have a simple, effective interface and easy of use on the BB. The DataVault desktop is more eye catching, and offers more features on both the desktop and BB. This review is based on Cryptmagic v3.81 and DataVault 3.53. Ascendo DataVault can be obtained here for $29.95 and you get 10% off with the code "STIN4590" when you order directly from Ascendo, and can also be installed from your BB by going to http://tinyurl.com/33r7pl, , see their FAQ for more info. Cryptmagic can be obtained here for $34.75. SplashID can be obtained here for $29.95. The following discussion compares Cryptmagic and Ascendo DataVault. Both have trial versions available that each last for a few days. I have not tried SplashID on the BB but I did have it for my Palm years ago. I no longer can recommend Minisafe, but that is another choice out there. There is a comparison table at the end of this page, and screen shots so you can see some of the detail. Cryptmagic has been my workhorse for about a year now. Why? - Tree view search on the BB takes me to the exact record and shows me the fields immediately. This has been my number one reason for using it. DataVault on the other hand has not only caught up with them, but seems to have passed them. Why? They give you options, and generally options means personal preferences. In my non-scientific tests with my 235 entries, DataVault is slightly faster on the BB, assuming you choose the search method "By 1st Character" and not "On String" as explained below. DataVault also has the better desktop right now. DataVault has a more comprehensive user guide also that describes the features of the program. The Cryptmagic guide is more about installing and export/import. Overall Security and Sync Both Cryptmagic and Ascendo DataVault use Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), the same method chosen the US Government’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) while SplashID uses the weaker Blowfish encryption method. There is a debate about entering your password when you sync. Cryptmagic doesn't make you do it and that avoids keystroke loggers. Of course if you are worried about keystroke loggers, you probably wouldn't use the desktop. DataVault does make you enter the password, but from their way of thinking that’s ok. Without the master passwordentry, someone stealing your laptop and BB, can't do a sync. DataVault will not ask for the password if the program has been started on both the BB and the desktop. DataVault is synchronized in both directions which can lead to entries for which all fields do not match. The user can resolve these conflicts manually but that requires displaying the information from both records in a dialog box and then asking the user which of the two is correct. Displaying information on the screen without the user having provided a password would be a security risk in their view. To insure maximum security, both Cryptmagic and DataVault do not store the password anywhere in the application. When the user selects a password, the encryption algorithm transforms it into a chain of characters that is stored. To start the application again, the user enters their password, the application runs it through the algorithm and if the result matches the stored value, the application starts-up. DataVault and Cryptmagic use the password and the encryption key to store new data. You cannot decrypt the data without the password. For DataVault, the synchronization process requires the user to provide the password to derive user data, resolve conflicts, then re-encrypt and store the data. For Cryptmagic, they rely solely on the sync process without a password.
The Desktops Cryptmagic offers only a Tree View, with the data on the right side, as shown below. Cryptmagic doesn't offer a List View for the desktop like they do for the handheld. DataVault provides a Tree View and List View on the desktop, and you can easily switch between the views with button on the top. From either Desktop, you can Auto-fill a username and password into a web page if you have it set up correctly in the desktop program. With DataVault you can actually import these items from a web page. You get a right click option to "Save to DataVault" when you hover over a password field on the web. This makes sure you get the data into DataVault in a manner that you can successfully launch it the next time. If you are not using the auto-fill, one of the best features of the desktops is the button next to each field to copy it to the clipboard. This saves the drag to highlight and keystrokes to save. I love this feature. DataVault's already robust desktop would be even better if they allowed the user to move the data file like Cryptmagic does, and they provided a clear button for their quick search, and also trimmed the tree view as you entered data into the quick search. Each of the programs has an organization method to the data that relies on categories (business or personal), types or templates (credit cards, airline info, etc) and items containing fields (detailed data regarding an item). Cryptmagic offers 10 custom fields and DataVault offers 20 in addition to the Item Name and Notes field, but in reality I have never even used 10 fields myself. You may need them for your line of work. Cryptmagic's terminology is categories, templates and items while DataVault calls them categories, types and items. Think of an item as an individual record with fields. In Cryptmagic, the templates are reusable so that you don't have to reenter the field names. DataVault also has reusable templates for the types so you don't have to reenter field names and you can have multiple templates per type. DataVault comes with 20 pre-defined templates, and it’s a breeze to add more as you like. These are easy to create and modify. This allows a little more flexibility in that for each type in a category you can have different templates, whereas in Cryptmagic you would be creating an additional template. You will have to study the screen shots and try the programs to understand this. Cryptmagic's Tree View for the Desktop shows categories, templates and items in the tree on the left and the fields on the right. In this screenshot the items are not being shown, but my cursor was on the item for Blackberry Forums as that is the data shown on the right. You can expand and collapse the template view under any category. I only have items in a personal category shown. Cryptmagic doesn't offer a list view on the desktop. Note how you can mask fields.  When you hit the Find button in Cryptmagic, a floating dialog box pops up that facilitates searching. When your items are found using the “search on string” method, the tree view shows only those items that match the search criteria. So if five items have "black" in them only those five templates show in the tree view on the right. While I love how this search works, I wish Cryptmagic would allow docking of its search bar. I often find it not where I want it.
DataVault offers two desktop view choices, the similar tree view but also the list view on the bottom. Note I have use Quick Search to filter the items, and DataVault uses the "search on string" method, so any data containing the word "black" was identified. I think this would be cleaner if the types without a match are not shown in the tree view. Filtering has been added to the Tree View. If you look at the List View below and see how items that don't match are not shown, well the same should happen in the Tree View on the desktop in my opinion.
The List View below is filtered also and I have hidden all of the fields except the first field to protect my data, but you can show a few fields in the List View. Note that I have resized the screen shots below and you can drag to adjust column width and sizes.  Handheld View In these programs, you access your data with a master password. In both programs, you have the option of having it masked or not. Cryptmagic offers a delayed logout option that I really love. Often you accidentally log out, and want to go back. This feature allows you to do this without retyping your password so long as it's within 5 seconds. So if the Delta Airlines clerk has messed up frequent flyer number, you can go back in quickly and repeat it to them. Both have a user selectable security timeout. The view on the BB is very flexible with Cryptmagic and DataVault, offering a Tree View and List View. With DataVault you have a number of customizable options here. You can choose the search method. For example if you choose "On String," searching on "License" brings up "Driver License". You can also choose "searches on 1st character" so the only way to find "Driver License" is to type "Dri..." Searching on 1st character is easier and less CPU intensive, so DataVault gives you an option. Cryptmagic uses the search of 1st character method, while DataVault has given the user a preference to select search method on "1st character (default)" or "On String." DataVault also gives you an option of called View Item, and what that does is if you enter letters when you hit an exact match the program either "automatically" shows the item and all the field detail, or "manually" where you have to hit enter to see the detail. I love the "automatically" method as I most often use this when I need a piece of data like my Delta number. I use this method because it's fast and effective. I usually know what information I need. DataVault offers some nice BB personalization options like Default View (Tree, List, Last) and Exit Alert (Show, Don't Show). DataVault has a unique BB feature that allows you to have a master password reset and wipe all the data if you forget both your password and the hint. For Cryptmagic and SplashID, you would have to uninstall the program to do a wipe. The icons in these programs are nice but they are pretty small on the BB.
Cryptmagic Blackberry Device Views
 Tree View Search  List View Search  View Item Screen  Options (note the last 2)
 Icons
Cryptmagic and Ascendo allow importing into the desktop from other programs or data files. Quite frankly be prepared for issues if you have a lot of data to import where you have custom fields etc. I have 235 items and the templates vary quite a bit. The process of importing can be time consuming but once it's done, it is easy to maintain good data. You should also be aware that if you export to a .csv or .xls file, this will export your data unencrypted into a plain text file to your hard disk. Have a file shredder handy to destroy that file. I use one from Analog X. Multiple PC's The ability to install the desktop program on other PC's and copy over the data file is a tremendous benefit for me. For example, I synch on my office laptop, but keep copies of the data files on my home PC's for easy access. The Cryptmagic install will work with or without the RIM Desktop Manager installed. You can put the Desktop Manager on all your PC's and use it to synch these programs only if you want too. DataVault will also run on two PC's. Comparison Chart Features Comparison Matrix for Data Safes January 2007
This chart was compiled by Ascendo and commented upon by Cryptmagic with final edits by Stinsonddog.
(1) Conflict Resolution for Synchronization. Cryptmagic doesn't appear to have this feature. No dialog box pops up during syncing. (2) Speed Search When you start the DataVault desktop and BlackBerry client the cursor is in the Search Field. As soon as you type a letter (1 + X keystrokes) the list reduces to only the items containing that letter(s). As soon as you match 1 entry, the full record appears on the Desktop panel. You automatically see the list of matching entries so the chances you have to repeat the process are minimal. Total Keystrokes = 1 + X The Cryptmagic Desktop requires you to click on the Find button (1 keystroke), enter character(s) (1 + X keystrokes), then you have to Click Ok (1 keystrokes). Since there is no List View on the Desktop, you don’t see the records matching you entry in real time, you have to click Ok. This means you may have to repeat the process (Y keystrokes). Total Keystrokes = 1 + 1 + X + 1 + Y On the BlackBerry, Cryptmagic starts up with a “search by 1st character” method. This is different from the Cryptmagic Desktop which is a “search on string” method. So if you type “s”, you don’t find the sample entry “BB Sample Entry”. You have to type “B”. This way is confusing and you are much less likely to find your entry using “search on 1st character” than “search on string”. Fast lookups is the key to using this type of product every day. The difference between finding an item in 1-2 keystrokes or 5-8 keystrokes has a huge impact on usability. (3) Types In Cryptmagic, each Category can contain Templates, but they seem to be the same thing as Types meaning that you can’t use different Templates with a Type. For example, if you create a Type called Credit Cards, you may want to use a Template called Visa or MasterCard. In Cryptmagic you have to create a template for Visa and another for MasterCard and you lose a level of classification. (4) Change field labels on the fly. In the Cryptmagic desktop, you can edit the available fields and then you use a drop down to select the field names for a record. Last updated 2-1-07 for DataVault |
