Pass2Go; the mobile version of RoboForm is well worth the money...
Written: Apr 26 '06 (Updated Apr 26 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Does what it says; protects and mobilizes your personal information/passwords
Cons: Would be nice if it fully covered your tracks
The Bottom Line: Pass2Go is a great mobile password/personal information manager. Easily recommended!
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| ivplay's Full Review: Roboform Pass2Go Portable Password Manager for USB... |
Let's face it; more and more people travel more and more of the time, and with the increasing dependency on computers as a communication medium there is a need for public computers. Whether you are on the computer at the internet café while enjoying a coffee or using the business lounge in your hotel, more than likely you are signing onto your favorite websites, checking personal and business emails via the web and possibly setting up the itinerary and buying the tickets for your next trip. All of these actions require a cookie, password and personal information, and Pass2Go is here to help you not only remember your passwords but keep them from going public.
Pass2Go is the mobile version of the popular RoboForm, reviewed here by member and Category Lead NC10. While the core capabilities of Pass2Go and RoboForm and similar if not identical, there are some benefits to each program depending on your purpose for purchase. RoboForm is a client application that can be run on only one computer, and therefore at the core it is a password and personal information manager. While Pass2Go exists for the same reason, it really shines for the constant traveler, keeping their information safe on a USB key, either previously owned or purchased from Siber Systems, the parent company of both applications. I will discuss the capabilities of the program first, and then explain why this is close to ideal for the privacy-minded multiple computer user.
System requirements
Before purchasing and installing any software application, please check the system requirements. If your PC doesn't at least match the requirements (and preferably exceed them) don't buy the app. In the case of Pass2Go, there are no system requirements posted that I could find. That being said, a USB key is obviously required, as is a compatible OS and browser. Pass2Go is compatible with Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP and Server 2003. All of the above need to be 32-bit versions, as I couldn't find information indicating that a 64-bit version is available at this time. Compatible browsers include all of the usual suspects except for Opera. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Mozilla and Netscape browsers are supported as well as skins for IE such as Maxthon and Avant. AOL and MSN browsers are supported, but the look and feel of the toolbar may be limited.
Purchase/Installation
I personally haven't noticed this application (or RoboForm, for that matter) in my local computer outlet, but that isn't to say that you can't find it in yours. If upon reading this review you decide that the application is for you, I recommend that you click on the Compare Prices tag here or at the top of this page to purchase. If you wish, you can also go the following site to obtain 30 day free trial, after which you can buy the app for $40:
http://www.roboform.com/pass2go.html
If you do not own your own USB key, a 64MB key can be purchased from Siber Systems for an additional $9.95. Other than the fact that this key will have the Pass2Go logo emblazoned across it, it is probably in your best interest to spend a little more money and buy a bigger drive. I recieved a review copy of Pass2Go from Siber Systems to test out and run through the paces, so let's get started!
The application download is a 2.38MB executable file that will either run or save to your PC. During the installation process you will be prompted to select which removable drive to install Pass2Go to. If you have a previous version of RoboForm on the host PC, the application will ask if you wish to transfer the passcards, identities and safenotes over to the removable drive as well. Another checkmark will make the drive Auto-Run, meaning that when you insert the USB drive into a port the computer will Auto-Run the application and start up Pass2Go. A final tick will change the name of the USB drive to Pass2Go, and the icon for the drive will change to the familiar suitcase/robot icon that will appear in your system tray when Pass2Go is running. During the installation Pass2Go will ask for your name, e-mail address and method of referral, all items that you can fill in as you go. Also completed during installation is the Master Password entry, which allows you to password protect all the information on the drive. Until the Master Password is entered, Pass2Go will not function even if the drive is inserted and the app is running in the system tray. Choose one password to remember and enter it here. This will protect your information while only having to remember one single password.
Once the app is installed, you are ready to go, so long as you use IE or a skin variant. If you are using a separate browser such as Firefox, Mozilla or Netscape you will need to download and install the universal adapter to activate the toolbar. This download is another 2.4MB executable, and upon running the app the extension is installed and you are good to go.
Utility of the app; What's to like?
Now that the application is installed and running what can you expect it to do? The touted benefits of this application are as follows:
● Memorizes your passwords; logins occur automatically
● Fills registration and checkout forms with one click
●: Strong AES encryption of personal data and passwords
● Generates random passwords
● Defeats phishers by filling passwords only on matching web sites
● Bypasses Keyloggers by not using keyboard to type passwords
I will briefly discuss each of these options below to give you a flavor for what you can expect with Pass2Go. For general information, I have used this application on several computers ranging from work computers to others' home computers to public terminals, all with great success. I have had no problems using this with Firefox, IE v.6 and 7 and the Maxthon skin over IE6. In all cases it was easy to setup and run and I do feel that my information is safe from prying eyes.
Password management
The program at heart is a password manager, although it has evolved well beyond those original bounds. Once you have inserted the USB key into the host computer, the application will either start right away or require you to explore the folders and click on the executable. I had a minor problem on one computer where the drive didn't immediately show up, but that was not Pass2Go's fault. The computer already had several mapped drives and Windows tried to map the USB key to an existing drive letter, requiring me to go to Disk Management and change the mapping. Once this was completed I was able to explore and start the app. Again, this is not Pass2Go's problem but rather a shortcoming of Windows, but something to keep in mind.
Once the app is running, opening IE will result in the Pass2Go toolbar along the top of the browser window (by default this is the top, although it can be customized to show up at the bottom as well) while opening any other supported browser will require the extra step of installing the universal adapter. Start surfing!
As you make your way around the internet to your favorite websites, financial institutions and email servers, plug in your username and password. For websites such as Epinions I uncheck the box for remembering password information on the computer and hit submit, which is when Pass2Go jumps into action. The application realizes that you are submitting information to a website using forms and asks if you would like to save the information as a Passcard. Asking the app to do so will create the passcard/favorite link that you can use later. You will remain signed into the site so long as you leave the browser open, while closing out the browser or unplugging the USB key will sign you out and take your user information with it.
At a later date (perhaps on a different computer) you can sign into your favorite sites in a variety of ways. One way to do this is to direct your browser to the sign-in page for the site, at which time the passcard button on the toolbar will show the passcard name associated with the site in question. Hover your pointer over this box and a popup appears asking if you would like to Fill Form only or Fill Form and Submit. If a phisher is trying to get your personal information by using a masked page, the passcard button will not switch to the site in question, thus keeping you from inadvertently giving out your personal passwords and whatnot. This is a nice safety feature.
Another method of signing onto your favorite website allows you to do so without having to point your browser at the site in question. With a browser open you can click on the Pass2Go button which opens a menu full of items, one of which is logins. By mousing to this area you can choose the name of one of your passcards and click it, at which time Pass2Go will navigate to the correct site, input the required information and submit the page. Voila, you are signed in! The user can adjust settings such that Pass2Go will navigate the currently-open web browser page to the site or open an entirely new window/tab in the browser to navigate from. Either way, this is the method that I prefer to use.
The reason I generally use this method is that some public and private computers have what is called a keylogger installed. These programs monitor every keystroke that the user inputs and record them for others' to analyze. If you are at work and your employer uses a keylogger app, they know exactly where you surfed to; something I don't think my employer or a motel owner needs to know. Using Pass2Go to input this information seems to be somewhat more secure, although there are shortcomings to this method that will be discussed later…
Each passcard can be edited in case you accidentally submitted the incorrect information. If you input the passwords incorrectly, for instance, you could simply submit and ask Pass2Go to re-save the data. There is also a passcard editor that allows you to do this manually, although I haven't used it much. Within the editor is a very useful tool that allows you to display and print all of your passcards so that you can keep a hard copy on file, just in case your USB data was corrupted at some point. Also available is an encrypted email service that allows you to ship your passcards, identities and safenotes to someone else for their use. I honestly don't know why one would use this, but it is available…
Identities
Don't you hate it when you go to sign up for a service, website or other online information grabber and you have to input all of your data each time? Some folks get around this by creating accounts on websites for future purchases and whatnot, but I try to shy away from this. If you want to know why, look up the keywords "Egghead.com +hacked" sometime… Anyhoo, with Pass2Go you no longer need to type in all those forms with the appropriate data, as you can save the information in the form of an identity. Multiple identities can be saved, thus allowing you to tailor what information you submit per the identity or to allow for multiple users of Pass2Go to use the same key. I have used this feature several times for online purchases and I really do like it. Pass2Go has had a 100% success rate of inputting the correct terms in the correct box in my experience. I don't use this feature nearly as much as I do the Passcards, but the convenience of it makes the cost of the application worth it, in my eyes. The fact that you can do this on a public computer without the information being stored locally is just gravy.
Safenotes
Safenotes is Pass2Go's method of helping you store all of those important snippets of information that you use offline in a handy, easy to access format. For instance, if you have a hard time remembering birthdays, ATM codes and software activation codes, here is your chance to store that information securely. I used to have a spreadsheet with all of my software activation codes, WPA keys for wireless routers and ATM codes included. I kept this on my USB key for easy access, but now with this feature I can access them all directly from Pass2Go. How many times have you ordered something online but your wallet was in the car with your credit card in it? When they want the three digit code on the back for security purposes, I now don't have to make the run to the wallet, or worse yet call my wife at home where I left my wallet. The information is secure and available thanks to safenotes.
Password Generation
Pass2Go comes with a strong password generator that I thought I wouldn't need to use. Then I went to work. The IT department has every app we use that is financial in nature set up with frequently expiring passwords that will not allow variants of older passwords. Enter Pass2Go. I can now generate a password custom tailored to my needs, save it to a safenote and if it is a browser based app set up a passcard with it. I also recently set up a new account on a website and rather than use a pre-existing password I generated one, filled the form using Pass2Go and then saved it as a passcard. To tell you the truth I have no idea what the password is, but I have it securely saved on the USB key and in a hard copy format via the display-and-print feature!
Search
I don't personally use it much, but Pass2Go has a search feature that is actually pretty powerful. There is a search field where the user can insert the terms desired and then hit enter. By default the search tool will return a Yahoo search with the input terms, but the user can modify this to default to Google as well. There are many other variants of the search available including the ability to search all RoboForm files, go to www.[inputterm].com or search dictionary sources, etc. I seldom use this as I am in too much of a habit of browsing to Google.com for my search needs, but it is a well-designed and flexible tool for those who don't already have a habit formed.
Backup
So, you have all this information that you have saved over the course of a few months or years, and you are worried about losing the USB key or having data corruption problems; what to do? There are two choices with Pass2Go, one of which has already been mentioned. The user can choose to display the information collected through Pass2Go and print a hard copy of it, thus having a copy on hand at all times. While this is a great safety net, it also would require the user to retype every single item in the Key were lost or the data were corrupted. In case of this eventuality, Pass2Go includes a backup and restore utility that allows the user to save an encrypted copy of the data to a different drive. In the event of a lost key or corrupted data, simply load Pass2Go on a new key and select restore. Your information is safe and secure, and it doesn't require retyping.
So what is lacking?
There are some significant features which could be added to the Pass2Go that would increase its' usefulness, in my opinion. As this key is designed to keep your passwords and personal information off of host computers, it seems to me to make sense to cover your tracks completely when you log off. A big improvement with this would be to copy the Favorites, browser History, offline Cache and Cookies folders over to the USB key and delete them from the host computer. When you login on a separate computer or re-login on the same computer, it could then copy the same information into the appropriate files for your usage. This may not seem like such a big deal, but if the goal is to keep personal information off of a computer, this would go a bit further to realize this goal. As it is, when I log off of a public computer someone with the know-how can access the sites I have used, any offline cache stores and the cookies used from my surfing experience. I don't think it would take much code to affect this change, and it would allow the app to tout total hiding of tracks… Plus your favorites, history and cookies would follow you to the next computer! It should be noted that there is a way to do this currently through using Portable Firefox in conjunction with Pass2Go, but for the vast majority of users who run IE it would be good to have this option as well.
Overall
Pass2Go is a great program for storing and transporting your passwords and personal information from one PC to the next. With a grand total price of $40 (plus the cost of the USB key) Pass2Go is most definitely worth the cash. I have had no problems with the application whatsoever, requiring no tech support at all. If I do run into problems there is a fairly extensive FAQ on the website to assist me, although a user forum would be nice as well. While the portable cookies/cache/history/favorites aren't required, I think it would be a small addition to increase the overall utility of the application. Even without this, I highly recommend this for computer using travelers on the go.
Recommended:
Yes
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