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InformationWeek.com December 18/25, 2000
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Jawz Offers Data Security For Palm Devices

Datagator encrypts information and includes simple but strict password management

By Matthew G. Nelson

More on wireless security:

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  • TechWeb: Certicom Readies Wireless Security Product (9/15/00)

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    P rotecting data on mobile and wireless devices is a serious concern for IT managers wondering who might get access to sensitive company information if the devices are lost or stolen.

    Jawz Inc. last week introduced a new application that could help. DataGator encrypts all data on a Palm OS handheld device. To decrypt the data, users must log on with a password every time the device is turned on or is reinstated after being in sleep mode.

    Jawz has integrated password management into the software that is strict but simple: If users lose or forget their passwords, they lose their information, too, unless the IT department has made specific allowances for lost passwords in the DataGator configuration,.

    "It's a little heartless, but that's the way to go," says Bob Raymond, product manager for Jawz. "Our default is to be the most secure possible. That means there's no back door for a hacker to call up the IT department and trick them."

    The DataGator system uses 448-bit Blowfish or 168-bit triple DES encryption algorithms and operates on any device using the Palm OS, including Handspring's Visor, IBM's WorkPad PC Companions, Qualcomm's pdQ Smartphone, and Symbol's SPT 1700 and 1740.

    Protecting information on mobile and wireless handhelds is paramount, says Niclas Areskog, a consultant and programmer for Nocom Integration AB in Sweden, which develops banking applications. "As Palm does more services like banking, you have to have a solid security foundation," he says.

    DataGator comes in three versions. A standard version encrypts the four most-used Palm OS applications: Address Book, Date Book, To Do List, and Memo; a Pro version encrypts third-party apps on the Palm OS. An Enterprise edition can be configured to meet a company's specific needs.

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