By Aubrey Stewart
eWallet is a nifty Pocket PC application developed by Ilium Software that allows you to safely store sensitive information such as credit card numbers and computer system passwords in an encrypted format on your Pocket PC.
Tales from the encryption
Being, by nature, a bit paranoid, I decided to look into the encryption format used by eWallet before I entrusted it with all my important data. The version currently shipping, eWallet 2.0, employs an RC4 56-bit encryption algorithm that permits approximately 72 * 1015 quadrillion possible keys to protect your data. I configured my eWallet to only allow three incorrect guesses before locking me out for 30 minutes, so I figure my data is pretty safe.
For those interested in more security, Ilium has recently gained permission from the U.S. Government to incorporate 128-bit encryption into future versions. In fact, if you go to the Ilium Web site at http://www.iliumsoft.com/wallet.htm, you can upgrade your existing copy of eWallet after certifying you're not a resident of a terrorist-sponsoring nation. That's some rather spooky stuff but more than enough to convince me my data is secure.
Easy to use
The software is laid out quite intuitively, and I was able to quickly load all my information without ever looking at the user manual. eWallet comes pre-configured with categories for credit cards, identification cards, passwords, personal data, pictures, and travel data, but you're free to create your own categories. Once loaded, eWallet displays your information as small versions of the actual cards, right down to the little MasterCard or Visa logo. See Figure A for an example.
FIGURE A
eWallet displays your information as small versions of the actual cards. (click for larger image)
You'll like eWallet. In a world of exponentially exploding passwords, account numbers, PINs, and the like, this program restores order to the chaos.
Aubrey Stewart is an Engineering Senior Manager at The Boeing Company in Huntington Beach, California. He owns a Compaq Aero 1550 Pocket PC and can be reached at astewart@surfcity.net.
