CNET Editors' review
You're probably familiar with online data storage sites that promise to store your critical data securely, but do you really believe your data is totally safe when it's in someone else's hands and online, too? And are you sure that your computer's Internet connection is totally secure from intrusion and even attack? Common sense suggests the answer to both questions is "No," and that's the rationale behind MyInfosafe. It creates an encrypted, password-protected "personal data warehouse" that stores your important documents and data securely in your PC, not online. It does much more, though, such as creating simple but easy-to-understand financial statements and storing your family's health records.
After creating our user ID and password, we logged on to MyInfosafe. This program offers considerable support, including a help-oriented toolbar with an online help link and video tutorials, Tips and Hints, and a handy calculator. From this same toolbar, we could save our data and either log out or exit the program, access the extensive Services menu, and open the Settings page, which let us change the look and feel of the interface as well as set data backup options and USB pen drive settings for MyInfosafe's portable backup feature. A menu entry labeled Family Member displayed our account name, which was the main user account, but we could also set up personal MyInfosafe repositories for others. The fastest way to access MyInfosafe's many features is the left-hand navigation panel, which we could switch to the right-hand side with a click. Surprisingly, we couldn't expand and contract the "tree view," though we could remove entries via the Settings page. The program's main categories are My Information, My Life, My Finances, and My Asset Repository. Each has numerous subcategories, except for My Life, which has but one, a life-planning tool called My Goals. Clicking on any entry called up its page view in the main window; for instance, clicking Contacts under My Information let us easily enter contact data, while clicking Appliances under My Asset Repository gave us a place to enter data about major home appliances, as well as attach documents and images.
We found MyInfosafe easy to use and packed with extras, such as a Digital Diary, easy Reminders, and the ability to back up data to a portable storage device such as a USB drive, which also means you can take your critical health, legal, and financial records with you when you travel, safely encrypted. MyInfosafe is free to try for 30 days and costs just under 30 bucks, which is certainly cheaper than a lot of the trouble it's designed to prevent.
Editors' note: This is a review of the full version of MyInfosafe 2.2.1. The trial version is limited to 30 days.
Publisher's Description
From Personal Information Management Ltd:
Think of myINFOSAFE as your personal data warehouse. In one secure application you can store your personal information (things like your education details, your employment history, key documents, user IDs, health information). Why do you need this software? Do you think your information is safe on your PC? Think again. Experts can access your PC via the internet and view your files and personal information. Protect yourself by keeping personal information in this digital vault. All information you enter in myINFOSAFE is encrypted using 192 bit encryption. Keep your affairs in order and accessible for your loved ones. If the worst happens and your family is left to administer your estate--is all your information in a place so that people can find it? myINFOSAFE is that place. You can also create a simple income & expenditure and net worth statement to understand your financial situation. Why buy MYOB, Microsoft Money or Quicken if you do not need all the functionality in these applications. Also keep a track of information around your investments, banking and insurance. You can store information about your personal assets to ensure you have the information you need in one secure place, to manage them well. You can keep a record of your personal and family Health events so you have a personal health record. There is also a section to record your thoughts and memories in a simple digital diary. You can back up myINFOSAFE and all your data to a USB key and take it with you when you travel or are at the office.
What's new in this version: Version 2.2.1 improved the registration process, home page video, Video Tutorials, and usability.
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All versions:
4.1 starsout of 19 votes
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Current version:
4.2 starsout of 4 votes
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My rating:
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Results 1-4 of 4
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"I have found this more handy than I thought I would."
Version: MyInfosafe 2.2.1
Pros
It has been great to have a place to safely store all sorts of information that I previoulsy had all over the place.
I can keep the software launched in my system tray and I can access info when I need it.
Best PIM tool I have come accross as it is more than a contact manager/address manager. It really helps you manage all your personal info from finances to assets to health.Cons
Would like to be able to define my own fields in some areas but can work around this.
Summary
I am not yet convinced of security around the cloud and would not store my passwords, PIN numbers and other important info in the cloud. I think myINFOSAFE is a great way of keeping my information organised and secure on my own PC.
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"Buyer Beware: A Waste of Money"
Version: MyInfosafe 2.2.1
Pros
Encrypts data, can be useful to begin constructing your own personal collection of private data
Cons
Horribly inefficient interface that is unintuitive, complicated, and poorly designed (seems to be little more than a simplistic .NET program), unable to add custom groups, $30 is far too pricey for this (I got it for $10 and still feel it was overpriced)
Summary
A program I have called "KeePass" does everything this program does, but for free, and it is far more usable from a GUI standpoint. The inability to create custom groups is a huge hindrance, and the lousy Data Grid view is about as inefficient as you can get when entering data. This piece of software seems to be the work of a lone programmer looking to make a quick buck. No thought seems to have been put into creating a usable workspace, and the limitation to specific fields makes for a very unfriendly program.
Honestly, I created an Access database backend with a frontend user interface that works better than this program does. I was hoping for more from a program I paid for, but I guess $10 isn't terribly bad. Still feels cheap, and users should beware of this software which is archaic, outdated and poorly coded. -
"I have found this app a bit like a swiss army knife."
Version: MyInfosafe 2.2.1
Pros
I can organise all my important personal information in one app. It has replaced several other separate apps I was using for passwords, finances, home inventory and health records. I can keep info on my kids in here as well.
Cons
The USB back up is good but I would like to eventually see the ability for a remote back and web access to my info. But not for all the really sensitive stuff I have in here. I want that to stay on my PC.
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"Loved this piece of software"
Version: MyInfosafe 2.2.1
Pros
It has saved me from the frustration of not being able to find passwords to my online accounts when needed
Cons
can't think of one at the moment
Summary
Amazing product that offers great advantages to me (passwords), and my dad (finance, his health history). I wish to see more added to this in future. Best of luck
Results 1-4 of 4
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