Review: Centurionmail 3.0

For: Excellent little encryption tool for on-the-fly encryption of email, files and attachments

Against: Not realistic for enterprise use

Verdict: Nice product for individual use or very small organisations. Inadequate management capabilities for larger enterprises.

Encrypted emails are assigned a password and a password hint for the intended receiver. This product can also shred and encrypt files and attachments. A password manager allows the user to keep common contacts and passwords organised for simple one-click encryption.

Another useful feature is the way the recipient unencrypts the email. While most products of this type require extra software to be installed, this one is completely self-contained and needs no additional downloads.

CenturionMail is simple to install and easy to use. Installation is done by clicking on the executable, and it takes just seconds. Encrypting email is also very simple and takes just a few clicks of the mouse.

While this product is great for personal use, it falls short for an enterprise deployment. There are no means of centrally managing the clients or deploying clients throughout a network. We also found that installation requires administrative privileges as the installer is an executable.

There is a simple HTML help file/user guide provided with CenturionMail. This details installing, configuring and using the product in a clear and well-organised format. We also found the step-by-step instructions with labelled screenshots to be helpful in illustrating specific settings.

Standard email support is included with the purchase of the product. An enhanced support package is available for multi-user packs and Licences. This package includes free upgrades for one year and priority technical support. CenturionSoft also has a small area on the website that includes a few FAQs and a forum.

With a price starting at more than US$59.95 per user this product is slightly below average value for the money in an enterprise environment. While the vendor does offer licence packs starting at five users, it is still a deployment and management nightmare.

However, this would be a great tool to have on your personal notebook, especially for road warriors who send sensitive material back to home base.

security