Review: Power Logon

For: Centralised password-management tool that boosts password security
Against: Awkward management interface, password management only
Verdict: Although it does not quite reach our benchmark, this is a strong product for managing passwords

The problem arises when the user writes that password on a Post-it note and sticks it somewhere; so now it does not matter how secure the password was originally, because everyone can see it.

This product puts all the user’s secure passwords in one place on a smartcard, so that the user only needs to remember one password to access the card.

We found this product to be of average ease of use. Setup is simple, you just install the software, administration tools and a reader on the administration machine, and the software and card readers on client machines.

However, this does require an administrator to go to each machine and physically install what is required. Depending on the size of the environment, this could be a daunting task. Administration is slightly more difficult. We found the management interface awkward and at times tricky to navigate.

The reason this product fits well into identity management is because it is more than just your average password manager. The system itself is completely managed by the administrator. When a user is assigned a card, the administrator builds and authorises it specifically for that user.

This custom card now houses all the user’s proper logon credentials, which can be centrally managed by admin and IT staff. It is this extra step that ensures the user does not get credentials they may not need. This product can also pull credentials from Active Directory in an existing infrastructure for easy account management.

Documentation is fairly extensive and includes a set of guides for both password manager and administrator.

Access Smart offers comprehensive support. Technical support can be reached by phone and email 24/7. There is also a support area on the website that includes updates, driver downloads and documentation, as well as an FAQ section.

At almost £63 ($142.25) per user, this can seem pricey. However, we find it fairly good value because it really focuses on a major security issue in user ID management.

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