Siber Systems' RoboForm 6.7 is a password manager and Web form filler. It stores your usernames and passwords for all Web sites, as well as your profile information for lengthy Web site user registration forms.
Installing RoboForm is simple. The application integrates directly with Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), and options are available to integrate with other browsers. When I opened IE, the RoboForm toolbar appeared under the address box on the left side of the interface. I clicked the RoboForm button to fill out my personal information in the Identity Editor. You can decide what information to enter, and you can return later to edit it. I entered my personal, business, address, and credit card information, and even bank account information.
I felt somewhat hesitant about entering this information, but I was reassured when I clicked the Protect button and the dialog box displayed a message that RoboForm was using the AES encryption algorithm. AES is considered the most powerful encryption algorithm available today, and RoboForm uses it as a default. RoboForm also gives you the option to choose among the Blowfish, RC6, 1-DES, and 3-DES encryption algorithms for storing user-specific information. Another security feature RoboForm offers is that it doesn't use keystrokes to populate the fields, which reduces the chances that a keylogger can hijack information as a user enters it.
All personal information, including usernames and passwords, is stored locally. The specific information necessary for each Web site you access is saved as a Passcard file. All files are encrypted and therefore unreadable to anyone without the Master Password, which is created immediately. Be mindful that if a user forgets the Master Password, the stored information in the Passcards can no longer be accessed.
I tested RoboForm's functionality for filling out forms and username/password features on Amazon.com. I wanted to see how RoboForm simplified the registration process for a new account. Amazon has a relatively short registration procedure, but it went even quicker as RoboForm automatically filled in the email address textbox and birth-date drop-down lists when I clicked on my profile in the toolbar. Then, I logged out of Amazon.com and logged back in with the new credentials. A RoboForm dialog box asked whether I wanted to save the username and password it had entered during the Amazon registration process. I clicked Save, and the information was saved into a Passcard file. I went through the Amazon logout/login process once more to see how the auto-fill functionality worked. It worked perfectly, without my having to do any additional typing.
I then tested RoboForm on a more complicated form. I went to the PayPal Web site to request a new user account. The new account page required my name, email address, mailing address, and multiple phone numbers. RoboForm filled in all the appropriate fields and required only one click from me.
RoboForm's ease of use and robust security make it an excellent solution for users who need to manage many Web site passwords and lengthy Web-site registration information.
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