Do you know how many personal information you have stored on your computer? And where? Most PCs are filled with documents and emails that may contain information like credit card numbers, social security IDs, passwords, email addresses or scanned certificates that are all there in plain sight and accessible by anyone looking for them.
The core problem besides the fact that the information are stored without protection is that most users have them scattered around on the computer’s hard drive. Places to look first are the documents folder and email clients, but there are other locations where information may be stored.
Identity Finder has been designed to prevent identity theft by scanning a computer for personal information. The findings are then displayed in the program interface to alarm the user of their presence, and tools are offered to deal with the information.
You can start a basic scan right away, use the search wizard to customize the search or load the advanced interface which enables the program’s full feature set. Identity Finder can locate credit card numbers, passwords, bank account numbers, email addresses, phone numbers and a variety of other information during searches. One of the program’s strength is the ability to create custom keyword searchers for information (like a name for instance).
Identities for additional countries (Australia, Canada and United Kingdom) can be included in the search as well. The standard scan processes all files in My Documents, email mailboxes and web browsers locations. Advanced users can add the Registry to that and custom locations that they want included in the search.
The time it takes to finish an identity search on the computer depends largely on the selected locations, parameters of the search and the computer’s performance. Scans not only look at file names but also inside documents to find personal information. Advanced search options are listed in the settings. Here it is for instance possible to include mapped network drives and shadow files in the scan, or to ignore certain file types that you do not want included.
When it comes to email, Identity Finder will search Outlook, Exchange and Thunderbird mailboxes automatically. You can enable additional programs (Outlook Express and Windows Mail), files (Outlook PST files) and mailbox files in the program settings.
You can also locate exact identity information during scans. Identity Finder can be configured to scan for specific credit cards, bank account numbers or other values of importance.
Search results are displayed in list form afterwards. A results wizard can be used to walk through each result individually. Actions depend on the location and type of information. Identity Finder can suggested to securely delete information (for instance emails) or to secure the file type (for instance a Microsoft Office document) to protect the information from third parties. Securing items usually means adding password protection to prevent unauthorized access to the files.
Secured files are kept in their original location. An alternative is the quarantine option to secure and move the file to another location and shred the original file in the original location, and the scrub option to remove the information from the selected file.
Identity Finder ships with a set of security tools that further enhance the program. Tools available include a password vault to store passwords securely in the program, a file vault to store files securely, a file shredder to delete files permanently from the computer or a browser security module which for instance reminds Firefox users to set a master passwords if they have passwords saved in the browser.
Scheduling and logging options are available as well. Scans can be scheduled to run regularly using the built-in task scheduler. Professional users can make use of the program’s logging and report generation features.
Feature Overview
- Find Credit Card Numbers and Passwords, SSNs, Bank Accounts, DOBs, Phone #s, Driver Licenses, Personal Addresses, Canadian SINs, Australian TFNs, UK NINO and NHS #s, and more
- Create custom searches using keywords or regular expressions
- Search browsers such as Firefox and Internet Explorer (Windows Only), files within the My Documents Folder, on local or removable drives, shadow volumes, previous file versions, emails and attachments, and the Registry
- Supports both common document file types such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe PDF, text, html, rtf, compressed files and all other file types
- Options to securely delete or password protect files, scrub information and to quarantine files are available
- Identity Finder integrates with Windows Explorer
- Results can be saved, printed or export as web page or CSV files
Verdict
Identity Finder Premium is an all-in-one program to find and secure personal information on a computer system. The ability to create custom search parameters, logging and reporting, along with multiple options to handle information that are found on the computer leave little to desire.
Interested users can download the free – limited – version of the program from the company website.
Giveaway
We have 14 Identity Finder Premium licenses for the giveaway. Leave a comment below to be included in the draw. Let us know what you would use the program for.
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Cool application, im discovering thanks to the review.
Will give a try to the free version while waiting for the draw and hopefully a win o a pro license.
Thanks for the offer.
something truly worth looking into. thanks for the heads up on this. I am going to try the free version and see what it finds. thanks for the info.
This looks like it could be very useful! Would love to give it a try!
Interesting program. Thanks for the write-up.
This is a very useful program that every computer user should have.
Identity theft is rampant and can cause serious problems once people’s personal information gets hacked.
Great product review, Martin! Count me in for a license.
Keep up the great work!
Identity Finder will search your hard disks for SSN, Credit card numbers, Passwords, Phone No’s, Email ID’s, and more such personally identifiably data which are vulnerable to hacker attacks and could be used to financially ruin you!!!!
nobody should be without one installed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Premium v would be the ultimate! gift ; ]
Kol
I’ll use it to make sure there’s no unencrypted identity data on my machine. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!!
Very useful indeed. I once got a portable PC from a pool and was so surprised so see so many personal data in temp folder…
Count me in please.
Protect my own privacy, preventing any misuse with my identity.
Please count me in Dear Martin. I like to have this software to track about my windows feasibility especially it’s weakness.
https://www.facebook.com/asrielrusdyawan/posts/126201444162664
https://twitter.com/#!/asrielrusdyawan/status/147628465615667201
THX, LJBU!
Just trying the free version but note it doesn’t check emails or attachments and only searches files in My Documents. So I’d love to have the Premium version which removes these restrictions.
OK.I don’t use online banking but often store user id and password in browser itself. Can it find that too? Also I have some file-folder encrypting software but who cares to password protect each and every folder frequently.Let us see what this tool can detect?I am in.
Thank You
It detects Firefox passwords if no master password is used to secure them.
Would like to try out this cool application.
Thanks!
I am hoping to win a premium license. I would use this app to see what compromises my identity and privacy.
Thank you for this review. I am always concerned with privacy-issues.
It should be really a useful tool for me!
Please, take me into account!
Lello.Siddi.
Thank you for this opportunity. I think this may be a useful tool, and I’d like to experiment with it.
I have info scattered across 4 computers. Would like to know where all my personal info on these computers resides these days.
well, looks like i wanna try his program as describe, may provide me more security, finding out sensitive information on my computer, sounds promising so eager to try it, really a great giveaway, hope to win one license, thanks alot……..
Have 20+ yrs of documents online, would be quite valuable to check how life has changed over that timeframe
It would be very helpful to me because I am very cautious about my security.
It is interesting. It seems like a very useful application. Thanks.
Thank for this giveaway please count me in! I would like to use this software to search for my left behind data which still can be trace on my computer and got it eliminated to prevent it being stolen or exploit. Please count me in!
https://twitter.com/#!/CoolCrackerz/status/147672705913733121
Cool program I will try the free or trial version later. I had lost several important data on my computer hope with this can help me recover them. Please include me in this giveaway.
https://twitter.com/#!/coolng1990/status/147673026618593281
Thank you for such awesome giveaway :)
Morning Fellow G-Hackers!
This Program looks Marvelous. I will try this program for myself and if it works as advertised; then, I will recommend same to my friends; neighbors and colleagues!
Thank You,
TheRube
Thanks for this Giveaway.Please count me in.
.Hope i win one of the license key.
I haven’t tried that soft yet but i want to try it.
After years of bank, ccard and other transactions would like to know what is on my computer.
I just try the free ver…..but… It doesn’t check my email…only search result….pro ver.. woud be ultimate option…..great product review….. plz count me
I didn’t hear yet of this program. I’m always in for trying.
What I would do with the program? Let it scan my PC to see what personal data it reveals.
I would so love to have this!! I do lots or online purchasing and paying bills that I can definitely put this to good use. Please consider me!!
I’d like to let this one scan all my computers to see what it can find.