I like how the local lock includes emergency information; you can enter commonly called numbers (parents, spouse, friends) and health information such as allergies and past medical conditions, all of which could be crucial if you were in a serious accident.

Operation
The local lock is initiated from the main Warden screen, or from the Treo's side button if you've enabled that option. Local locks can also be triggered when the Treo is powered off, at a specific time of day, or after a certain amount of inactivity, depending on your settings.

The remote lock is triggered by a text message, sent either from another cell phone or from the Lockmytreo.com Web site. This message has a specific format, detailed in the software's manual, which must be followed precisely. I was able to lock my Treo using a cell phone, but it did take several tries due to mistakes with the message format.

The manual says that the code word, which defaults to WardenSecurityForTreo, can be changed to something easier to remember, and that the default will continue to work. I did change the code word, which made using a cell phone to lock much easier, but the default does NOT continue to work. As a result, I was no longer able to lock my Treo through the Web site, which sends a text message including the default code word.

I see this as a bug with the software, the Web site, or both. Until it's repaired, I suggest deciding whether you're more likely to use someone else's cell phone or the Web site to initiate a remote lock rather than assuming you can easily use both.

Depending on the message you send, the software can merely lock the Treo, or it can destroy all data on the device, the card, or both.

When I sent the message to wipe my memory card, the Treo locked as per usual but seemed to hang. My 2GB card is over half full, so I can understand it taking a while to delete it. But the software took four minutes to post a "please wait" notice and was then accessible immediately afterward. Posting the notice first would make more sense.

Once the card was wiped, the software initiated a hard reset. As that was proceeding, the initiating cell phone received a confirmation text message informing me of the "kill" success. This was surprising, as I hadn't sent "kill" (wipe both the card and the device), I'd sent "card." In the end, it did only wipe the card. Interestingly, it left the folder structure intact while removing all data files.

The full device wipe was successful as well. The Treo was returned to factory default with the exception of the driver for my wireless keyboard and Warden itself.

Summary
A program with the ability to erase data from your Palm needs to be flawless in its execution and utterly trustworthy. Warden didn't do anything I didn't expect, but the incorrect confirmation message and the glitch with the messaging code word made me uncomfortable, as did inconsistencies between the manual and the actual software screens. Still, these are minor concerns when viewed against the strength of the software and the ease of keeping your valuable information out of inappropriate hands. Warden receives a rating of four.

OUR RATING: 4 of 5

For more than 20 years, David Gewirtz, the author of Where Have All The Emails Gone? and The Flexible Enterprise has analyzed current, historical, and emerging issues relating to technology, competitiveness, and policy. David is the Editor-in-Chief of the ZATZ magazines, is the Cyberterrorism Advisor for the International Association for Counterterrorism and Security Professionals, and can be reached via email at david@zatz.com.