Review: Sprite Terminator

This week we will be delving into the world of security with a comparison of several remote lock/wipe platforms for Windows Mobile. First up for Review is Sprite Terminator. We're also going to take a look at Warden and mSafe. Did we miss one? Let us know in the comments!

What is your data worth? What is the worst case scenario if your data is stolen? These are the questions often asked by security experts. Ask yourself, how bad would it be if my phone got stolen? Do I have bank accounts or social security numbers? Is there proprietary information on my memory card? What would I do if my phone was stolen?

Sprite Software is well known in the Windows Mobile world for Sprite Backup, one of the premier backup solutions for Windows Mobile. A quick browse through their website shows that their focus is on utilities for data protection. Their Terminator software is designed to assist you in the event of your phone getting lost or stolen. What does it do? Keep reading to find out.

Setup

Sprite provides a simple setup wizard to configure Terminator. The first step is to define a password that will be used to authenticate any incoming commands or for configuration changes. This password is separate from the device lock password. Options to message a “Partner Device” or lock the device when the SIM is changed are readily available. Partnered devices are SMS capable phones owned by friends, family or coworkers that you are allowing to send commands to your device. You can also optionally configure Terminator to allow commands from non-partnered devices. GPS functionality allows you to track your GPS enabled phone as well. This functionality is actually pretty cool as it can reply with a link to Google Maps or Virtual Earth.

Execution

Sending commands to your phone is as simple as text messaging from a partner device. All messages follow the “spritecmd [password] [command]” format. Commands range from “query” for returning a log of recent calls and SMS messages to “wipe” which performs a hard reset on the device. Keep in mind that once you wipe it, all other functionality goes away, meaning you can’t use the GPS functionality or anything at that point.

One thing to note is that if the phone is hard reset once Terminator is installed, all bets are off. One the one hand anything on the phone is wiped, but anything on a memory card is fair game. If you’re concerned about this I would recommend encrypting your memory card.

I did have a problem getting Terminator to work on my Samsung Blackjack, the resolution from Sprite’s support desk was to wait until the new version comes out in a couple of weeks. Using my AT&T Tilt, I was able to get the GPS command to work without much effort (very slick), but a simple lock command replied with a “Lock received, lock failed” message.

Conclusion

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p>The biggest hesitation that I have is the fact that the software doesn’t seem to work consistently. I recommend in the strongest of terms that you try before you buy. You can find a trial version or purchase the full version ($14.95) from Sprite's website. If it works on your device, I have no reservations.

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What do you think? Are there enough features for you? Is anyone actually using Terminator on their device? Are there any competitors to Terminator that you would like to see reviewed and compared? Let us know in the comments!