Javont Vault

What will happen to your data when you die? Even if you have a lawyer and a last will and testament that accounts for your material possessions, how likely is it that the information won't be up to date? What will happen to your savings accounts, miscellaneous retirement accounts, and the code to your safety deposit box? Desktop software Javont Vault ($39.99) pulls together all your material and virtual properties and saves them securely in a place that only a person with your Social Security number will be able to crack. We at PCMag have been debating whether using an SSN as a login is safe, as it definitely elicits a knee-jerk reaction. See the section on Security below for more.

Price and security make a winning combo for Javont Vault. First, in a world that's moving to the cloud, and thus monthly service storage fees, it's refreshing to come across software that charges you once and only once for a product. No upsells. No add-ons. You buy it, you own it, the end. Second and also related to Javont not being in the cloud, this program stores all your data locally on your computer, never even connecting to the Internet, which means you never have to worry about a leak or hack on Javont's side. And?bonus?Javont Vault includes a 1GB USB memory stick that can house an exported copy of your information. What better way to encourage users to back up than to just give them the components they need to do it?

How Javont Vault Works
The $40 Javont Vault ships on disc for Windows only (XP, Vista, Windows 7). One minor downside of avoiding the Internet for security is that your computer must have a DVD drive to install the application, which could be a problem if you rely on a disc drive-less ultrabook. Additionally, to make use of the included USB stick, you'll need a USB port, too.

Javont encourages users to hit the Internet just once for product registration, although the only thing you miss out on by skipping it is notification of software updates and 90 days of included product support. Unregistered copies of the software aren't entitled to product support. ?The choice is yours.

During set up, the software prompts you, as the primary user, to enter your social security number as your "security code." The idea here is that your next of kin will at least have your social security number and thus be able to unlock your information that's securely stored in Javont Vault. Once you enter your social security number, you cannot change it.

Of course, this poses a major challenge for anyone who doesn't have a U.S. social security number. U.S. bias shows up in other areas of the software, too, as I'll point out later in this review.

Security?
Locking Javont Vault with a SSN left me wondering if that was secure enough or if it might even be entirely unsecure, seeing as someone with a keystroke recording device could easily nab my SSN when I log into Javont Vault. For the purposes of testing, I simply made up a nine-digit number. There's no way for Javont Vault to know whether you use your actual SSN. Still, I was surprised to be able to log in with only my fake social security number, without two-factor authentication. Additionally, I would think that my next of kin should be required to enter something more than just my nine-digit number to unlock my Javont Vault, such as my birth date, full legal name, or a secret question?something my next of kin would surely know after I'm dead and in an urn.

According to the product information, data entered into Javont Vault is compressed and encrypted each time you close the application. Whenever you exit the app, it shows you on screen a little window indicating that it is compressing and locking up your data.

What You Can Put Into the Vault
As you first set up Javont Vault, you're prompted to enter first the people in your life, such as a spouse, children, and "other." Each person appears in a log with their name, birth date, social security number (which is required to save a user, and thus another instance of U.S. bias), and their relationship to you the primary user.

After that fateful day when you perish, whomever is in charge of unlocking your Javont Vault will need that clear identifying information about people who mattered to you for doling out your riches (or perhaps passing on your debts).

When you've finished entering important people, you can navigate through a row of tabs at the top of the simple and compact software for banking, investments, retirement, insurance, physical property, household bills, memberships, and file cabinet. Each tab offers additional options. For example, physical property includes real estate, valuables, safe deposit boxes, and post office boxes. The selections cover a comprehensive amount of stuff you might leave behind, more than I'll ever have, sadly.

Every time a new asset or account goes into Javont Vault, you're prompted to fill out several required fields to make sure that you're not leaving your next-in-line people guessing what was what?the location of the safety deposit box, the insurance policy number, even the username and password for the utility bills.

U.S. Bias
One problem I noticed? is that for certain entries, "state" is a required field, which prevented me from creating an appropriate entry for the villa in Catalu?a I pretended I owned. Javont Vault also had trouble with my phony Swiss bank account, and the safety deposit box that I hide at my fake Uncle Artie's sugar shack in Ontario. And as I mentioned earlier, if one of your family members (or you) don't have a Social Security number, you're out of the Javont loop. Anyone with assets and interests outside the U.S. will have a lot of trouble with these requirements.

The last tab in the list is called File Cabinet, a catchall place for your miscellaneous stuff, from passwords to personal documents. The File Cabinet could theoretically be a loophole for entering non-U.S. information?just file it in the File Cabinet instead of the section where it really belongs. I don't like workarounds, but I sure as hell will seek them out when necessary. What's missing from this section is an upload button. You can't actually upload scanned documents, an oversight for sure, seeing as you can upload images of your valuables in the Physical Properties tab.

Who Needs a Lawyer with Javont?
I have reviewed a few other general purpose digital filing cabinets, including as Neat Cloud and Doxo, and must say that I really like that Javont's design takes into consideration how your next of kin will unlock your virtual vault to actually access the information they'll need.

The only real sticking point for potential Javont Vault users is the U.S. centricity. If some of your family members, properties, or investments reside overseas, you might find the package doesn't meet all your needs. Otherwise, it's a solid solution to a tough problem, at an affordable price.

More Personal Software Reviews:
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