Identity Finder

Frequently-Asked Questions

For any questions about Identity Finder not in this frequently-asked list, contact the Information Security, Policy, and Records Office.

Table of Contents

Macintosh Questions

What is Identity Finder?
Identity Finder software helps individuals and businesses prevent identity theft, by finding and securing personally identifiable information (PII)—like Social Security Numbers, credit card numberss, bank account data, and passwords—stored in files, emails, web browser data, and system areas. Once the data is located, owners have the option to shred the information, quarantine it to a secure location, or protect it through encryption.
How often should I run Identity Finder?
It depends on how often you work with sensitive data. If you work with such data frequently, you should search frequently. Departments may set guidelines for faculty and staff. Searching for sensitive data is an ongoing process.
Can Identity Finder search my Mac?
Yes. Download the installer file: Login with NetBadge, select Identity Finder, and follow the prompts.
How can I search my Linux/Unix machine for highly sensitive data?
While Identity Finder can be used to search for sensitive data on Linux/Unix machines, the configuation for doing so is difficult. Download and run Sensitive Number Finder (SENF) or SSNFind.
What changes have been made to the UVa version of Identity Finder?
The configuration of UVa's version of Identity Finder has been tweaked to make it search more comprehensively for personally identifiable information (PII). Visit our default configuration page for more information.
What sensitive data can Identity Finder locate?
Credit card numbers, bank account numbers, Social Security Numbers, passwords, dates of birth, driver's licenses, personal addresses, passport numbers, telephone numbers, employee IDs, mother's maiden names, user-defined types, Australia Tax File Numbers, Canada Social Insurance Numbers, United Kingdom National Insurance Numbers, and United Kingdom National Health Service Numbers
Will it constantly re-find the same files that have matches?
Yes. Once having found a file with specified search terms, Identity Finder will continue to report the same file. However, if “Use search history and only search new or modified files” is checked, then Identity Finder will not scan files that are unchanged since the last scan.
Where can I ask a technical question?
You can email technical questions to support@identityfinder.com.
Where can I ask a question about UVa's license?
Email your questions about the UVa Identity Finder license to it-security@virginia.edu.
Can I get a copy of Identity Finder for my home (non-UVa) computer?
Yes. Students, faculty and staff may purchase a copy of Identity Finder for home use at a more than 50% discount off the vendor's normal price. You must purchase the home editions through a secure ITC website; log in with your NetBadge credentials. You will also be required to provide an email address ending in @virginia.edu. This offer is not available for the Mac version of the software.
What happens if Identity Finder freezes while searching?
Locate the Identity Finder log of the search that caused the halt, email it to support@identityfinder.com, and make sure to cc: it to it-security@virginia.edu.
How fast does Identity Finder search?
It depends on the amount of data and the number of matches found. The more matches found, the more slowly Identity Finder searches. A thorough initial search will speed up all subsequent searches.
What are the minimum system requirements?
Identity Finder Enterprise Edition requires Windows Vista, Windows XP with Service Pack 1 (SP1), Windows 2000 Professional with Service Pack 3 (SP3), or Windows Server 2003.
How does Identity Finder search remote computers?
Identity Finder uses Windows File and Printer Sharing to establish a connection to a remote Windows machine.
Why can't I look at the log file while the search session is active?
When the logs are encrypted, you have to close the session before you can review the log file.
How does Identity Finder address programs and memory, and how does that affect the searching of large files?
Identity Finder uses IFilter for most programs, so that the native API (Application Programming Interface) of the program can be used to search for sensitive information. Identity Finder needs to have a contiguous block of 128 megabytes of memory for searching files—hence the file size limitation of 128 megabytes. If you manage a file server, search the server based on file size to determine the existence of large files. Identity finder version 3.4.1, currently downloadable from ITC, is configured not to search files larger than 100 megabytes. To search databases, you can use the Database tab in the Where to Search Ribbon.
Identity Finder scans of Excel files saved in pre-Office 2007 versions are not displaying positive results for SSN even though I know there are SSNs in the file. Why not?
Nine-digit numbers with no dashes or spaces formatted in cells as General, Text, or Number saved in Excel files prior to the Office 2007 version will not be shown as SSNs in Identity Finder results. The same file saved in the Office 2007 format will find and report the SSNs.
Version 4.0 of Identity Finder, scheduled for release in early June 2009, will fix this problem by avoiding reliance upon third party filters.
To update how Identity Finder searches for SSN in these files, apply this Microsoft Hotfix; more information is available from Microsoft

Macintosh Questions

Is there a Mac OS version of Identity Finder?

Yes, there is. It is not as full featured as the Windows version, but nevertheless performs a scan for sensitive data. It allows for remediation of the data within the preview pane of the application.

Note: The Mac version of Identity Finder will not run on non-Intel based Macs. For non-Intel based Macs, please follow the instructions below using the Windows version.

Instructions for searching non-Intel based Macs.

  • Intel Mac users who have Parallels Desktop or VMWare Fusion may install Identity Finder for Windows into a Windows virtual machine, and then mount their Mac disk volume to be searched and cleaned from inside their Windows virtual machine. Consult the Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion documentation for disk mounting instructions. (Note: Windows Vista is available to Agency 207 employees via the University's Microsoft Campus Agreement; Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion are available commercially.)
  • Mac OS X computers can be configured for sharing over a network as SMB (Samba) drives. Identity Finder running on a Windows computer can scan mounted SMB drives, including properly configured Mac computers. Get further instructions for scanning a Mac SMB share with Identity Finder
  • The Beta Test version of Cornell's freeware tool Spider for the Mac is available for download directly from Cornell. Although it effectively locates files containing personal information, Spider takes a long time to run and is more difficult to use than Identity Finder.

I'm using Identity Finder on my Mac. Are there any Mac-specific issues I need to be aware of?

Yes. Identity Finder versions prior to 3.4 do not search in directories containing files without filename extensions (e.g. .doc, .html, .xls, .pdf). (See below for background on why this is important.) The version currently available from UVa is 3.3. Version 3.4 should be available after 4/10/08. From within Identity Finder you can confirm your software version or check for updates. To confirm your software version, click on the Identity Finder button (blue dog's head in the upper left of the Identity Finder window) and click the "About..." button. To check for updates, click the Tools and Options ribbon, and then click the Check for Updates button.

Background: Files created in Mac OS 9 and earlier did not have filename extensions by default, and it is possible to override the Mac OS X default and save files without extensions. If you have files created by pre-OS X versions of Mac OS or have intentionally removed extensions from your OS X file names, Identity Finder will not search these files or any other files sharing a directory with them. (Note: Filename extensions may be present but hidden from display; to show filename extensions for all files, choose Finder > Preferences and click Advanced, then select Show all file extensions.)

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