Advantages: Free, easy to use
Disadvantages: None

...of gaining access to other computers is the use a Trojan horse program. This is where a piece of innocent looking software is installed that has a hidden element (the Trojan horse), which the user is unaware of. The Trojans then actively invite hackers into your computer. The use of a firewall can help combat this problem. This is where ZoneAlarm comes in. It is free to download and use for private home use. When in use ZoneAlarm effectively sits in between your computer and the Internet. It is like a big filter that will only let data through which you specify. How ZoneAlarm works ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Zone alarm is based on a system of trust, where you tell ZoneAlarm which of your programs you trust, this is done as follows; The first time each program on your computer tries to access the Internet, a ZoneAlram dialog box will pop up... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Free, great interface, easy to use
Disadvantages: not all features available on free version

...Stop hackers and protect your online identity. If you connect to the internet then you need ZoneAlarm. I think its the best there is when it comes to keeping the outside out. Nowadays its essential to have good protection on your PC its no longer a case of you might get a virus or hacking attempt but when or if you use the internet a lot how often. What is ZoneAlarm ZoneAlarm is a firewall. Think of firewalls as gatekeepers. All messages coming in or going out are carefully screened to meet certain select security criteria. When installed, a firewall exists between your computer and the Internet. The firewall lets you request web pages, download files, chat, etc. while making sure other people on the internet can not access services on your computer like file or print sharing. Products ZoneAlarm comes in different versions from... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Basically everything
Disadvantages: Basically nothing

...Another email from McAfee.com today - a new virus that is causing even more chaos around the world. As a consumer, a home user, you are probably unlikely to get too many viruses coming through to your system, as it is the big international companies that the virus-makers target. However, with more and more people using email, there are potentially more and more chances of catching something. Firstly get a virus checker from the likes of Norton and McAfee, then think about a firewall… I am not going to sit here and say to you that I know everything about viruses etc and about how firewalls work, I just know mine does! Zonealarm can be downloaded free from their website www.zonealarm.com - if that does not work just try a search engine, it will definitely come up - takes a short amount of time to download, takes no time to install... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Free, reliable, very useful
Disadvantages: can be a little difficult to use at first

...which was dedicated to making professionally built firewalls. The site was about the ZoneLabs' anti hacking software called ZoneAlarm. This software was downloaded free from the site. The ZoneLabs' firewall stops any incoming traffic that shouldn't be....such as a hacker. When ZoneAlarm detects a breach, it shuts off all ports and doesnt let any information in or out. This way the hacker will basically think that he hasn't got anything on the other end of the IP address. ZoneAlarm also stops pings from people, if not websites. If the firewall notices that the computer's IP address is being scanned, it puts the computer into "stealth mode" meaning that it is not visible to the IP scanner. ZoneAlarm offers the user the security while online while letting the user use any internet based programs such as messenger, music download... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Great all round protection at a great price
Disadvantages: None found

...I've been a Norton Internet Security user for a few years now, but it's getting kinda expensive now I find it tends to be a bit of a resource hog. I noticed that Zonealarm Internet Security Suite had gotten one or two good reviews, so I decided to give it a try. Here's what I've found so far: My previous experiences of ZoneAlarm have generally not been good ones. I've seen a few PCs messed up by the free firewall and have memories of constant firewall pop-ups asking for permission for this, that and the next, and so have avoided it as much as possible over the last few years. With all this in mind, I was very dubious about all the praise that had been heaped on the Internet Security Suite, but, OK, I thought, they give you a free 15 day trial, so let's give it a go. I'm about a week into the trial now and so far have been very... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Great internet protection, for free
Disadvantages: Nasty looking GUI, but you get used to it

...machine, track what things you do on your PC, take copies of work you do and is also used to connect via your machine to internal networks. This is especially dangerous for businesses. The similarities between the two are quite big, but spyware is generalised towards the concept of the hacker 'spying' on information (that's how I see it anyway) Both trojans and spyware can find its way onto your PC via email attachments (perhaps viruses) or maybe even untrustworthy software that is installed on your PC. So be careful what you download, or where you get software from - and try to get a virus scanner such as Mcafee Virusscan or Norton Antivirus. These tend to detect trojans that may come in contact with your PC. ZoneAlarm (finally!) Now that you have your virus protection (which is an essencial addition to your PC... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Keeps your computer secure from attacks
Disadvantages: None so far

...Just because you are not connected to the Internet 24/7 it doesn’t mean that your computer cannot be attacked. You may think that because you only log on for a couple of hours a day the chances of someone else getting inside your machine are nil. Forget it because from the second you log on to the Internet your computer is wide open to anyone who wants to try. You’ve got rid of all the “Spyware” on your system with Ad-aware and now you want to keep your machine ‘clean’. The way to do that is to install a Firewall that blocks all unauthorised access to the Internet by your computer and vice versa. Visit http://www.zonealarm.com/ and download their latest Firewall called ZoneAlarm 2.6 that is free to private and none profit organisations. The 2.7MB package is compatible with Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Full PC Protection!
Disadvantages: None!

...found that Zone Labs ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite generally seemed to be regarded as the best. The latest version, ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2008, is an all-in-one internet security system. The program includes an OS & network firewall, anti-virus & anti-spyware protection, program control, e-mail protection, parental control and identity theft protection. The firewall has a 'SmartDefense Advisor' feature which allows it to quickly learn the users preferences via a series of security alerts. The anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall all un silently in the background, and alert the user at any sign of intrusion. The user can decide to manually act on these intrusions, or program ZoneAlarm to automatically deal with the situation with the minimum of fuss. The e-mail protection automatically scans all incoming e... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Too many to mention, a highly valuable piece of security software that is COMPLETELY FREE!!
Disadvantages: None

...ZoneAlarm is without a doubt one of my best friends. In this world of increasing threats from “cyber-terrorism” and other nasties, it’s up there with your anti-virus software in the front line as a means of fighting back. So what is it? Well basically it’s a small piece of software known as a firewall, and in its simplest format, sits between you and the internet making your computer invisible to the outside world. Another feature is that whenever you open a program that accesses the internet, ZoneAlarm intercepts that program and asks your permission to allow the program to go online. Regular programs such as Internet Explorer and Outlook Express can be given permission to always access the internet unhindered. Think about it for a moment. How many programs do you think require internet access... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Does the job: Anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, etc in one
Disadvantages: Ocasionally screws-up and needs reinstalling, forgets to delete old logs / TMP files

...it gets too full. The second tab in "E-Mail Protection" is to select which types of attached files you do & don't want Zonealarm to Quarantine. PRIVACY This bit consists of "Cookie control" (to adjust which types of cookie you want to block from accessing your computer), with options of Off/Medium/High. "Ad Blocking" - options of "Off" (allows all cookies), "Medium" (Blocks all "pop-ups", "Pop-under" & Animated Adverts) + "High" (as medium, but blocks all banner adverts too).... I think this can sometimes cause problems when viewing the webcams over @ Earthcam.com (even after uninstalling zonealarm). "Mobile Code Control" - blocks javascripts, embedded objects, things like that. Tab2 = "Site list" (lets you choose which sites you do & don't want to accept cookies from). Tab3 = "Cache Cleaner" - Deletes everything from your "temporary... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful