ZoneAlarm was launched as one of the earliest and best-known firewall applications for Windows in 1995, quickly becoming one of the oldest and most renowned firewall applications to date. Over the years, its scope has expanded considerably – now offering anti-virus protection, ad and spyware detection, an instant messenger filter to stop cybercriminals transmitting personal information over popular chatting protocols, antiransomware functionality to detect and recover encrypted files as well as block new attacks bypassing antivirus protection, as well as scan all incoming/outgoing network traffic for suspicious activity – all combined together into an impressive package!
This program is relatively self-contained, featuring a straightforward user interface with just a few settings to configure. A series of icons in the top-right corner – Scan, Update, Tools and Help – allows for quick or full antivirus scans as well as system diagnostics, Game mode toggled (for reduced alerts during gaming) and support center access. In addition, clicking “Update” notifies you if new updates for ZoneAlarm software become available and, should there be any available, trigger a scan if required.
ZoneAlarm’s antivirus capabilities are very strong, receiving a perfect score in the AV-TEST Fake Positives test and excellent scores on both AV-Comparative and AV-Test Performance tests. Furthermore, its latest edition uses Sophos rather than Kaspersky engines and uses machine learning algorithms for malware detection – an innovative move which significantly lessens resource requirements when running the program.
Anti-phishing technology warns you if a website you visit could be dangerous, while identity theft protection utilizes a database which checks credit card details against it. Furthermore, firewall protection shields outbound threats while public Wi-Fi networks remain protected; and an email security module scans both incoming and outgoing emails for malware, phishing attempts and spam to provide an anti-spam filtering function.
Notable among ZoneAlarm’s security features is its anti-keylogger technology. This protects you against thieves capturing keystrokes for identity theft purposes – an invaluable feature that ensures complete protection.
Unfortunately, the program can sometimes take time to respond to alerts and can even render your PC unusable in extreme cases. Luckily, our knowledge base contains several solutions that may help.
Customer service at this company is also quite respectable, with an online forum and 24/7 live chat option. A subscription is necessary to use their chat and email support, with paying customers receiving priority when it comes to getting an answer from their support team. Nonetheless, free users may still contact them through an online form by filling out your name, email address and product version number; plus they are members of the Better Business Bureau as well.