(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
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One test |
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
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Average |
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
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Average |
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Performance
ZoneAlarm's publisher, CheckPoint, sources its virus detection engine from Kaspersky, but adds its own antispyware detection. In terms of threat detection and removal efficacy, independent data isn't available yet for the 2010 version. According to virus and malware detection results at AV-Test.org, ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2009 scored better than average but not in the upper percentiles on malware detection, removal, response times, and only average on false positives.
In my empirical testing of scan times, I noticed that the quick scan was extremely fast--it took less than 30 seconds. The full scan was fairly quick, too, taking about 20 minutes. The two deep scans that are available scan all data on the computer including archives, and appropriately they both took upward of 90 minutes.
CNET Labs' benchmarks revealed that ZoneAlarm lags behind many of its competitors in most of our tests. ZoneAlarm Security Suite 2010 added more than 14 seconds to the boot time of the test computer, while ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2010 added more than 19 seconds. The impact of the programs on shutdown times was less dramatic in both cases, with the Security Suite adding just over four seconds and Extreme Security adding just over two seconds.
In our basic scan test, Security Suite was only 20 seconds slower than the fastest engine we tested, Kaspersky Internet Security 2010. Extreme Security clocked in at 1,261 seconds--481 seconds slower than KIS. Security Suite notched 555 seconds on the Microsoft Office test and Extreme Security hit 576 seconds, compared to the baseline of 483 seconds. The iTunes decoding test showcased a small range of scores, between 194 and 197 seconds compared to the baseline of 187. Security Suite 2010 scored 195 seconds, and Extreme Security finished in 196 seconds, but Extreme Security was 34 seconds faster than Security Suite in the media multitasking test. Our Cinebench test, where higher scores are better, showed Security Suite at 4180 and Extreme Security at 4184, compared to the baseline of 4217.
Support
The poor design problems that plague the features of ZoneAlarm also befall its support access. Clicking the Help link in the bottom-left corner of the program window only opens a locally based help system. If you go through the Product Info link below the Overview nav option, there's a link under Support and Update Information that should take you to the Check Point Web site, but the link wasn't working in our version.
From the Web site, you can access Live Chat technical support during daytime hours, the support center knowledge base, user forums, and FAQ. A premium support service costs an additional $49.95 that allows a technician to remotely fix your PC.
Conclusion
There's a lot that people can get out of ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2010, from its competent antivirus and firewall systems to ancillary system tools to an installation that is quite user-friendly. However, usability flaws create an unnecessarily steep learning curve, the program has a lot of room to improve on its performance, and average users will probably find the support system frustrating to access. Give ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2010 a pass unless you're a ZoneAlarm fan.
What You'll Pay
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