ZoneAlarm 6.5

CNET editors' rating: 4.0 stars Excellent
Detailed editors' rating
Setup and interface: 8.0
Features: 9.0
Performance: 0.0
Service and support: 8.0
Overall score: 8.3 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 12 reviews
• See all user reviews

Product summary

CNET editors' review

• Reviewed by:
  Robert Vamosi
• Reviewed on: 06/05/2006
• Released on: 06/05/2006

Looking for a free personal firewall for your personal PC? Checkpoint ZoneAlarm 6.5 provides three layers of protection. ZoneAlarm guards at the Internet gateway so that intruders don't get in, on the desktop at the program level so that bogus programs don't connect to the Internet, and inside the operating system kernel where rootkits and other malware can hide. Gamers will appreciate a new option which quiets the pop-up messages from ZoneAlarm while you are in the midst of playing a full-screen adventure game. Wisely, ZoneAlarm's makers haven't changed the program's clean and intuitive interface. Features such as Firewall and Firewall Logs run down the left side of the screen, with premium features such as antivirus and antispyware protection grayed out. But all is not yet perfect within ZoneAlarm. Pop-ups remain an issue, flashing whenever you restart your computer as various processes and services request control. You can ask ZoneAlarm to remember your decision to allow or deny access, but many readers have complained in the past that ZoneAlarm remains "noisy." ZoneAlarm does provide a tutorial; while helpful, it is still more of a marketing tool than one that provides information. However, the built-in help file is excellent, thorough, and very specific, effectively balancing detail and clarity.

See more CNET content tagged:

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User reviews

• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 12 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars Write review

• Showing 3 of 12 user reviewsSee all 12 user reviews

• 4.5 stars

  5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

  "Excellent product"

  by mlimtiaco on August 30, 2006

  read more

• 5.0 stars

  3 out of 4 people found this review helpful

  "Best Free Firewall"

  by MattLee0416 on August 19, 2006

  read more

• 4.5 stars

  2 out of 3 people found this review helpful

  "The best, period."

  by ericocean on September 15, 2006

  read more

• See all 12 user reviews Write review

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Where to buy ZoneAlarm 6.5

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