ZoneAlarm Pro 6.5

CNET Editors' Rating 8.3/10 Excellent Editorial policies >>
Average user rating from 4 users 3.8/10 Poor Read user opinions >>

Product Summary CNET Editors' Choice

The good: ZoneAlarm Pro 6.5 offers a fast, efficient firewall integrated with antispyware and online identity protection, and now offers offline, real-world identity theft protection.

The bad: ZoneAlarm Pro 6.5 provides no printed manual and has expensive live phone support.

The bottom line: In the boldest security software move we've seen, ZoneAlarm Pro 6.5 has partnered with an identity management solutions provider, providing both offline and online identity theft protection, making this suite well worth the price.

See all products in the ZoneAlarm 6.5 series

CNET editors' review

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

In addition to providing antivirus protection, Checkpoint ZoneAlarm Pro 6.5 provides three layers of firewall 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. ZoneAlarm remains in two-way communication with your firewall whenever you are connected to the Internet. As new threats emerge, ZoneAlarm Pro 6.5 is able to pass along new firewall rules and, in the case of extremely malicious activity, shut down any program that attempts dangerous activity.

For antispyware protection, ZoneAlarm compares your system against its own collection of malware, then quarantines or removes any offenders it finds. To keep your personal information from leaking out onto the Internet, ZoneAlarm includes an encrypted vault. ZoneAlarm then monitors IMs, e-mail, and the Internet for inappropriate access to this information. For example, if a remote hacker were somehow able to access your social security number from another file, ZoneAlarm would compare that number to the one in the vault and, if it matched, would block its transmission, then offer a pop-up requesting permission to continue.

Wisely, ZoneAlarm's makers haven't changed the program's clean and intuitive interface. Features such as Firewall, Antivirus, and Firewall Logs run down the left side of the screen. There's a column for advice regarding each feature section, then there's the main screen, including layered tabs for configuration options. Why McAfee and Norton haven't switched to a similar design is beyond us. Gamers will appreciate a new option that quiets the pop-up messages from ZoneAlarm Pro 6.5 while you are in the midst of playing a full-screen adventure game.

With version 6.5 of ZoneAlarm Pro and ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite, ZoneAlarm has partnered with an identity management company to monitor use of your personal information in Internet black markets or IRC channels. There are also free services, including how to opt out of credit card solicitations by snail mail--often the source of Dumpster-diving identity thieves--and plenty of educational sites where you can learn more about preventing identity theft. ZoneAlarm, partnering with Intersections, will monitor illegal use of your credit cards by checking shadowy black markets and Internet forums. If your personal information is found, you'll be notified and told what you can do to prevent fraud and abuse. We think ZoneAlarm's focus on identity theft in this version more than justifies the cost of the Pro version or the suite.

But all is not yet perfect within ZoneAlarm Pro 6.5. Pop-ups remain an issue, flashing whenever you restart your computer as various processes and services request control. You can ask ZoneAlarm Pro 6.5 to remember your decision to allow or deny access, but many readers have complained in the past that ZoneAlarm remains "noisy."

Included with the purchase of ZoneAlarm Pro 6.5 is one year of software updates and both e-mail- and keyword-based virtual support, along with access to a well-attended user forum. Purchase does not, however, include free telephone support. Support by phone is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday (excluding major holidays), but it costs a hefty $2.95 per minute--about the same as what McAfee and Symantec charge for their phone support.

ZoneAlarm Pro 6.5 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. And the ZoneAlarm online forums are active, with users worldwide eager and willing to answer your questions--something that Norton and McAfee don't offer.