Customer Reviews

ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2006

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

I've used them all... McAfee, Norton, Trend Micro and Zone Alarm. McAfee and Norton are expensive (now zone alarm is too), with little to no real customer support. They all (except Trend Micro which has excellent customer support) charge a fee for calling support.

A Caveat with ZA, If YOU don't read the begining tutorial, then when your PC doesn't connect to the internet don't blame ZA!!! There's a brief 3 minute tutorial that lets ZA know your level of computer experteise. If you're a novice, ZA will self-configure the firewall. If you're an expert, you get to control program access yourself.

Zone Alarm's Firewall is the best on the market. It is the only firewall to give you an alert WITH a recommended suggestion on what to do based upon it's knowledge of the program thats trying to access the internet, or trying to receive information from the internet for the first time.

ZA's firewall is also PC specific. It will alert you if a program is acting suspiciously on your PC and lets you know what to do. Sometimes it doesn't have a suggestion, so here's where some common sense comes in, as well as some PC experteise.

If you're installing a program, or uninstalling, or running a program, and ZA pops up, then it probably is something you want to allow, or it will block what you're trying to do.

McAfee is effective but slow, Norton doesn't pick up everything and sometimes can't delete things and you have to do it manually, Trend Micro also has failed in automatic deletion and has many 'manual' removal messages for various viruses and trojans (and we're paying for what?).

Zone Labs is one of the few that have caught, and automatically deleted most test viruses and trojans (and real) that I've run on my PC.

It wins out over the other 3 in that it gives the user super control over the PC. You get automatic deletion and/or quarantene You get to say what program gets access, which program does not, and how often. You can approve every attempt to access the internet by a program, or every time something from the internet tries to access your PC. So, its great for the intermediate and the expert user alike.

Cons: Its spyware isn't up to par with any other program. Ad-aware, spybot search and destroy and pest patrol are far supeior.

It takes a little PC adeptness to correctly use this program. If you block the wrong program, or deny the wrond network connection, you'll be blocked from accessing the internet, or sharing files or something you don't want. Hence the many people who complain about it. This is by far the best program on the market for your money, but you need to be adept and familir with networking, windows, ports that programs use to access the net, what every program is and why it is accessing the net, ETC. If you don't know, then get a different program. McAfee and Norton are effective but you don't get the control and ease of use. Trend Micro is the easiest of all, but you don't get firewall controll over outbound connections.

So, this is not a novice program, and should be used by the more experienced.

Overall, the speed and firewall coupled with an antivirus program that actually works led me to keep ZoneLabs my internet security suite for over 2 years now. (though I do run McAfee, AVG, Norton, and trend on other pc's), on my personal PC that I use the most, I trust ZA for the best security.

PC Geek tested and approved! A.

They only get 4 stars because they charge you for customer support (BOO 70 dollars isn't enough for the program AND support?). Otherwise, this is a must have for anyone truly concerned about PC and internet security.

Before you buy this product, check the comments from users on the ZoneAlarm User Forum.

For the past 6 years, I used McAfee and then Norton, but became increasingly irritated by the way they would beat me up for renewals and intrude to sell me more, over and over. Also, I was miffed because it was near impossible to reach a human being for help when needed.

I used the free version of ZoneAlarm (firewall only) for a couple of years and liked it, a lot.

First, I downloaded and installed ZAISS on my wife's VAIO computer, running, XP, and had some problems. I assumed it was me, the computer, or the previous Norton. Between me, a neighbor computer consultant and a few CSRs at our ISP and Sony (no help from ZA!) and $ 200 in fees, I got it running fine.

So, assuming the problem was mine, and ready to dump Norton, I bought ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite for my VAIO computer, running W2K, and at their recommendation, Steganos Security Suite, with a year download option, total $ 96.85, download direct from ZA. BIG mistake.

It made a huge mess, blocked access, ran at painfull slow speed, ran processor to 100% load, and did everything to keep me from fixing it. This time, I called ZA, and you CAN reach someone, for, as I recall, 3.95 per minute, but they insisted I did something wrong and could only suggest I wipe the drive and reinstall everything. OK, maybe it was me, so I wiped every trace of any security program from my backup computer, clean up everything, and installed ZAISS. Disaster. Again, no help from ZA. Finally went to the User Forum on the ZA website and found that hundreds of users had similar problems and got NO help from ZA. I finally, after at least 50 hours of work, stripped all remnants of ZAISS from my backup computer, went back to McAfee and am back on line.

For most people and most computers, it works fine. But for some, it's a major disaster, ZA is absolutely no help, and they disavow any problems or responsibility. They will NOT help and they will not refund. BEWARE.

By the way, I've been using computers extensively since 1984; I'm not an expert, but certainly not a novice either. Before you buy, check the ZA user forum or google for "ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite" + problems. Good luck.
Michael

If you want a good security progam that's not a resrouce hog this is the best of what I've seen.

I had a prior version Norton Internet Security and was very pleased with it. I ignored poor reviews and complaints about recent versions of NIS and upgraded when the older version was no longer supported. I should have heeded the reviews as all their problem became mine. It noticeably slows down your computer, your email, your web browsing...and has applicaiton errors when you shutdown/log off windows.

After one month I took a risk and purchased Zone Alarm 2006 and have been extremely pleased. No, it's not "perfect" but it works well, actually seems to catch things NIS didn't and it doesn't slow down the computer (noticeably better performance than NIS).

Like NIS it does occassionaly have some program errors when shutting down or logging off...but **much** fewer than NIS..and I think they only occur after the pc has hibernated (which seems to be a common issue with a lot of software).

The alerts that ZA pop up whenever a program first attempts to access the internet (or ZA when suspects it could compromise security) are probably excessive and somewhat cryptic for the average user....but you can tell ZA to not ask you again. And you get use to the alerts...and these days it's far better to have a security program have a few too many of these alerts than to just assume.

As a web programmer I have to use McAfee at work and it's such a hog I always have to commit the sin of turnning it off whenever I'm doing anything complex (big program builds, installs).

Everybody likes something different for different reasons. I mainly want a product to work..and to not cause grief to my computer, other programs or my work. ZA 2006 definitely meets all these requirements and has won me over.

I've owned/tried just about all of the major antivirus and security suites out there: Norton, Trend Micro, McAfee, and I chose Zone Alarm this year because it had consistently scored very well in comparison tests, especially the firewall. Here are the three factors that I look for in a security suite: 1)Low footpring and memory requirements. This is one of the reasons Norton has been off my hard-drive for a couple of years. An antivirus/firewall/secuity suite should not gobble up system resources. 2)Seamless integration and smooth interface. The program should be easy to use and unobtrusive. This is a security suite, not a game I play for fun. 3)Performance. Obviously, your software should do its job and do it well. So how does Zone Alarm rank?

1)Memory requirements: average. It's better than Norton, but not as good as Trend Micro's PC-Cillin. It's not a hog, but could be slimmer.
2)Interface and integration: Below average. The interface is clunky and rather unintuitive, and while I appreciate the wealth of options, they can be confusing to the inexperienced. While I consider myself an above average user, the novice will be mystified by some of the options and menu questions thrown at them. The BIGGEST annoyance with this suite is that it is very, very sensitive. In a way it's a good thing (it's doing its job), but the downside is that this software requires constant micro-management. Installing a new game? You can expect Zone Alarm to halt your installation at least three times, thinking that the game might be a virus or malicious script. Trying to connect to the internet? Be prepared to again deal with Zone Alarm's internet police for every program that accesses the web. Worst of all is the "Privacy" guard feature in Zone Alarm. The base settings block everything- pictures in web pages don't load up (in the off-chance that they might contain some embedded malicious code), and transactions, even secure ones, routinely fail because ZoneAlarm blocks everything. Sure, you can customize the permission levels for each individual program, but then it becomes an orgy of micromanagement.
3)Performance: Above average. Yes, the suite does its job. It blocks intrusions like a champ, it cleans well and effectively, but all of this comes at a price. Installing this software is like putting bars on your windows: sure, you're safe, but nothing gets in or out without permission from the warden; and that includes you.

I purchased this item, like other reviewers, because of growing dissatisfaction with another 'big name' product.

My initial impressions were VERY favourable. My PC started up much faster, shut down faster, and generally didn't seem to be labouring under such a heavy load as with Norton. I was delighted.

Then I tried to get my home network to connect to the internet, and the nightmare started. Nothing seemed to work. This surprised me, because Norton just handled the whole thing transparently with no effort from me.

Worse, when I visited the Zone Labs community discussion forum, the same topic came up with shocking regularity "CANNOT GET HOME NETWORK TO CONNECT TO INTERNET."
(Usually followed by a string of replies saying 'if you find out how to do this, please let me know too.' - but no solutions)

Oh dear.

Eventually I found out that it CAN be made to work (you have to delve around in the innards of Windows, get DNS settings, and enter them manually into Zone Alarm). OK, I'm a PC dunce. I don't even know what DNS settings are, but I assumed that once I'd gone through this procedure once, I could forget all about it again.

Not so... It seems that DNS settings change occasionally. So you need to go through the whole rigmarole on a regular basis.

For this reason, only three stars if you're a network user. But if you have a standalone, non-networked PC, then go for it. You'll be happy, and unaffected by this shortcoming. But I would echo a past reviewer's advice - visit the Zone Labs community board first, and see what long-time users of the product are saying.

If you can't afford a Router (hardware) then use this software instead.

Although MSWIN XP has its own Firewall you would do better to turn it off, go to the `Zonelabs' website, download the Free version of Zonealarm, install it and give it a go. Study it for an evening and see how many access attempts there are on your computer. I promise - you will never go back from using this great firewall. Go to the Gibson Research Corporation on the internet and test your systems vulnerability using the software on that site - all free. Now if you want to make the next leap by having a more sophisticated version of Zonealarm then go Pro with this one. The pro version offers the following additions to the free version.

- An improved approval program for Internet Access.
- Advanced security controls.
- Automatically stops pop-up ads so you can surf in peace.
- Prevents personal data from leaving your computer without permission.
- Checks for and deletes adware cookies.
- Blocks adware cookies but allows cookies from trusted sites.
- Protects your privacy and improves PC performance.
- Tracks hacker attempts and anonymously reports offenders to their ISPs.
- Monitors outgoing email and halts messages with potential viruses.

Now as an all in one tool you could also opt for the ZoneAlarm Security Suite that gives you an anti-virus program to top it all off, so as an all in one security system this really is a great solution for the home user. If you stick with the free version make sure to also use adaware and AVG, both free anti-ad/anti-virus software packages that help complement the free version but the all in one Security Suite is still you best buy.

In Short, this is an essential security product.

I am IT security expert. I'll try to be as much non-techie as possible.

I have evaluated numerous products, available today in market. From Norton to Norman. After due considerations, which essentially depends on cost + features I bought this product.

I was pleasantly surprised. Let's review in more detail --

1. Anti-virus : The product has a very, very good anti-virus protection. For those who know, nowadays the original virus infection has "died down" considerably. This is because, viruses need a way to propagate, which earlier was floppies, then emails. Nowadays all email providers have good enterprise-level scanners preventing the spread of viruses and with broadband a detected virus is neutralized quickly since info. 'bout the virus is quickly dissapated and scanners upgrade themselves realtime.

2. Firewall : The best in the market, I mean it! With the network protection + OS firewall protection available - it means that if this is installed from day-1; all available ports (TCP/UDP) are by default blocked. The good part: The pop-up encourages 2 options - Temp/Perm. of either opening / blocking the port. Thus, user doesn't get repeated msgs. I used a particular component called SNOOP; which basically tries to find open ports across the network. Tried to Snoop into the ZA protected machine - not sucessfuly. Used SNOOP to GO OUT from ZA protected machine, ZA provided pop-ups for each such attempt.

3. Anti-spyware and privacy protection -> very, very solid.

Here's the BAD POINTS -> There should be a background scanner, which scans the CONFIGURED options in program control, component control, etc. to determine those that are (a) No more valid as (maybe) s/w has been un-installed/changed (b) not used for a very long time. Those should be cleaned automatically. Why ? As time passes by, due to large and large amount of data residing in these 2 sections, more and more time is required to load ZA.

-> Bad backup options available. God forbid, if you have some issues requiring re-installation of ZA. Then you'll need to re-configure everything from scratch! The backup and restore option do not restore everything.

-> Game mode : Not very clear in it's use; for upon using it; found spywares entering the systems.

-> Poor support for Firefox - Although firefox is more stable, however there should be more in-built protection from ZA towards Firefox.

-> Cache cleaner : Not very complete, leaves a large number of MRU lists un-cleaned.

Terrific points : Absolutely the best firewall protection and identity protection suite available. It's the customer exp. that matters. When (for ex.) an user wants to protect his name; all other products I have evaluated have their pop-up popping up each time. ZA pops up; you select "Allow always"; bingo it's done.

Next - the expert rule features; helped me to configure advanced settings so much so that when I am in Extranet (VPN) I can access my office network comfortably without sacrificing on security.

FEATURE REQUEST - A gateway service as part of the firewall, whereby ZA can act as a software gateway for all browsers, thus effectively protecting the real IP address.

I used Norton for a long time, and then hated how it SLOWED DOWN my tricked out system. It was then I noticed the Zone Labs free firewall, and fell in love. So I went all out and ditched Norton and went with the full Zone Lab Suite. Don't get me wrong, it is pretty awesome. However, I started having problems with it in constantly tweaking it after I'd install new software for different security and features reasons. It became pretty unstable and started to slow down the system more and more - until I removed Zone Alarm and installed the trail version of Sunbelt-Software's Kerio Firewall. It is nice and stripped down like Zone Alarm used to be.

One of the things that got me worried with Zone Alarm was it was showing these programs that were accessing the internet with no name, properties, or file location. I would disable them, and in a few hours it would reappear. WTF? I went to the Zone Lab’s forums and found users with the same issue. And they had no solution. And that stuff makes you a little paranoid. (And I am well aware that watching every process and program in the OS can be unnerving, especially if you don't know what you are looking at; except I do for the most part.)

Anyway, I found out the unknown process accessing the internet was Yahoo's desktop search. I found this out through Kerio's firewall. It still showed it with no file attributes; however it displayed the icon identifying it as Yahoo.

Kerio is a lot more intuitive to use for me, even as a long-term Zone Alarm user. It is easier to me to apply changes to a program's access to the internet and other programs.

And the final straw was I thought I would give Zone Alarm one more chance, because it really is a GOOD PROGRAM for the most part. I reinstalled it and couldn't get past the Zone Alarm splash screen on reboot. It was locked up preventing access to programs and system process before it started its own firewall.

Most people will have no problems with this Suite, however - if you constantly MOD your PC like I do, it becomes a bit of a drag and more like intrusive bloatware.

Oh, yeah. I still have 155 days left on my license with it. feh.

I have been a McAfee baby since 1999 when I bought my first PC, a Dell Pentium 5, 450 mhz, 128 MB ram. I still use this PC. Over the years I have added other hardware such as memory (now upto 196) and a CD burner. In 2005 I bought a second PC (P4 HT, 3.0 Ghz, 512 MB Ram). After years of using McAfee I switched to Zone Alarm and what a delight ZA turned out to be. I understand that some or many of the reviewers here have had problems with the software but whether ZA is to be blamed for this is the question. What if the problem was with the hardware or the OS or worse, ignorance of using the product or the computer. For many others getting used to a new and better product is almost impossible. Change is not easy for many folks. Many of my friends who use Norton AntiVirus still complain about how slow their systems are and yet do not want to let go off Norton. Maybe it is just a bad habit. Personally I have had bad experiences with Norton. On my sister's PC (an IBM, same
config as my old PC) some app's (DVD playing programs) would literally come to a standstill. However McAfee did not do that to my computer. Also McAfee must have implemented some smart improvements to stay ahead of the competition. For the cost of just one of their protection modules (antivirus, firewall etc) ZA and Pc-cillin were selling entire suites with all the protection (antivirus, firewall, privacy, spam protection etc.,) all operatable from a sleek single interface. McAfee on the other hand has a seperate interface that needs to be installed and that which talks to the other modules (antivirus, firewall etc). These seperate modules are installed seperately. They now have an Internet protection Suite but that too will install more than one icon on your desktop for the various modules though you could delete them.

Zone Alarm on the other hand operates all it's functions (antivirus, spyware protection, firewall, Privacy, Parental control etc.,) from a single interface. Anyone is going to be instantly hooked on to the great and very user-friendly interface ZA has. CNet had a special mention about it on their review videos about ZA's product. Whoever designed the interface at ZA - Great Work! Updates are automatically and preriodically checked, downloaded and updated without any user intervention. McAfee prompts you about new updates automatically but you need to take action and sometimes even do a system restart to activate the updates. Imagine doing that in the middle of some serious work. But the worst part is sometimes, being prompted to log on to your user account on McAfees's website to download the update.

Take a look what the professionals are saying. CNet rated ZA's Internet security suite far above Norton or McAfee, giving it a 8 out of 10. It has also won the coveted Editor's Choice ranking for a second time in a row. To quote Cnet, "...Zone Alarm's Internet Security Suite 2006 puts Norton and McAfee to shame...".

The only learning curve with ZA is to getting to know the pop-ups about the warnings. Once you get used to them things get very easy. ZA is tough when it comes to protecting your PC and so it requires some good understanding and/or learning of the product. But learning or understanding the product will pay off well. For instance ZA may take time to appear in the system tray when the system is switched on but it IS actually running in the background because of the messages it pops and prompts. On my PC the Safely Remove Icon disappers. A little program in XP fixed this. Maybe I still need to learn more about the program. But for now ZA is all the protection my PC needs. Maybe your PC also deserves the same.

I initially purchased Norton Internet Security 2006 as an update to the Norton virus protection that was already on my machine. I spent hours trying to get NIS 2006 to install and it always failed. I did the uninstalls and reinstalls and still no luck. Decided to write off the $60 spent on Norton and purchase ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2006. This package installed the first time without ANY issues. It took about 10 or 15 minutes. The best money I ever spent. Some people complain about the popups informing you of a possible intrusion, etc. This doesn't bother me at all. I like to know what is going on.

Bottom line for me is that I am through with Norton and will stick with ZoneAlarm. Their firewall protection is beyond anything else available. It works and works well. It Norton is giving you the same headaches it gave me then make the switch to ZoneAlarm. You will be glad you did!