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Checkpoint ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 8.0

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3 / 5 - PCWorld, May 28, 2009

2 User Reviews Add your own »

Pros

Strong rootkit removal

Lots of features

Cons

Slow scan speed

Bottom Line

ZoneAlarm Extreme gives you a lot of useful security features and protection for the money.

CheckPoint ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 8.0

ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 8.0 Review, by Robert Vamosi, PC World May 28, 2009

CheckPoint ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 8.0 (one-year three-user license: $70 as of 5/21/2009) provides solid firewall protection along with a host of other security functions If anything, ZoneAlarm Extreme may be guilty of having too many pieces: It bundles together the basic security suite with the unique features of ID theft mitigation and recovery service, online data storage, and the optional PC utility. This premium suite gives a lot of bang for the money, including one year of free identity fraud monitoring. We reviewed it for our midyear security suite roundup and our updated chart of security suites.

ZoneAlarm licenses its antivirus protection from Kaspersky, and in AV-Test.org's extensive malware-detection tests, ZoneAlarm did a decent job in both the on demand and on access detection of 2,735 malware files and scripts, scoring 100 percent against each, although it only caught 81 percent of the macro viruses. ZoneAlarm did well against the zoo Trojan horses, worms, password-stealers, and other nasties thrown at it, identifying on average 94 percent of the 722,372 collected samples. Ordinarily this would place ZoneAlarm high among the products tested, but in this roundup it came in sixth out of the eight).

ZoneAlarm Extreme scored very strong numbers when it came to detecting and removing rootkits--stealth malware used to hide infections from PC users and security software alike. It successfully detected and removed nine out of nine active rootkits. In proactively identifying unknown malware for which it doesn't yet have a signature, ZoneAlarm scored above average. In tests with two-week-old signature files, it identified 42 percent of samples. And with four-week-old signature files it identified 38 percent of samples.

According to AV-Test, ZoneAlarm responds very quickly to new widespread malware attacks, typically in 4 to 6 hours. Not surprisingly ZoneAlarm issued the most updates per month, issuing 636 in January 2009, 732 in February 2009, and 723 in March 2009, averaging an amazing 23 updates per day.

AV-Test displayed long on-demand scan times of up to 179 seconds on a 741 MB file and on access times of , 103 seconds compared with only 41 seconds to copy the same file on a system without antivirus installed.

ZoneAlarm doesn't scan incoming mail nor IM messages; instead, it scans the files associated on access. Many of its security features rely on software apps from other vendors. For example, ZoneAlarm uses SonicWall for antispam protection, MailFrontier for e-mail filtering of phishing attacks, and Netcraft for Web antiphishing protection. Web surfing protection, a new feature, comes from ZoneAlarm ForceField (a utility also sold separately). On Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers, ForceField blocks drive-by downloads of malicious code.

Like the G-Data Internet Security 2010 suite, ZoneAlarm is perhaps a bit too cautious with the Web. For example, ZoneAlarm doesn't actively warn you about a particular site; instead, you simply can't access that site. ZoneAlarm does allow you to change the setting for individual blocked sites to allow access, but it would be helpful to see in advance what other sites it doesn't allow.

The ZoneAlarm interface uses a left-hand navigation pane to open configuration options that are straightforward and easy to use. Within the right window pane, ZoneAlarm includes Parental Controls from Blue Coat, provides 2GB online backup from iDrive, and identity fraud protection and recovery service from Intersections and an optional PC diagnostics tool from Large Software. The latter is new this year, and on our system it detected several mangled Registry listings and fixed them, improving system performance.

Overall, ZoneAlarm Extreme Security offers the most complete set of security features of any suite we tested-from online backup and ID fraud protection to solid antivirus and firewall tools. Where it counts, ZoneAlarm did well in blocking traditional and zoo malware and removing rootkits. It could do better on behavior-based protection, however. If you're looking to spend a little less money for fewer features but slightly better protection, then we recommend G-Data Internet Security instead.

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User Reviews

Average User Reviews for Checkpoint ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 8.0

2 Reviews Add your own »

Latest User Reviews 2 reviews
Reviewed by: LeoPelki

Duration of ownership: 10 Years

Strengths: Very frienly, BUT, it has a lot of features, bells, and whistles, that most of US simply don't understand or appreciate. Default is the magic word in less you are at least moderately advanced user.

Weaknesses: Slow scanning, but you can control that to minimize time. Best bet is simply go get a cup of coffee! And customer service leaves a bit to be desired. But for about 4 years prior to my first ZA experience, I had the so called Premier package, and neither customer service nor speed were a strong suit (there were only 2 big names then, so take your pick). I ended up with a package I read about in a PC Magazine Review, and have been very pleased every since. The ZA Folks (Checkpoint they like to be known as today) were a bit tardy in ther XP to Vista, but were right on the mark with Vista to 7. They wanted it, and they got it, RIGHT.

Overall: I've used "Zone Alarm" in it's latest and gratest dress since early 2000, and it has never let me down (that I know of). It's a bit pricy, but well worth the investment. For one simple subscription I have it installed on my Dell Desktop, my Wife's Dell Desktop, and our laptop. ZA does a geat job of keeping itself updated and clean, and it pretty much stays our of both our ways, doing it's thing in the background. If you want it to report on everythin it's doing, just tell it to do so and you'll very quickly change your mind because it's constantly busy! And when you DO want to know what it's been up to, just look at the "record", and you'll be amazed at how many pings and dings it blocked. Are you networked, how bout your printer or periferials? ZA makes sure YOU say it's ok before anything, bar nothing, gets thru the frewall. Once I even had to turn ZA off to get a remote printer to come past the firewall, from an allowed network, but it then learned (actually it was I that learned), to be friendly with that network. We just had to communicate. If ZA thinks it important enough, regardless of the level of reporting you designate, it simply flashes you a message that you have to manually turn off. Time won't let it go away. Spend the coins, you'll be safe and satisfied, but be ready for a lot of information coming your way, that you probably didn't expect. I wasn't, it did, and even I can control it, so, I'm very satisfied, and more than a little disappointed to see ZA rated so far down the list. Oh well, my gain, the lister's loss!
Reviewed by: desharn41

Duration of ownership: 3 Years

Strengths: Blocks everything, programs, processes, other computers. The firewall is very through in my opinion plus now it has anti-virus too.

Weaknesses: Maybe scan speeds but I'm paranoid so I have it do deep scans on my computer

Overall: I don't understand why it ranks 6 out of 8 when reading the review from the editor themselves it should be number one. I will say this software is not for the novices. You can really lock your computer if you know what you're doing. I have programs ask for permission to do anything except the programs I know and trust. So if a new program or process trying installing itself ZoneAlarm lets me know if I don't know the program or process I block it. That means I have to do my homework on what to and not to block. That plus Webroot and the only virus I ever get is from other people External drive or me intentionally going to websites I shouldn't.

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