Ezone Alarm Pro Offers Dial-up Web Surfers Hacker Protection
When it comes to Internet firewalls, conventional wisdom no longer applies. That "wisdom" discourages Web surfers with 56K modems from installing computer firewalls - systems or software designed to block electronic trespassers - the logic being that always-on broadband Internet connections are easier prey for roving troublemakers, unlike slower on-off modem connections. However, computer hacking ballooned in 2001, mainly because hackers' innovative software probes scored repeated successes from tapping into modem-connected home computers, where credit card and bank account information - and conventional wisdom - flourish. Fortunately, a different wisdom prevails at San Francisco-based Zone Labs Inc., and it manifests itself as ZoneAlarm Pro 3.0, an upgrade of its award-winning firewall for home and small business use on Windows operating systems. Whereas software manufacturers typically tout minor upgrades to spur major profits, ZoneAlarm Pro takes a noteworthy leap forward from its previous public version, 2.6. Besides the core firewall, version 3.0 now includes a cleaner, more navigable interface; better Internet cookie management and security alerts; ad-blocking capabilities; support for wireless networks; and heightened protection against malicious code. Tabs down the left side of ZoneAlarm Pro's interface guide users through a software overview; illustrate which installed programs are secure; point to a catalog of alerts; describe privacy settings; and introduce MailSafe, another new feature that quarantines e-mail carrying potentially damaging attachments. To announce Internet security alerts, a tool called AlertAdvisor pops up in the lower right corner of the computer screen, shows the address of a potential intruder and inquires about access permission, which ZoneAlarm Pro then commits to memory. The tool also advises whether ZoneAlarm Pro's Ad Blocker feature has altered a Web page's appearance as it downloads. Topping the list of interface enhancements is ZoneAlarm Pro's much -improved setup wizard. The smoothly crafted guide makes this firewall perhaps the easiest one to install and configure, particularly for anyone who until now has been intimidated by installing a firewall. Once in place, ZoneAlarm Pro's effectiveness and value become immediately clear. Within an hour of installation using a 56K modem connection, I had 12 alerts to hackerlike activity trying to access my laptop, including one attempt out of New Zealand. A second temporary firewall I installed confirmed ZoneAlarm Pro's ability to block Internet port probes regardless of how I used my computer. A few shortcomings worth Zone Labs' consideration for later upgrades remain. For example, Zone Labs' exchange of telephone technical support for comprehensive online- and e-mail-based assistance - a growing trend among software makers - may not comfort Windows XP users, many of whom have recently reported compatibility issues with version 3.0 that are severe enough to force returning to 2.6. Furthermore, ZoneAlarm Pro's Ad Blocker often has trouble distinguishing ads from images on Web pages. Most ad-blocking software falls short of promise, anyway, because the parameters these programs use to ascertain ads have limited scope. Still, ZoneAlarm Pro's capability her e could use considerable tweaking. Above all, ZoneAlarm Pro's $50 price seems steep for a firewall that omits anti-virus protection. A considerably slimmer, no-cost version of ZoneAlarm hits online shelves this month. Alternatively, an anti-virus program and a year of multilayered support come bundled with Symantec's somewhat more expensive Norton Internet Security suite, which ZoneAlarm Pro's new interface resembles. Yet when you consider ZoneAlarm Pro's comprehensive protection and ease of use, its price seems small for the peace of mind it affords. After all, relying on conventional wisdom alone for protection could prove much more costly. ZoneAlarm Pro 3.0
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