ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2010 9.0.083 | 111MB
ZoneAlarm Internet Security 2010 gives users a strong feature set that focuses on immediate security, but a clunky interface makes some key features hard to reach and activate. Among these are the virus scan, the cornerstone of any security product, and the new gaming mode. ZoneAlarm is boasting of scan times supposedly 80 to 90 percent faster than in previous versions, possible because the company has finally unified its antivirus and antispyware engines, and has made improvements to its download scanning protocol.
Other features include an identity protection module to encrypt personal information and alert you when it leaves your computer. It also helps you set up an eBay fraud report, if you're an eBay user. There's an outbound e-mail alert, in case your account gets hacked, and there are parental controls. ZoneAlarm's well-known firewall is included, and after spending half a day with it on a Windows 7 computer, we didn't notice any of the usability problems that have notoriously plagued it. That doesn't mean they don't exist, of course, but we didn't experience them on the latest version.
In terms of threat detection and removal efficacy, independent data isn't available yet for this version. On ZoneAlarm Internet Security 2009, the program scored better than average, but not in the upper percentiles on malware detection, removal, or response times, and only average on false positives. The trial period is shorter by half than its competitors, and many of the midlevel security suites contain more browsing protections than ZoneAlarm's. Given those drawbacks, plus the unnecessarily complex interface, we recommend giving ZoneAlarm Internet Security a pass this year unless you're a ZoneAlarm fan.
