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PCMag UK

ZoneAlarm Pro 2.6

Neil J. Rubenking
 & Neil J. Rubenking Principal Writer, Security

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
LOOK INSIDE PC LABS HOW WE TEST
65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS
- ZoneAlarm Pro 2.6
3.0 Average

Pros & Cons

Combining ease of use and effective security, ZoneAlarm Pro 2.6 was among the most effective firewalls in our testing.

ZoneAlarm divides network activity into local and Internet zones, with separate security settings for each. Addresses in a third restricted zone are denied all access. The firewall prevents all unsolicited incoming packets and blocks specific types of networks, depending on your security settings.

The low security level enforces application privileges and permits file and printer sharing. The medium level adds blocking for specific ports and protocols. The high security level blocks file and printer sharing and puts the computer in Stealth mode. In addition, the high level blocks all network traffic except authorized program traffic and specified protocols. By default, the local zone is set for medium security and the Internet zone for high security.

ZoneAlarm's installation includes a nine-step tutorial. At first, numerous messages pop up to report a blocked intrusion or ask whether to allow a program access. Each pop-up window has a More Info button for detailed information from the Zone Labs Web site, with an option to run a WhoIs check on intruders. The queries pop up less frequently with time, as the software remembers your answers, and you can even turn off intrusion pop-ups; the tray icon, which indicates all outgoing (red) and incoming (green) network traffic, will still flash for alerts.

The main window is unique, consisting of a bar of five oversize icons with buttons below them that drop down panels for Alerts, Lock, Security, Programs, and Configuration, as well as network traffic indicators. The prominent Stop button halts all network activity. The Programs tab lists all programs that ZoneAlarm has caught trying to access the network. You can easily control each program's access to both local and Internet zones, and whether it can act as server in each zone. You simply click an X to disallow, a check mark to allow, or a question mark to ask you at each access.

ZoneAlarm's MailSafe quarantines executable e-mail attachments by changing the file extension in the incoming data stream before it reaches your e-mail program. You can still launch the attachment, but only if you ignore ZoneAlarm's dire warning and confirm your intentions twice. We liked this extra safety bonus.

We did encounter a problem with trying to synch Microsoft Outlook with an Exchange Server while ZoneAlarm was running. The firewall wouldn't allow the synch and didn't report the attempt.

Final Thoughts

- ZoneAlarm Pro 2.6

ZoneAlarm Pro 2.6

3.0 Average

About Our Expert

Neil J. Rubenking

Neil J. Rubenking

Principal Writer, Security

My Experience

When the IBM PC was new, I served as the president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years. That’s how I met PCMag’s editorial team, who brought me on board in 1986. In the years since that fateful meeting, I’ve become PCMag’s expert on security, privacy, and identity protection, putting antivirus tools, security suites, and all kinds of security software through their paces.

Before my current security gig, I supplied PCMag readers with tips and solutions on using popular applications, operating systems, and programming languages in my "User to User" and "Ask Neil" columns, which began in 1990 and ran for almost 20 years. Along the way, I wrote more than 40 utility articles, as well as Delphi Programming for Dummies and six other books covering DOS, Windows, and programming. I also reviewed thousands of products of all kinds, ranging from early Sierra Online adventure games to AOL’s precursor Q-Link.

In the early 2000s, I turned my focus to security and the growing antivirus industry. After years of working with antivirus, I’m known throughout the security industry as an expert on evaluating antivirus tools. I serve as an advisory board member for the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), an international nonprofit group dedicated to coordinating and improving testing of anti-malware solutions.

The Technology I Use

Much of the testing I do, particularly testing with real-world ransomware, is just plain dangerous. To perform such tests safely, I sequester them inside virtual machines managed by VMWare Workstation. For cross-platform testing, I use a MacBook Air, a Google Pixel 4, and a 6th-generation iPad.

I rely on my Delphi coding skills to create and maintain small applications. These include programs to check whether an antivirus correctly handled the malware it detected, launch dangerous URLs and record the security program’s reaction, and analyze the malware that I collect for use in testing. I also wrote a tiny browser and text editor for use in testing security apps that have predefined reactions for known products.

I do my writing and research on a Dell OptiPlex desktop, relying on Microsoft Word (my fingers know all the shortcuts). Many of my articles include charts and analysis; Excel is my go-to for those. When work hours end, though, I escape the bounds of Microsoft and Windows. There’s an iPhone in my pocket, I relax with my oversized iPad, and my Kindle Oasis is always loaded with the best science fiction and fantasy.

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