ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 6.5 to Defend Consumers against Identity Theft
ZoneAlarm’s Version 6.5 of the Internet Security Suite, released lately, which includes some significant advances, like a new online Identity Protection Center to help users avoid or recover from identity theft.
Check Point’s New ZoneAlarm Suite Again Transforms the Idea of "All-in-One" Internet Security by Adding ID Theft Protection to Its Firewall, Antivirus, Anti-Spyware, and Anti-Spam Solution; Offers New Family Pack with Summer Price Promotion.
It is an apparent attempt to rival Microsoft, which allows customers to run its Windows Live OneCare security tools, released recently, on three PCs for $49.95 a year.
It is available immediately in retail stores and online at www.zonelabs.com, making complete Internet security both more effective and more affordable for consumers everywhere.
With the launch, the award-winning all-in-one ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 6.5 becomes the first suite to address the three most common forms of identity theft facing consumers: PC attacks such as viruses, keyloggers and other forms of spyware; sophisticated Internet hacking of major corporations storing customer data; and traditional real-world identity theft such as dumpster diving. Other new features included Spy Site Blocking, a new Game Mode, and strengthened anti-spyware and OSFirewall features to protect consumers against the widest spectrum of security threats.
New ZoneAlarm Security Suite 6.5 Features:
As part of the new identity fraud defenses, users will be alerted when their credit card number shows up for sale on the Internet or on a blacklist, Check Point said. Additionally, the software helps people to opt out of credit offers, gives access to a credit counseling service and includes access to an educational Web site, the company said.
In addition, ZoneAlarm’s IDLock promises to help prevent credit card data, Social Security numbers, or other private information from being transmitted onto the Net without the customer’s consent, Check Point said.
By consumer request, the updated software now also has a "Game Mode," which silences firewall alerts and postpones security scans to allow for uninterrupted game play.
Internet security is no longer only about protecting your PC, it is about protecting you, said Laura Yecies, Check Point vice president and general manager of the consumer and small business division. "Identity theft is a real-world danger that has mushroomed with the proliferation of the Internet. But repairing the damage to your finances and credit is not as easy as cleaning your hard drive. By adding proactive identity theft prevention to our suite, we are making it easy and convenient for our customers to avoid becoming a victim."
Online games use tons of system resources and often push graphics cards to their limits. An unexpected virus scan message or firewall alerts can knock the game right off the screen by switching video modes. Even if the alert is just a distraction, it can interrupt gameplay, so gamers may turn off protection for the duration. That is a bad idea! The new Game Mode suppresses all scheduled scans and automatically answers any alerts (you choose whether it answers with Allow or Block.
Advance Spyware Prevention
"Identity theft goes way beyond the boundaries of the PC," said Charles Kolodgy, research director for IDC’s Security Products service. "Recognizing this fact, ZoneAlarm went beyond the desktop to help protect consumers. The latest release includes online protection services and tools to help guard against Internet and real-world threats such as dumpster divers and reckless corporations that expose people’s privacy."
ZoneAlarm’s OSFirewall, first unveiled last year, utilizes a unique behavior-based strategy to stop viruses, spyware, rootkits, Trojans, ransomware and other forms of malicious software from infiltrating a PC. Rather than occasionally scanning for existing spyware infections and removing it after the damage has already occurred, the OSFirewall guards the health of a PC at its core. This kernel-level firewall monitors suspicious activity affecting the operating system, programs and files, and disables destructive programs. To complement the prevention technology, ZoneAlarm also employs an intelligent anti-spyware removal solution as well as Check Point’s dynamic zero-hour Smart Defense service featuring DefenseNet, a system leveraging the community of millions of ZoneAlarm users to proactively protect against emerging attacks.
Zone Labs reports that the OS Firewall is better than ever in this version. It monitors the behavior of all programs on the system and can block actions it deems suspicious. The "kill control" feature will automatically terminate a known malware process the moment it attempts to run. Enhancements to the OS Firewall are not particularly visible; they should show up as improved performance in spyware protection.
This version also claims a larger base of spyware signatures and more complete removal; it also gets signature updates more often.
Spy Site Blocking: prevents an Internet surfer from unintentionally ending up at a malicious Web site, such as one that downloads "drive-by spyware" to unsuspecting visitors.
But one enhancement is visible right away—Spyware Site Blocking. This feature is similar to Spyware Doctor’s Site Guard and Spy Sweeper’s Spy Communication Shield. If you attempt to visit one of 7,000 known spyware sites ZoneAlarm simply would not let you. If you do not go to the site, you cannot be hit by exploits or drive-by downloads hosted on the site. “And it does not matter whether you use Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Bubba’s Boppin’ Browser.”
Unlike browser-based technologies, ZoneAlarm’s Spy Site Blocking also prevents malware from "phoning home" back to a Web server. Spy Site Blocker is also included in the new ZoneAlarm Pro 6.5 and ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware 6.5 editions.
Where Microsoft, Symantec, and McAfee are concentrating on security as a service, Zone Labs seems perfectly happy to stick with its fully integrated locally installed suite. The many, many other features encompassed by the ZoneAlarm suite have not changed significantly since version 6.0. Spam prevention, MailSafe e-mail protection, antivirus, cookie control, ad blocking, parental control, private data protection, Instant Message security—these continue to provide the same level of protection as version 6. But the added features, in particular the Identity Protection Center, should be of great interest to ZoneAlarm users.
Besides Check Point, consumer security incumbents Symantec and McAfee are readying rivals to OneCare.
Pricing and Availability
Over 35 million Internet users have downloaded the original ZoneAlarm firewall and its premium versions since the company’s launch in 1998. Now, the ZoneAlarm family, available at www.zonelabs.com, includes the ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite (single user list: $69.95, summer promotion rate: $49.95; 3-user family pack: list $99.95, summer promotion rate: $69.95), ZoneAlarm Pro (list: $49.95, summer promotion rate: $39.95), ZoneAlarm Antivirus (list: $24.95, summer promotion rate: $19.95), and ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware (list: $24.95, summer promotion rate: $19.95).
As always, existing customers can update to the latest version, now 6.5, for free if their subscription is current, and will receive a notification within two weeks of availability.
The basic ZoneAlarm firewall continues to be free for personal and non-profit use.