Several months after releasing its 2012 range of products, Check Point has released an upgrade to ZoneAlarm Free Firewall 2012 which includes several new features and some overdue fixes. It seems this revamped model has been quite a hit with reviewers.
One of the greatest bugbears concerning third party firewalls is their ‘chatty’ nature, continually interrupting whatever you are doing to ask questions. Some are worse than others and ZoneAlarm’s record in this department has not been all that brilliant. According to Check Point though, the revamped 2012 model has now reduced the number of program alerts by over 90% – an impressive statistic indeed.
Another common complaint regarding ZoneAlarm has been its slow startup time, according to reports this has also been improved with ZoneAlarm now loading some 40% quicker.
Some firewalls can be a nightmare for the average home user to configure, Check Point indicates this problem has also been alleviated with the introduction of a revamped interface which provides a much easier and more intuitive user experience.
ZoneAlarm Free Firewall 2012 does include a rather impressive lineup of features, including ‘DefenseNet’, a community driven cloud-based service:
2-Way Firewall (Inbound & Outbound)
Stops Internet attacks at the front door and even catches thieves on their way out. Our 2-way firewall proactively protects against inbound and outbound attacks while making you invisible to hackers.
DefenseNet
Leverages real-time threat data from the community of millions of ZoneAlarm firewall users, providing quick response to breaking threats that protect your PC from the latest attacks.
Identity Theft Protection
Identity theft can happen to anyone, anywhere. ZoneAlarm delivers superior PC based protection and exclusive data encryption, and also offers offline identity protection services.
Anti-phishing / Site Status Toolbar
Blocks spyware distribution sites and fraudulent “phishing” websites that trick you into revealing personal data.
So, if you’ve tried ZoneAlarm Free Firewall previously and been less than impressed, perhaps now might be a good time to take another look. Reports are predominantly favorable; and with a brand new interface, faster boot times, less popup alerts and powerful features like DefenseNet, ZoneAlarm Free Firewall 2012 certainly sounds promising.
NOTE: The FreewareBB download page includes a warning that ZoneAlarm Free Firewall comes down with bundled extras. Please monitor the installation carefully and uncheck any unwanted additions.
have a BelkinADSL2+ F5D5730au v4 – modem? router? – has a firewall setting in the “advanced setup” enabled, so does that alone secure my system? – have heard that having more than one firewall creates conflict – cheers
Hey Maurice – A hardware firewall is a great help but overall protection will be enhanced by also installing a software firewall. Having both will not generally cause any conflicts because one is hardware based and the other is, of course, software based.
According to the people behind ZoneAlarm, users should not rely solely on a hardware firewall – have a read here: http://blog.zonealarm.com/2006/03/3_good_reasons_.html – but you wouldn’t really expect anything else from a software firewall developer would you. 🙂
There are quite a few variables involved but it depends largely on the host PC’s ability to handle the additional load, and the individual’s usage and online habits. For the majority of average home users, and especially those with older machines, a hardware firewall plus Windows Firewall would generally suffice. For anyone requiring a greater level of protection, such as those who engage in medium to high risk activities, I would say it would definitely be advantageous to have both.
Cheers…Jim
Thanks for that Jim, I’ll try ZoneAlarm and see what happens, to quote -: “For the majority of average home users, and especially those with older machines, a hardware firewall plus Windows Firewall would generally suffice.” that’s me, don’t have much faith in the W Firewall so an alternative suits
Good one Maurice, can’t hurt to give it a try. Will be interested to hear what you think of it. If you feel inclined, please let us know.
Cheers…Jim
Jim- do you have a site you put out for others about computer problems, free software, trouble shooting , etc. If so I would love to join it —Your doing great-take care, jim higgs
How about… Wait for it… Daves Computer Tips?
Hey jim – Yes mate, you can join me (and the rest of the team) at Daves Computer Tips Forum where we offer all the services you mentioned.
In the “Resources” menu across the top of this page; just click on the very first link (“Forum”) and you will be taken directly to the DCT Forum.
Thank you for the kind words. 🙂
Cheers…Jim