Category: Software → ZoneAlarm Anti-virus 2010 9.1.008

Reviewed by: CNET Staff

Along with its effective and easy-to-use firewall protection, ZoneAlarm with Antivirus adds virus features and security controls. The most notable improvements in this latest release are enhanced virus detection and an Auto-Learn function to minimize unnecessary security alerts.

ZoneAlarm's wizard makes firewall configuration and maintanence incredibly easy, with a stylish interface and simple slider controls. The app boasts an ultrasecure triple-layer firewall and experts will appreciate the customizing options. The Zones feature allows you to assign different security levels for local networks and the Internet. The program was very good at automatically including our local network settings and auto-detected wireless machines. In all our tests, the firewall held strong against all threats it encountered.

Beyond the firewall function, ZoneAlarm with Antivirus includes an antivirus scanner, based on Computer Associates' Vet Anti-Virus, that blocks both incoming and outgoing viruses. The most intriguing aspect of this feature is its Advanced Heuristic Detection algorithm, which uses behavior analysis to detect suspicious actions caused by brand-new viruses that haven't yet made it into the virus-definitions database. Though this version of ZoneAlarm lacks the privacy and identity features of the Pro version, users who are satisfied with their existing privacy-protection tools may find ZoneAlarm with Antivirus fits their needs.