ZoneAlarm Pro 3.0 Raises Security Standards Firewall, Ad Blocker, and Cookie Controller Has Smoother Interface Eric Grevstad
Thu 3/7/02 -- Zone Labs Inc. promises to continue offering its free-for-personal-use ZoneAlarm firewall, with an updated version due by the end of April. But you might not want to wait that long, considering the extra features the company's new ZoneAlarm Pro 3.0 offers for $50.
Like its predecessors, ZoneAlarm Pro 3.0 offers powerful online privacy protection, enhanced with automatic network detection and wireless LAN support -- as new networks are identified, pop-ups allow their naming and assignment to "trusted" or "untrusted" zones. The firewall has also been strengthened with a Program Control feature that "fingerprints" not only programs permitted to access the Internet but individual components thereof, so hackers can't abuse trusted applications.
Along with malicious content including ActiveX and JavaScript controls, ZoneAlarm Pro blocks security vulnerabilities such as Windows XP's Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) loophole and Outlook e-mail attachment weaknesses. A redesigned Alert Advisor provides more information about hacking or snooping attempts, improved logging and real-time alert analysis, and even a graphical utility that maps the location of PCs attempting to probe your system. Thanks to an updated interface, even novice users can configure the firewall in minutes and check security status at a glance.
In addition to firewall protection, ZoneAlarm Pro 3.0 includes both conventional and performance-based ad blocking that can cut slow-loading ads from Web pages and let you choose to separately block or allow banner ads, pop-ups, pop-unders, and animations. New cookie-control features permit personalized Web pages from favorite, trusted sites, while preventing any unauthorized transfer of personal information to third parties. The program also blocks "Web bugs" that collect personal information when users view certain HTML pages or e-mail messages.
