ZoneAlarm 2010 line released [Archive] - Wilders Security Forums

fax

August 31st, 2009, 09:49 AM

Hi!
proper links directly from ZA servers (never trust outside servers)

ZA Extreme (http://download.zonealarm.com/bin/free/information/zaxs/releaseHistory.html)
ZA Suite (http://download.zonealarm.com/bin/free/information/zass/releaseHistory.html)
ZA Antivirus (http://download.zonealarm.com/bin/free/information/zaav/releaseHistory.html)
ZA Pro (http://download.zonealarm.com/bin/free/information/zap/releaseHistory.html)

-{ Quote: "
Release notes for:
ZoneAlarm Extreme Security version 9.0.083.000

Hard Drive Encryption for Laptops (optional add-on):
In order to stop laptop thieves from stealing your data and identity, encrypts all your data so only you can see it.
Free 24/7 password recovery, plus disk self-recovery program

More Browser Security features added:
Advanced Download Protection:
Detects the latest zero-day threats in downloads that you initiate—before they reach your computer
Includes heuristic analysis and program check
Can run and analyze download behavior in a virtual environment if necessary
Additional layer of keylogger protection--encryption ensures only the intended application can read your keystrokes

New unified anti-virus and anti-spyware engine:
Scans 80%-90% faster and combines anti-virus and anti-spyware into one scan
More advanced scan options– riskware, ADS, heuristic scanning, and more exception options
Additional on-access scan controls
On-access scanning now detects spyware

Program control features to stop advanced security bypass attacks:
Timing attack protection
Service control manager protection (not supported on 64-bit and Windows 7)

Other enhancements:
Many performance improvements
Reduced number of unnecessary alerts
Windows 7 ready (Free compatibility update to run on Windows 7 when it is released)Note: We have removed inbound MailSafe attachment inspection with this release, as this type of protection is now in all major email applications. (Spam filtering and outbound MailSafe are still included.)
" }-

and...

-{ Quote: "Known issues

Windows 7 32-bit:

If you disable load at startup in the ZoneAlarm preferences panel, you may lose network connectivity
ZoneAlarm may fail to install on Windows 7 in VMWare and on some Intel network cards. You may download the latest compatible Intel driver from here (http://downloadcenter.intel.com/filter_results.aspx?strTypes=all&ProductID=871&OSFullName=Windows+Server+2008*&lang=eng&strOSs=170&submit=Go) or ensure you VM or machine are dual core.Windows 7 64-bit:

ZoneAlarm will not currently install on Windows 7 64-bit. Please check back in a few days for a 64-bit compatible versionGeneral ZoneAlarm issues:

ZoneAlarm's Anti-Virus is incompatible with Kaspersky AV and Kaspersky Internet Security Suite.
Upgrades from Vista to Windows 7 are not supported." }-

ZA free has not been released yet. May be will be released when its ready. :)

Cheers,
Fax

gery

August 31st, 2009, 10:27 AM

is this a stable release?

Subgud

August 31st, 2009, 10:27 AM

It scans much much faster than 2009 edition. I have 2 harddisks with 117 GB in use. The old version used 1 hour and 22 min to scan this. The 2010 edition scanned everything in 33 min 55 sec. :thumb: Thats good.

I have tried Avira 9 and the scan time was 35 min. So zonelabs has been speeding up their scantime. :D

The interface is similar to the 2009 edition. Now antivirus/spywarescan is one scan. Last year it was 2 seperate scans. And thats good.

It feels lighter than last years edition. My boot time is shorter than the 2009 version. I have not clocked it, but it feels lighter!

Victek123

August 31st, 2009, 01:31 PM

-{ Quote: "Hi!
proper links directly from ZA servers (never trust outside servers)

ZA free has not been released yet. May be will be released when its ready. :)

Cheers,
Fax" }-
.
As noted the hard drive encryption feature is optional and costs an additional $30.

Chubb

August 31st, 2009, 08:43 PM

Is ZoneAlarm 2010 still using the Kaspersky engine?

NNard

August 31st, 2009, 09:03 PM

Yes it is.

SoCalReviews

August 31st, 2009, 09:36 PM

Most people who are aware of my past posts and opinions about firewalls and security software know that I don't pull any punches and I tell it like it is. I just installed the latest ZAES v9.x earlier today (on a system using WinXP Pro SP3) and I have been testing it out throughout the day and so far I would have to admit that ZAES v9.x is working fantastic!

My initial interest was in the integrated Force Field browser security features of ZAES. It works with IE and FF browsers and seems to provide an ultimate layer of browser security and protection such as virtualization similar to other browser security programs that many on this site have raved about for the past few years. What is really nice about ZAES is how well this technology is integrated with the rest of the security suite.

I was initially worried about the resource usage because of all these new features (AMD 2600+ CPU with 1GB DDR RAM) but I find that my system performance seems to actually be much better with the latest ZAES v9.x than it was with ZASS v8.x. This is important because I am also running SAS Pro with real time protection enabled and I have yet to run into any conflicts or any noticeable degradation in system performance (on boot-up, shutdown, while web browsing, etc.). I also noticed a significant decrease in the number of alerts that ZAES produces compared to earlier versions of ZASS (8.x and before).

I am still testing it out but so far today I would have to say that this is one of the smoothest, coolest, easy to use, resource friendly, feature filled security suites I have ever tried. ZAES v9 combined with a full active subscription version of SAS, MBAM or another favorite ASW program could be the ultimate setup for a subscription based set of security software. I will be curious to see the future independent based AV, ASW, an anti-malware performance tests results for this new ZAES v9 suite. There are also a few additional features I would like to see implemented in the force field browser security but for now my system is running as smooth as glass. :thumb:

NNard

August 31st, 2009, 09:48 PM

ZoneAlarm Pro running nice and lean with NOD32 version 4.0:)

Regards,
NNard

SoCalReviews

August 31st, 2009, 10:04 PM

-{ Quote: "ZoneAlarm Pro running nice and lean with NOD32 version 4.0:)

Regards,
NNard" }-

Hi NNard,

Actually you brought up an interesting dilemma I now have. The Security and Privacy settings section that existed in previous versions of ZASS no longer exists in ZASS v9. My reason for wanting to try ZAES is to evaluate the Force Field browser features and whether those along with using enhanced browser security settings that already exist in IE and FF would provide a similar or better level of security that when using ZASS with all the features of the previous Security and Privacy settings section enabled. I have determined that with ZAES v9 a similar or actually...a much better level of security can be achieved (with Force Field virtualization enabled). It seems to not only be better than my previous setup using ZASS with the Security and Privacy settings maxed out but it runs MUCH smoother with far fewer settings hassles and conflicts to deal with.

My next test will be with ZAP v9 when it is used along with NOD32 v4.x . It makes sense that there would no longer be comatibility issues because the problems I had with ZAP v8.x and earlier were related to the ZAP Security and Privacy settings...which I am guessing no longer exist in ZAP v9. I will have to download ZAP v9 and run it through the gauntlet. Then I will have to determine whether I like NODv4 with ZAP (and SAS Pro) or....ZAES v9.x. with all of its extra cool Force Field browser security features (and SAS Pro).

Victek123

August 31st, 2009, 10:07 PM

-{ Quote: "
My initial interest was in the integrated Force Field browser security features of ZAES. It works with IE and FF browsers and seems to provide an ultimate layer of browser security and protection such as virtualization similar to other browser security programs that many on this site have raved about for the past few years. What is really nice about ZAES is how well this technology is integrated with the rest of the security suite.

I was initially worried about the resource usage because of all these new features (AMD 2600+ CPU with 1GB DDR RAM) but I find that my system performance seems to actually be much better with the latest ZAES v9.x than it was with ZASS v8.x. This is important because I am also running SAS Pro with real time protection enabled and I have yet to run into any conflicts or any noticeable degradation in system performance (on boot-up, shutdown, while web browsing, etc.). I also noticed a significant decrease in the number of alerts that ZAES produces compared to earlier versions of ZASS (8.x and before).
:thumb:" }-
.
I'm glad to hear that your experience jives with Checkpoint's claims RE low impact and speed. Can you say more about how ForceField is integrated into the suite? I'm also quite interested in the encryption add-on for my laptop, though it seems a little expensive. I'm hoping the suite will go on sale at Frys soon to make it more attractive.

By the way, I wonder if you can upgrade to this new version if you have an active subscription to Extreme Security 2009?
.

NNard

August 31st, 2009, 10:17 PM

SoCalReviews:

Privacy settings have been removed as well as the anti-spyware feature. There is a checkbox available upon installation for browser security (forcefield). I recommend you give it a spin - it is quite lean and running great.

Regards,
NNard

SoCalReviews

August 31st, 2009, 10:33 PM

-{ Quote: ".
I'm glad to hear that your experience jives with Checkpoint's claims RE low impact and speed. Can you say more about how ForceField is integrated into the suite? I'm also quite interested in the encryption add-on for my laptop, though it seems a little expensive. I'm hoping the suite will go on sale at Frys soon to make it more attractive.

By the way, I wonder if you can upgrade to this new version if you have an active subscription to Extreme Security 2009?
." }-

Checkpoint has made many claims about new ZA products in the past and they have not always panned out the way they stated. I really have not read much of the usual sales propaganda about the new v9 releases from reviews or from the Checkpoint web site. However, after my experience today using this new ZAES v9....I have to say that their claims of improved reliability and efficiency are the real deal...at least they have been so far today for me and on my fairly out dated computer system running WinXP Pro SP3.

You can ask one of their reps but I believe your ZAES 2009 subscription should be good for use with the new ZAES 2010 (v9). I have not tried the laptop encryption security feature. Although I have a laptop I don't have any plans to use that feature on it...at least not yet. It does look like a really intriguing feature if you are concerned about your mobile laptop or desktop private data security. You might want to ask others in this forum or check out some other web site reviews about the feature before you enable it...i.e....how well it works...its resource usage when implemented...etc.

If you are upgrading from another product with another license make sure you follow their recommended uninstallation procedures. Its quite easy but you do have to pay attention to the details. If you are upgrading from a previous version of ZAES then follow any recommended instructions from their web site about that....but you should be able to use your same license for the new ZAES v9 if you have an active subscription for ZAES v8 (or version 2009). If you have any questions just call or chat from their web site with their customer service reps. The sales reps were very helpful in explaining licensing and upgrade questions when I chatted with them today through their web site based chat window.

NNard

August 31st, 2009, 10:37 PM

The browser security is a slim version of forcefield.

SoCalReviews

August 31st, 2009, 10:47 PM

-{ Quote: "SoCalReviews:

Privacy settings have been removed as well as the anti-spyware feature. There is a checkbox available upon installation for browser security (forcefield). I recommend you give it a spin - it is quite lean and running great.

Regards,
NNard" }-

Thanks for the info NNard...I will give it a try. The ZASS v9 had most but not all of the forcefield features. It lacked the Force Field virtualization component which IMO is a very nice option to have. I am guessing that the virtualization component is missing also in the new ZAP v9.

I wonder if the existing Force Field components along with some tweaking of the browser security settings still can't provide as good a security setup as the Privacy Settings options provided in previous versions of ZAP. If ZAP v9 is combined with NODv4 it probably provides a somewhat different set of enhanced AV and browser security features that you don't have with ZAES v9. It would however give you the option of having the virtualization feature which is what I really want to have.

Hey...Maybe I will try NODv4 along with ZAES v9 with the AV disabled....I have run ZASS v8.x (AV disabled) that way with NODv2.7 and it worked ok....but....Ya...I know you aren't supposed to have two AVs installed and ZASS and ZAES give pop up warnings about it (I don't recommend this for most since if things go wrong it could cause big problems or unrecoverable errors)...but if that setup with ZAES v9 (AV disabled) and NODv4 does work without conflicts it might offer the best of all options and features! This is getting interesting...:dry:

SoCalReviews

August 31st, 2009, 10:52 PM

-{ Quote: "The browser security is a slim version of forcefield." }-

Thanks...got it...That was my assumption. ;)

NNard

August 31st, 2009, 10:54 PM

SoCalReviews:

Good luck on whichever combination you decide to go with - please post back on your results - version 9 is running great:)

Regards,
NNard

SoCalReviews

August 31st, 2009, 10:58 PM

-{ Quote: "SoCalReviews:

Good luck on whichever combination you decide to go with - please post back on your results - version 9 is running great:)

Regards,
NNard" }-

Thanks NNard...I will report back any results...good talking with you...take it easy. :)

NNard

August 31st, 2009, 11:03 PM

-{ Quote: "Thanks NNard...I will report back any results...good talking with you...take it easy. :)" }-

Take care and good talking with you also.

act8192

September 1st, 2009, 12:14 AM

Do any of ou have experience with the Pro version? Seems like this thread is about ZA extreme with that forcefield thing.
Does the current licence for Pro work with this new release?
Any observations about it vs NODv3?
Any issue with the NOD proxy port 30606?
Has the interface for expert rules changed yet?
The Great Guru Oldsod over on the ZA forum has posted numerous suggestions when Checkpoint asked for feedback. Are any of those changes reflected in this new version?
If this post should not be here, in this thread, forum moderator is welcome to delete :)

fax

September 1st, 2009, 02:42 AM

-{ Quote: "By the way, I wonder if you can upgrade to this new version if you have an active subscription to Extreme Security 2009?
." }-

As confirmed by SoCalReviews yes, you can update to the latest ZAX with a valid ZAX license.

Running ZAX on VISTA 32bit and so far so good, quite solid. Considerable less resouces used as compared to previous version 8. Once they will ironed out any bug popping up (normal for new releases) this new line will be a real winner.

...and for the leaks stressed users this version should perform much better and move up on the matousec list even if, a super old version, is still marked as 'good' in there.

Cheers,
Fax

SoCalReviews

September 1st, 2009, 02:57 AM

-{ Quote: "Do any of ou have experience with the Pro version? Seems like this thread is about ZA extreme with that forcefield thing.
Does the current licence for Pro work with this new release?
Any observations about it vs NODv3?
Any issue with the NOD proxy port 30606?
Has the interface for expert rules changed yet?
The Great Guru Oldsod over on the ZA forum has posted numerous suggestions when Checkpoint asked for feedback. Are any of those changes reflected in this new version?
If this post should not be here, in this thread, forum moderator is welcome to delete :)" }-

Just to clarify since I don't know if you understood our previous posts but ZAP is an abbreviation we used for ZoneAlarm Pro so yes we have been discussing it in this thread. Zone Alarm or ZA Version 9 products or ZA v9 is the same as what many now call the new 2010 Zone Alarm products.

If the new NODv4 works with the new ZAP v9 as it was stated by NNard in a previous post then I would make the assumption that NODv3 also should work with the new ZAP v9. Many of the proxy based problems that NODv3 and NODv4 had with previous versions of ZAP apparently are no longer a problem with the latest ZAP v9 or ZAP 2010 or whatever you want to call it.

I wouldn't focus too much about our conversation about the new Force Field component that is in ZAP, ZASS (Zone Alarm Security Suite) and ZAES (ZoneAlarm Extreme Security). Force Field is simply a newer component in the latest ZA products that adds an additional layer of security for your web browser.

I hope this information was able to help answer your questions about the new ZAP v9 (2010). I think it was appropriate to ask your questions here and there are many informed ZA users that can help answer your questions. You might also want to take a look at the Checkpoint web site and the official ZA user forum for even more information and support relating to the newest ZA products.

SoCalReviews

September 1st, 2009, 03:13 AM

-{ Quote: "As confirmed by SoCalReviews yes, you can update to the latest ZAX with a valid ZAX license.

Running ZAX on VISTA 32bit and so far so good, quite solid. Considerable less resouces used as compared to previous version 8. Once they will ironed out any bug popping up (normal for new releases) this new line will be a real winner.

...and for the leaks stressed users this version should perform much better and move up on the matousec list even if, a super old version, is still marked as 'good' in there.

Cheers,
Fax" }-

Hi Fax... Do you have any experience with the laptop security feature or hard drive encryption security feature...or whatever it is called? That question was also asked in the post by Victek123 that I replied to. I didn't really have an answer to that question. I am sure I will learn about that newer feature at some time but I know nothing about it right now...thanks.

Page42

September 1st, 2009, 03:52 AM

If any of you guys would like to break off a separate thread for ZAP input, I've put one together over here (http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=252355). Please participate if you would! :thumb:

fax

September 1st, 2009, 06:08 AM

-{ Quote: "Hi Fax... Do you have any experience with the laptop security feature or hard drive encryption security feature...or whatever it is called? That question was also asked in the post by Victek123 that I replied to. I didn't really have an answer to that question. I am sure I will learn about that newer feature at some time but I know nothing about it right now...thanks." }-

Hi SoCalReviews!
Long time I have not seen you around, good to see you back :thumb:

Always refused to install on my laptop running XP SP3, so unfortunately I can't say much. Its a solid product originally developed as an enterprise product by Checkpoint (http://www.checkpoint.com/products/datasecurity/pc/), that is what I can say about the new Hard Drive Encryption . Sorry...

Cheers,
Fax

SoCalReviews

September 1st, 2009, 04:12 PM

-{ Quote: "Hi SoCalReviews!
Long time I have not seen you around, good to see you back :thumb:

Always refused to install on my laptop running XP SP3, so unfortunately I can't say much. Its a solid product originally developed as an enterprise product by Checkpoint (http://www.checkpoint.com/products/datasecurity/pc/), that is what I can say about the new Hard Drive Encryption . Sorry...

Cheers,
Fax" }-

Fax, I've been around but haven't been able to spend much time posting in these forums. I don't think I will ever be able to contribute the way I did at one time but I might post once in a blue moon either to ask a few questions or to add some of my own feedback on a security product.

It's good to see that things seem to be moving forward for the better with these new ZA releases. Maybe all that customer feedback that Checkpoint has been emphasizing for the past year or two is finally paying off in a big way. We will have to see how the new products do in the independent security tests.

There are a few features I would like to see implemented in ForceField....for example....it would be nice if there was an option to schedule an automatic cleaning of the virtualization data every time, daily, weekly, etc. Maybe there is already a way to do that...by simply scheduling it in the browser data itself. I will have spend more time tweaking the settings and see what I can come up with. It would also be nice if you could have the private browser option start automatically every time instead of having to click on it manually....again...maybe it is possible to have ForceField do that. I know that the new Firefox 3.5 allows that option and I am not sure if they operate the same way for security...but it would be nice to be able to control the ForceField component also. It sounds like the encryption feature could be useful to some users worried about data security. I don't have any plans to use it but it's nice to have extra features like that available.

Thanks for your input and for your extensive contributions to these security forums. :thumb:

fax

September 1st, 2009, 05:14 PM

-{ Quote: " There are a few features I would like to see implemented in ForceField....for example....it would be nice if there was an option to schedule an automatic cleaning of the virtualization data every time, daily, weekly, etc. Maybe there is already a way to do that...by simply scheduling it in the browser data itself. I will have spend more time tweaking the settings and see what I can come up with. It would also be nice if you could have the private browser option start automatically every time instead of having to click on it manually....again...maybe it is possible to have ForceField do that. I know that the new Firefox 3.5 allows that option and I am not sure if they operate the same way for security...but it would be nice to be able to control the ForceField component also. It sounds like the encryption feature could be useful to some users worried about data security. I don't have any plans to use it but it's nice to have extra features like that available.

Thanks for your input and for your extensive contributions to these security forums. :thumb:" }-

I am 100% with you!
In principle it is said that the cleaning of virtual data is not needed systematically, that is why the feature was not considered. But, I always found that a cleaning (from time to time) helps faster performances and stability. May be latest version has improved in this respect?

I don' think its possible to always start in "private mode" but if you find a way.... post back ... :)

Indeed Encryption is nice, ZA has built up a really complete pack of security features.

Cheers,
Fax
P.S. Thank you for the nice words! :thumb:

Victek123

September 1st, 2009, 05:15 PM

-{ Quote: "
It sounds like the encryption feature could be useful to some users worried about data security.
:thumb:" }-
.
I'm interested in the encryption option for my laptop because I will be switching to Windows 7 Home Premium in October and unfortunately "bitlocker" is only available in Windows 7 Ultimate. If I get ZAES 2010 retail I'm guessing the encryption feature could be added on as a download - any idea if that's how it works?

act8192

September 1st, 2009, 08:31 PM

-{ Quote: "Just to clarify since I don't know if you understood our previous posts but ZAP is an abbreviation we used for ZoneAlarm Pro so yes we have been discussing it in this thread. Zone Alarm or ZA Version 9 products or ZA v9 is the same as what many now call the new 2010 Zone Alarm products.

If the new NODv4 works with the new ZAP v9 as it was stated by NNard in a previous post then I would make the assumption that NODv3 also should work with the new ZAP v9. Many of the proxy based problems that NODv3 and NODv4 had with previous versions of ZAP apparently are no longer a problem with the latest ZAP v9 or ZAP 2010 or whatever you want to call it.

I wouldn't focus too much about our conversation about the new Force Field component that is in ZAP, ZASS (Zone Alarm Security Suite) and ZAES (ZoneAlarm Extreme Security). Force Field is simply a newer component in the latest ZA products that adds an additional layer of security for your web browser.

I hope this information was able to help answer your questions about the new ZAP v9 (2010). I think it was appropriate to ask your questions here and there are many informed ZA users that can help answer your questions. You might also want to take a look at the Checkpoint web site and the official ZA user forum for even more information and support relating to the newest ZA products." }-
SoCalReviews, thanks, I got it now.
This discussion by you, NNard and Fax is useful - thanks to all. Back to ZA (ZAP) I guess, for me , after a bit of a break :)

yonton228

September 2nd, 2009, 01:40 AM

So far so good on the ZAIS for me. Pretty big difference in memory usage between this version and the last. I am a bit interested in the ZAES for my GF for her laptop when she heads to college this fall. That disk encryption could be pretty handy for her.

-yonton228

Sjoeii

September 2nd, 2009, 01:44 AM

I see there is still a beta version as well. Is that correct?

fax

September 2nd, 2009, 01:54 AM

-{ Quote: "I see there is still a beta version as well. Is that correct?" }- Since around a year ZA has an almost continuous beta testing line that goes in parallel with normal releases. I would not be surprised if the beta will go on especially due to its still missing WIN7 64bit compatible version.

Fax

thathagat

September 2nd, 2009, 02:11 AM

well..zap 2010 is absolutely scaled down version esp for opera users the slimmed forcefield is just running taking up ram...no virtualisation in firefox/ie.
two questions regarding extreme security:
In zaes v8 there were two scanning processes always running in v9 i don't see any? the forcefield deems eicar safe and is only caught by on access scanner ?

fax

September 2nd, 2009, 02:48 AM

-{ Quote: "zap 2010 is absolutely scaled down version .... no virtualisation in firefox/ie" }-

Interesting, so ZAPRO toolbar contains what? Heuristic scanner? Site status?

-{ Quote: "In zaes v8 there were two scanning processes always running in v9 i don't see any?" }-

Yes, just one process will manage the firewall and the anti-malware engine (vsmon.exe) :)

-{ Quote: " The forcefield deems eicar safe and is only caught by on access scanner ?" }-

You mean the new heuristic scanner? Not suprised, there are no commands in EICAR just a line of text, so difficult to find a malware behaviour. I would be courious to know how it works with real malware.

Fax

thathagat

September 2nd, 2009, 05:40 AM

-{ Quote: "so ZAPRO toolbar contains what? Heuristic scanner? Site status?" }-
yup but enable virtualization is greyed out:not available....they have removed AS...privacy features etc and given piecemeal forcefield

-{ Quote: "You mean the new heuristic scanner? Not suprised" }-

yup it is the new heuristic scanner but extreme security browser protection is full fledged or so I think so it should block eicar.com file d/l like done by avira/kis webshield/webguard etc....?
P.S hitman pro would flag zaes related several files as suspicious but clearing virtual data from browser protection setting would yield a clean scan

screenshot of browser protection of extreme security v9
and
eicar test

SoCalReviews

September 2nd, 2009, 07:16 AM

IMO the virtualization feature is what really makes Force Field a powerful security component for your browser. This is why after evaluating ZASS v9 I simply decided to upgrade from ZASS to ZAES. Without the Security and Privacy Settings feature available I believe an extra new technology like virtualization is important to have. With virtualization there isn't a need to have the privacy and security settings and you can customize most newer browsers like Firefox v3.5x to allow, block or have exceptions for cookies, pop ups and mobile code (java and java script) settings. Therefore by tweaking your advanced browser settings and by using ForceField with its virtualizion component active you get a much more secure setup. In addition to ZAES v9 (or ZAX v9 as some call it) I am also running SAS Pro (SuperAntispyware Pro) in real time for an extra layer of protection.

If you don't have much time left on your ZASS subscription or if you just recently renewed your subscription you might still be able to upgrade. Either way I would highly recommend upgrading to ZAES if you can. You can call or chat with a Checkpoint cust service rep and see if they can offer you an upgrade price deal on ZAES (1 year, 3 computer allowed with 1 subscription). You can turn off or don't have to use any of the extra features in ZAES if you don't want to use them. I didn't see much if any difference in resource usage between ZASS v9 and ZAES v9. There is a difference in future renewal cost with a ZAES subscription compared to ZASS so you will have to factor that into your decision.

If you are using ZAP and you absolutely want to use your own separate AV software then you are sort of stuck without the virtualization feature unless you want to pay for the full subscription to Force Field also...I'm not sure how that would work or if it could work with two subscriptions of the same ForceField component. If you are running a really good full featured AV the virtualization component may not be as critical for your security setup. For those who really don't want the extra features in ZAES or for ZAP users who want to use their own AV program it would be nice if Checkpoint had a version of ZAP or ZASS with the ForceField virtualization component add on as optional (for only $10 more). Maybe in future versions they will offer it for ZAP and ZASS.

Sjoeii

September 2nd, 2009, 09:23 AM

-{ Quote: "Since around a year ZA has an almost continuous beta testing line that goes in parallel with normal releases. I would not be surprised if the beta will go on especially due to its still missing WIN7 64bit compatible version.

Fax" }-
Interesting.
Thanks Fax

thathagat

September 3rd, 2009, 11:13 AM

well here is an small example of zaes v9 advanced heuristic scan.........and realtime test......

Siro

September 5th, 2009, 05:56 AM

Have not used ZoneAlarm for years but it seems this time they have got it right this time and this product should sure be a hit!

eBBox

September 5th, 2009, 07:04 AM

Ey guys - What browsers does this suite support?

NNard

September 5th, 2009, 07:16 AM

-{ Quote: "Have not used ZoneAlarm for years but it seems this time they have got it right this time and this product should sure be a hit!" }-

ZoneAlarm Pro is running great on my VISTA SP2 laptop:D

fax

September 5th, 2009, 07:29 AM

-{ Quote: "Ey guys - What browsers does this suite support?" }- IE and Firefox :)

eBBox

September 5th, 2009, 07:42 AM

-{ Quote: "IE and Firefox :)" }-

Oki, thx. Wish that chrome & opera were supported too - or at least one of them ;) But well - marketshare...

JRosenfeld

September 5th, 2009, 02:15 PM

-{ Quote: "

I don' think its possible to always start in "private mode" but if you find a way.... post back ... :)

" }-

For IE 8 there are two ways: 1. new IE shortcut with the -private command added to the target line
2. registry fix so the normal shortcut start in inprivate mode by default

http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/how-to-start-internet-explorer-8-in-inprivate-mode-by-default/

Subgud

September 6th, 2009, 08:31 AM

After using ZAExtreme security I had a problem with my browers. I use IE8 and Firefox 3.5. When I tried to start them they would not start. I could see in taskmanager that they where both running, both I could not get them up and running.

I tried to restart my machine and then it fixed itself. But after some hrs I had the same problem again. So I uninstalled ZAExtreme and installed KIS 2010 and now my browers are up and running again as normal.

I dont now what the problem was. If I doubleclicked FF 2-3 times I could se in taskmanager that there where 2-3 FF running. Same with IE8.

fax

September 6th, 2009, 01:08 PM

-{ Quote: "After using ZAExtreme security I had a problem with my browers. I use IE8 and Firefox 3.5. When I tried to start them they would not start." }-

Yes, I have seen the same. After cleaning both the browser cache and the ZA 'virtual data' they go back to normal.
Installed the latest beta (build 84) to reproduce and report but I can't reproduce it anymore. LOL

Probably they need some fine tuning on Forcefield :)

Cheers,
Fax

hawki

September 6th, 2009, 03:05 PM

-{ Quote: "After using ZAExtreme security I had a problem with my browers. I use IE8 and Firefox 3.5. When I tried to start them they would not start. I could see in taskmanager that they where both running, both I could not get them up and running.

I tried to restart my machine and then it fixed itself. But after some hrs I had the same problem again. So I uninstalled ZAExtreme and installed KIS 2010 and now my browers are up and running again as normal.

I dont now what the problem was. If I doubleclicked FF 2-3 times I could se in taskmanager that there where 2-3 FF running. Same with IE8." }-

Firefox 3.5 and Forcefield are not compatible. This is an acknowledged issue which is promised to be fixed in the next version of Forcefield which is currently in progress.

fax

September 6th, 2009, 04:04 PM

-{ Quote: "Firefox 3.5 and Forcefield are not compatible" }-

-{ Quote: "

Feature-specific requirements
Browser security requirements

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8
Mozilla Firefox 2.0, 3.0, 3.5" }-http://www.zonealarm.com/security/en-us/system-requirements-zonealarm-products.htm

SoCalReviews

September 7th, 2009, 08:33 PM

-{ Quote: "Firefox 3.5 and Forcefield are not compatible. This is an acknowledged issue which is promised to be fixed in the next version of Forcefield which is currently in progress." }- I am using Firefox 3.5.2 with ForceField (virtualization enabled, not using ForceField private browsing) in ZAES v9 (ZAX v9) right now and have been using it for the past week with almost no problems. The only thing you might want to watch for problems is when you change the ForceField settings while in a browsing session or if you use the ForceField Private Browser option. All the other security features have worked great even when browsing on secure web sites.:thumb:

SoCalReviews

September 7th, 2009, 08:44 PM

-{ Quote: "Have not used ZoneAlarm for years but it seems this time they have got it right this time and this product should sure be a hit!" }- I don't want to speak too soon but from what I have seen so far ZAES v9 is one of the best complete security suites I have ever used. It has a relatively low resource usage, runs smoothly, it has state of the art security features, its highly compatible, it seems to work well with other ASW software like SAS and MBAM, and has a low number of annoying alerts to deal with. The ForceField browser security support with the virtualization component for BOTH the IE and Firefox browsers is a HUGE plus and was a major factor in my decision to go with ZAES v9.

I have just ZAES v9 for security software running on my PIII 1Ghz notebook with 512MB RAM, Windows XP Home SP3, and it runs efficiently enough to make that old notebook very usable for common web browsing, multimedia viewing, etc.. It runs better than when I was using the combination of NAV 2003 along with ZA Free for security on it seven years ago. :o

NNard

September 7th, 2009, 09:55 PM

-{ Quote: "I don't want to speak too soon but from what I have seen so far ZAES v9 is one of the best complete security suites I have ever used. It has a relatively low resource usage, runs smoothly, it has state of the art security features, its highly compatible, it seems to work well with other ASW software like SAS and MBAM, and has a low number of annoying alerts to deal with. The ForceField browser security support with the virtualization component for BOTH the IE and Firefox browsers is a HUGE plus and was a major factor in my decision to go with ZAES v9.

I have just ZAES v9 for security software running on my PIII 1Ghz notebook with 512MB RAM, Windows XP Home SP3, and it runs efficiently enough to make that old notebook very usable for common web browsing, multimedia viewing, etc.. It runs better than when I was using the combination of NAV 2003 along with ZA Free for security on it seven years ago. :o" }-

Hi SoCalReviews:

Are you still using NOD32 with any of your setups?

SoCalReviews

September 8th, 2009, 04:01 AM

-{ Quote: "Hi SoCalReviews:

Are you still using NOD32 with any of your setups?" }-

NNard, I am still using the combo of ZAP 8.x and NOD v2.7 with SAS Pro on four machines. One other machine that is not used online much is only using NOD v2.7 with the WinXP FW enabled. My personal desktop and notebook are running ZAES v9 and SAS Pro. The ZAP 8.x and NOD 2.7 machines might be slightly less resource intensive but not that much more than the systems using the ZAES v9. In a few months I will decide if I want to convert those four business systems to using ZAES v9 instead of using the ZAP with NOD combo.

I have not determined what the difference would be using ZAP v9 along with NOD v4 but I would guess that it would be similar to the ZAP v8 with NOD v2.7 combo since the new ZA v9 products are a bit faster and more efficient than previous versions and that would make up for NOD v4 being a little less efficient than NOD v2.7.

I don't recommend than anyone else do this but for the record...on my personal desktop I found that you can use NOD v2.7 along with ZAES v9 as long as you have the AV component (especially on demand) in ZAES turned completely off. ZAES will give you a nag screen warning about NOD v2.7 every time your system boots and every time you try to access the AV settings in ZAES. However, I have chosen to use ZAES with its AV instead of NOD v2.7. I have not tried ZAES v9 along with NOD v4 and I don't have any plans to since these are not test systems so I don't want to take too many chances with potential incompatibility problems.

I know you mentioned that you are using ZAP v9 with NOD v4 and it works well for you. I still have not tried that combination but I might in the near future.:)

thathagat

September 8th, 2009, 04:06 AM

hey SoCalReviews with zaes v9 does the full ultra deep scan show 99% when completed or 100%....?

SoCalReviews

September 8th, 2009, 04:17 AM

-{ Quote: "hey SoCalReviews with zaes v9 does the full ultra deep scan show 99% when completed or 100%....?" }- Hi thathagat, several AV with ASW scans have run since I installed ZAES v9 on my desktop (using Windows XP Pro SP3) about a week ago...two manual and at least two auto scheduled (with at least one being an ultra deep scan) and I did not notice the scans stopping at 99%. Most of the scans ran when the computer was idle although one scan may have run while I used the system as I remember they all appeared to complete to 100%. I don't know if you are wondering about a bug in a previous release and there might be special conditions that generate the problem but on my systems I did not notice that problem.

thathagat

September 8th, 2009, 04:41 AM

well its strange here though.........

fax

September 8th, 2009, 05:11 AM

-{ Quote: "well its strange here though........." }-

yes, I saw the same... just a GUI glitch :)
If you have the scanning window hidden, you will only see the yellow pop-up in the system tray indicating the completion of the scan.

Fax

SoCalReviews

September 8th, 2009, 06:54 AM

-{ Quote: "yes, I saw the same... just a GUI glitch :)
If you have the scanning window hidden, you will only see the yellow pop-up in the system tray indicating the completion of the scan.

Fax" }-

That certainly makes sense if the hidden scan went to 99% and then switched to a completed pop up which essentially would represent the same thing as being 100% completed. Now that I think about it I think that may have been what happened when the scans ran on my desktop system. That is a different issue than if it was stuck at 99% without finishing and I know I didn't see that happen. I wonder if this so called GUI "scan percentage completion glitch" will be fixed for the next release. :doubt:

fax

September 8th, 2009, 08:28 AM

-{ Quote: " That certainly makes sense if the hidden scan went to 99% and then switched to a completed pop up which essentially would represent the same thing as being 100% completed. " }-

Thats correct... the scan is completed and the "close" window option is given, so just a minor display issue. :)

Fax

fax

September 19th, 2009, 12:46 AM

New ZA Extreme and AV BETA 9.0.108.000 (http://www.zonealarm.com/beta)

-{ Quote: "Fixed issues between 9.0.084.000 and 9.0.108.000:

ZoneAlarm will now install on Windows 7 64 bit
Fixed high CPU utilization of vsmon when using voice Skype or playing certain games
General performance and stability improvements
Fixes to the AV scan window
Fixed issue where network detection dialog may come up before reboot on Windows 7
Improved Anti-Spam
General Anti-Virus treatment fixes" }-

-{ Quote: "
Known Issues:
Windows 7 :

If you disable load at startup in the ZoneAlarm preferences panel, you may lose network connectivity
ZoneAlarm may fail to install on Windows 7 in VMWare and on some Intel network cards. You may download the latest compatible Intel driver from here (http://downloadcenter.intel.com/filter_results.aspx?strTypes=all&ProductID=871&OSFullName=Windows+Server+2008*&lang=eng&strOSs=170&submit=Go) or ensure you VM or machine are dual core.
Flash may fail to install after the installation of ForceField" }-