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ZoneAlarm Security Suite
Price: £49.95 inc VAT

Features
Performance
Ease of use
Value for money
Overall

Reviewed By: Andy Shaw

This review updated: 03/02/2005
Featured in magazine:
Issue 102
Manufacturer Contacts:
Supplier: Zone Labs
Web Address: www.zonelabs.com


ZoneLabs will be familiar to most web users as the creator of ZoneAlarm – the free firewall that millions of internet users have downloaded and installed to protect their computers from hackers. Now, if you're willing to fork out some cash, ZoneLabs will increase this protection to cover all your computer's security requirements.

Features
The ZoneAlarm firewall is obviously included in this package, but it also adds more features, including anti-virus, privacy protection, email security, content filtering, instant messenger security, spam blocking and protection from phishing scams. This covers all of your PC's potential security gaps, making for a useful and comprehensive suite.

Performance
The most important elements of any security suite are its firewall and anti-virus software. ZoneAlarm's firewall is well proven. However, the virus scanner is a third-party add on, provided by Computer Associates. Although Computer Associates has been proven by testers such as ICSA Labs (www.icsalabs.com) and Virus Bulletin (www.virusbtn.com) to supply reasonable protection against threats, it hasn't fared as well as the likes of Norton AntiVirus and McAfee VirusScan.

Ease of use
Setting up the software can be done automatically or by answering a series of simple questions. Once up and running, a simple interface that will already be familiar to ZoneAlarm users is expanded on, offering extra options for the new functions. However, it isn't as professional and friendly looking as rival suites from McAfee or Norton, taking the edge off its day-to-day ease of use.

Value for money
Once you've bought the software and got through your year's worth of updates, you can buy another year for around £13 – you don't have to pay for a whole new package. However, no matter how much simpler life is when all your security is kept in one place, with free programs available to protect you from viruses and the like, this Security Suite feels quite pricey.

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