ZoneAlarm Review: Can This Antivirus Solution Protect You in 2024?

#1 ZoneAlarm Review in 2024

ZoneAlarm, a well-known name in the cybersecurity world, has been protecting users' digital lives since 2000. As a seasoned antivirus reviewer, I decided to put ZoneAlarm through its tests to see if it lives up to its reputation in 2024.

In this thorough ZoneAlarm review, I'll examine its  features, performance, and overall value. You might be surprised by some of the findings – I know I was! Whether you're a tech beginner or a seasoned pro, this review will help you decide if ZoneAlarm is the right choice for your digital security needs.

Here's what you'll learn in this review:

• How well ZoneAlarm protects against malware and online threats
• The effectiveness of its firewall and anti-ransomware features
• How user-friendly the interface is for both beginners and advanced users
• The impact on system performance
• Whether ZoneAlarm offers good value for money

Let's start our exploration into the world of ZoneAlarm and see what it has to offer!

In a Hurry? Here's a Quick Summary

If you're short on time, here's a brief overview of my ZoneAlarm review:

What You'll Like:

• Strong firewall protection
• Effective anti-ransomware features
• User-friendly interface
• Low system impact
• Comprehensive web protection suite

What You May Not Like:

• Limited customization options for advanced users
• Lack of some advanced features found in competing products
• No file encryption or backup features

What Makes This ZoneAlarm Review Different?

Many ZoneAlarm antivirus reviews you'll find online are based on second-hand information or marketing materials. They often lack the depth and real-world testing needed to truly evaluate a security product. That's not how I do things.

For this review, I purchased ZoneAlarm Extreme Security NextGen, the most comprehensive version available for home users. I installed it on my personal laptop and used it extensively for several weeks. This hands-on approach allowed me to experience ZoneAlarm as a real user would, testing every feature and observing its day-to-day performance.

I ran multiple malware tests, simulated various threat scenarios, and even tried to break things (safely, of course) to see how ZoneAlarm would respond. Throughout this process, I captured numerous screenshots to give you a visual tour of the software.

My goal is to provide you with an honest, unbiased, and thorough review based on real experience. So, whether you're considering purchasing ZoneAlarm or just curious about its capabilities, you can trust that this review reflects genuine insights from extensive testing.

Buying ZoneAlarm

When I decided to review ZoneAlarm, I wanted to test all the features the software had to offer. After comparing the different versions available for home users, I opted for ZoneAlarm Extreme Security NextGen. This top-tier version includes the antivirus engine, anti-ransomware features, and the firewall – everything I needed for a comprehensive review.

As a first-time customer, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a 60% discount on the first year's subscription. That's quite a deal! The buying process was simple and user-friendly. I entered my personal information, chose to pay by debit card (though PayPal and wire transfer were also options), and completed my purchase.

After the transaction, I received three confirmation emails. These contained my order number, activation code, download links, and invoice. It's nice to have all this information readily available in case you need it later.

The whole process felt effortless and professional, giving me confidence in my purchase right from the start. If you're considering buying ZoneAlarm, keep an eye out for similar discounts – they can make this robust security suite even more attractive.

Installation

Installing ZoneAlarm was a breeze. I clicked the download button in the email I received, and the installer started downloading immediately. The installation process itself was quick and simple, taking only 1 minute and 30 seconds from start to finish.

What I found interesting is that there were no options to choose from during the installation. While this might be a downside for more advanced users who like to customize their installation, it does make the process simpler for the average user. Just click and go – you can't get much easier than that.

After the installation was complete, I was ready to do thorough tests for this ZoneAlarm review. The quick and hassle-free installation process definitely earned some points in my book – after all, good security shouldn't be a chore to set up.

Interface

First impressions matter, and ZoneAlarm's user interface makes a good one. It's clean, minimalistic, and typical of what you'd expect from a modern antivirus solution. The window background is white, giving it a fresh, tidy look.

ZoneAlarm's user interface includes a big scan button in the middle.

In the middle of the UI, you'll see the protection status of your PC. A green checkmark signifies that your PC is protected – always a reassuring sight. Below this, there's a large button for running a quick scan. This prominent placement makes it easy for users to perform a quick security check whenever they want.

The lower area of the window provides access to the most important features: firewall, scan features, web protection features, and hacking protection options. This layout makes it easy to find and use the core functions of the software.

One thing that caught my attention during this ZoneAlarm review is the lack of themes or color options. If you're someone who likes to personalize your software's appearance, you might find this limiting. However, ZoneAlarm does offer language options – 19 of them, in fact. You can change the language by clicking on the user icon at the top bar and selecting Language Preferences.

ZoneAlarm provides 19 different languages for its user interface.

Overall, I found the interface to be intuitive and easy to navigate. Whether you're a first-time user or an experienced one, you shouldn't have any trouble finding your way around ZoneAlarm's features.

Major Features

Now, let's examine the meat of this review – ZoneAlarm's major features. I'll go through each one, sharing my experiences and observations from testing.

Web Protection

In today's online environment, web protection is crucial. Like other strong antivirus competitors such as McAfee and Kaspersky, ZoneAlarm offers a suite of web security features that you can manage from the Web Secure window. These features are powered by the Web Secure browser extension, which you need to install to activate the web protection features.

The Web Secure features include anti-phishing, safe browsing, and more.

Here's what's included in the web protection package:

• Anti-Phishing: This feature scans all websites before you enter any personal information. It alerts you if a site is safe or if it's a potential phishing attempt.
• Safe Browsing: It determines whether the websites you want to visit are malicious and automatically prevents you from accessing them if they are.
• Content Filtering: This allows you to block websites based on their content. There are 9 content categories to choose from.
• Threat Extraction: This feature removes potential threats from email attachments and web downloads.
• Threat Emulation: A unique ZoneAlarm feature that protects against unknown zero-day attacks by examining suspicious files in the cloud.

To put these features to the test for this ZoneAlarm review, I visited several websites known for testing security software. Here are the results:

• Malicious website test - blocked
• WICAR - blocked 13/13 threats
• AMTSO - blocked 15/15 threats
• EICAR - blocked 3 out of 4 threats

ZoneAlarm blocking a malicious website

I was impressed with ZoneAlarm's performance in these tests. It successfully blocked almost all threats, providing robust protection against malicious websites and downloads. The only slight issue was with the EICAR test, where it missed one out of four threats. While not perfect, this is still a strong showing.

The web protection features are comprehensive and effective, offering a solid defense against online threats. The ability to customize content filtering is a nice touch, allowing users to tailor their browsing experience to their needs or preferences.

Scan

ZoneAlarm offers two types of antivirus scans that can be performed manually: critical and full scan. Let's take a closer look at each.

ZoneAlarm's antivirus module lets you access the scans, quarantine, and exceptions list.

Critical (Quick) Scan

The Critical Scan, also known as a quick scan, focuses on scanning critical areas of the file system and OS. It's designed to be faster, allowing for more frequent checks without significant disruption.

The Critical Scan scanned 74645 files on my system.

In my ZoneAlarm review test, the quick scan took 5 minutes and 45 seconds to finish, scanning 76K files. It detected two threats, which were automatically quarantined. When a threat is found, a separate window opens, allowing you to click on the details to learn more.

ZoneAlarm detecting a threat

I found the Critical Scan to be reasonably fast and effective. It's a good option for routine checks when you don't have time for a full system scan.

Full Scan

The Full Scan, as the name suggests, scans all files and folders, including any connected USB storage devices. This comprehensive scan provides a thorough check of your entire system.

In my test, the full scan took considerably longer than the quick scan, which is to be expected. It scanned 270k files and detected 9 threats. These threats were leftovers from a previous web protection test, and ZoneAlarm promptly quarantined them.

Full Scan results: over 270k files scanned and 9 threats neutralized.

While the full scan takes more time, it provides a more thorough examination of your system. I'd recommend running it regularly, perhaps weekly or monthly, depending on your usage patterns.

Scheduled Scan

ZoneAlarm allows you to schedule automatic scans, which is a feature I always appreciate in antivirus software. By default, it sets up two scheduled scans: a weekly critical scan and a monthly full scan.

Scheduled scan settings

You can easily customize these schedules via Antivirus > Schedule scans. The options are quite flexible – you can set the frequency (one time, daily, weekly, or monthly), the date, and the time. This level of customization ensures that scans can run at times that are convenient for you, minimizing disruption to your work or leisure activities.

Overall, I found ZoneAlarm's scanning capabilities to be robust and user-friendly. The combination of quick scans for routine checks and full scans for comprehensive protection, along with the ability to schedule these automatically, provides a well-rounded approach to system security.

Ransomware Protection

Ransomware has become one of the most feared types of malware in recent years, so effective ransomware protection is a crucial feature for any modern antivirus solution. ZoneAlarm includes ransomware protection in its security suite, and I was keen to put it to the test.

To evaluate the software's ransomware protection capabilities for this ZoneAlarm review, I used a ransomware simulator. This tool simulates various ransomware scenarios to see how effectively the antivirus can stop them.

ZoneAlarm's ransomware protection settings include advanced file protection and anti-keylogger.

The results were pretty impressive. ZoneAlarm successfully stopped 13 out of 22 ransomware simulation scenarios. While not perfect, this is actually a good performance, considering that the average success rate for antivirus software is 15 out of 22.

You can enable or disable the anti-ransomware shield from the Hacking Protection window. This is also where you can access the quarantine for ransomware threats and open the Exceptions window, where you can add files that you don't consider a threat.

I particularly liked the ability to add exceptions. This feature allows you to fine-tune the protection to your specific needs, reducing false positives while maintaining strong security.

In the same window, you'll find two other interesting features:

1. Advanced File Protection: This feature emulates new files created on your system to detect and block advanced malware. You can inspect files that have been recently emulated, which will automatically get added to the list.
2. Anti-Keylogger: This blocks programs that secretly record your keystrokes. While there aren't any options to configure for this feature, its presence adds an extra layer of security against a common type of malware.

Overall, I found ZoneAlarm's ransomware protection to be robust and effective. While there's always room for improvement, the current implementation should provide solid protection against most ransomware threats.

Firewall

ZoneAlarm's firewall is one of its standout features, and it's easy to see why the company has built a strong reputation in this area.

ZoneAlarm's firewall features include application control, anti-bot, and firewall events.

The ZoneAlarm Firewall protects your computer from hacker activity, viruses, and worms by defining three security zones: Trusted, Public, and Blocked. By default, the Public Zone works in High security mode, and the Trusted Zone works in Medium security mode:

• High security mode for Public Zone allows you to connect to network resources but prevents unauthorized network users and computers from accessing the resources on your computer.
• Medium security mode for Trusted Zone protects your computer from possible attacks on Windows networking services but lets you share resources with other computers on the network.
• Blocked Zone contains computers and networks you distrust. No traffic to or from this zone is allowed.

You can configure the zone rules via the Firewall window. Here you can see the network name, IP address, entry type zone and edit buttons.

Firewall zone configuration

Other important features include:

• Application control: This enables you to allow or block applications from connecting to the Internet. You can adjust the application permissions in the program.
• Anti-Bot: This feature blocks malicious communications and stops bot threats.

To test the effectiveness of the firewall, I used a well-known firewall test tool, ShieldsUp!. I'm happy to report that ZoneAlarm passed the test with flying colors. My equipment didn't respond to the UPnP examinations, which is exactly what you want to see.

The firewall's performance impressed me. It's clearly one of ZoneAlarm's strongest features, providing solid protection against network threats while still being adjustable enough for more advanced users.

Events Timeline

ZoneAlarm includes an Events Timeline feature, which I found quite useful for tracking the software's actions and my own security-related activities.

ZoneAlarm's Events Timeline displays exact security events - when they happeend and what threat was blocked.

This feature shows you what actions you took and what the antivirus program did. For example, it displays all of the detected threats and at which date and time they were found. You can click on details to learn more about each event.

I appreciate this level of clarity. It allows you to keep track of ZoneAlarm's activities and gives you a clear picture of your system's security status over time. If you're the type of user who likes to stay informed about what's happening on your system, you'll likely find this feature very helpful.

System Performance Impact

One concern many users have about antivirus software is its impact on system performance. I'm happy to report that ZoneAlarm performs well in this regard.

While running a full scan for this ZoneAlarm review, the software consumed about 15% CPU power and 150MB of RAM. This is below the average of 25% CPU usage and 300MB RAM consumption that I've seen in many other antivirus solutions.

This low resource consumption means that you can run scans without significantly slowing down your computer. You should be able to continue with your work or leisure activities while ZoneAlarm does its job in the background.

ZoneAlarm Review: Conclusion

After thoroughly testing ZoneAlarm, here are my final thoughts:

1. Reliable Protection: ZoneAlarm is a solid antivirus application that comes with essential cybersecurity features. Its antimalware engine, firewall, anti-ransomware, and web protection features all performed well in my tests.
2. User-Friendly: One of ZoneAlarm's strongest points is its ease of use. Whether you're a PC beginner or an experienced user, you'll find the interface user-friendly and the features easy to navigate.
3. Low System Impact: ZoneAlarm consumes a relatively low amount of CPU and RAM, which is a big plus. You won't have to worry about it slowing down your computer significantly.
4. Focused Feature Set: I appreciate that ZoneAlarm doesn't try to overload users with unnecessary features. Everything included serves a purpose and works as expected.
5. Room for Improvement: While the features work well, I would have liked to see more detailed descriptions of some features in the UI, or at least shortcuts to pages where you can learn more about each feature.

Overall, ZoneAlarm Extreme Security NextGen proves to be a solid choice for those seeking thorough protection without compromising system performance. It strikes a good balance between functionality and user-friendliness, making it suitable for a wide range of users.

Is it the perfect antivirus solution? No, but it comes pretty close for many users' needs. If you're looking for reliable protection with a user-friendly interface and low system impact, ZoneAlarm is definitely worth considering.

Looking for alternative antivirus solutions? Norton, TotalAV, and Bitdefender are excellent choices. Plus, see our picks for the top antivirus software in 2024.

Octav Fedor (Cybersecurity Editor)

Octav is a cybersecurity researcher and writer at AntivirusGuide. When he’s not publishing his honest opinions about security software online, he likes to learn about programming, watch astronomy documentaries, and participate in general knowledge competitions.