Checkpoint - ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009 review

When ZoneAlarm released its first personal firewall it was a wildly popular security solution for home users. Since then it has been constantly refining and updating its software to stay abreast of new threats. Internet Security Suite 2009 now combines its own award-winning firewall with Kaspersky's award-winning virus scanner, so on paper at least it appears to be the perfect combination of top-level protection. You'll also find a spyware scanner, identity theft protection, anti-spam, parental controls and more, to offer a comprehensive solution.

Setup is pretty fast and easy and the first thing that users of previous versions will notice is that the interface has had a bit of a refresh. Considering it was starting to look a bit dated this is not before time, and you'll now find a 'one-click' solution button on the main overview page that'll walk you through updates, scans and other tweaks to help you get the most from the software. From here you can view quick statistics on blocked intrusions and detected malware and access additional services such as identity protection and threat information at the SmartDefense Center.

Components are split up individually on a selectable list on the left and browsing through these reveals that while the revised interface is well received, most changes are in fact cosmetic and the same old slider control and tabbed settings structure exists underneath. This isn't a bad thing, since users have the choice of either making quick adjustments to security levels or getting their hands dirty with fine-tuning, so it's a suite that will appeal to both beginners and more advanced users.

While scans took a little longer than we'd have liked, in general performance was good and the software shouldn't have a noticeable impact on system overheads. It also uses minimal system memory during scanning and general operation, a tribute to the efficiency of the firewall and Kaspersky's antivirus tools.

The latter consistently scores the highest marks in Virus Bulletin's extensive tests and was given its VB100percent award, reserved for software that detects and cleans all current active threats. The firewall is also extremely capable and still up there with the best in the business, so from a security and usability point of view ZoneAlarm certainly seems to tick all the boxes.

Despite these distinct advantages it's not perfect, and one rather frustrating issue is that the suite doesn't include secure browsing, so you won't find protection against keyloggers, phishing sites and other online threats. It's not difficult to work out why browser security has been left out here since ZoneAlarm Forcefield does all this for you and when 'scanning' for holes in the security of your system you are notified of this and pointed in the direction of the Forcefield product page.

ZoneAlarm is a bit cheaper than most other security suites on the market but considering most others offer this sort of protection for free, the advantage is negated when you realise you have to spend around £20 extra for browser protection. Many other suites also offer additional features such as data backup, optimisation and cleanup, so while the level of security you're getting from ZoneAlarm is good, it's comparatively quite expensive.

Checkpoint - ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009 features - Verdict

Despite the lack of browser protection and the kinds of extras that rival packages are starting to offer at a comparable price, ZoneAlarm's firewall and anti-malware combination is second to none, and for a pure security solution it's an excellent choice to protect you against the latest threats and safeguard your computer against intrusion.