Battle Antivirus for ZoneAlarm Pro Firewall?

BugCode

BugCode

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Howdy masters!

Well, change after change about security conficurations day after day, testing,testing, :lol:

Now i was looking some 3party firewall and i was goto "oldschool-back to the roots" site zonealarm!!! Like kerio,jetico etc... well, i was thinkig about download free version but, wow!!! when i was press the download buttos site says you got a was it 75% discount!

So i decided bought zonealarm pro firewall 1 year, it was a 8,95 EUR! Not much. Well i give you guys & girl link the site if someone is interesting testing oldschool firewall with cheap price, there it was/is => ZoneAlarm Free Firewall - Personal Computer Firewall Software and when press the download button popup window says HEY DUDE! Look at that price, hope it work with you also, no that i expecting much but that is so back to the root firewall :d .

So my question is, what and i mean nothing but antivirus not included firewall, because they say in support chat that there is lot of problems those., so ive been thinkin 3 antivirus top notch, well just thinkin and i want your suggestion also.

My choise is:
1: Avira
2: Avast
3: Bitdefender
4: <= There you could say ur suggestion your opinion what it could be. (i hope lot of suggestions.)

So pls give me your thoughts and i will pick that what get most vote :) with the zonealarm.

Thank you!

- "Semi-paranoid" BugCode
 
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@Wave
Yes smartscreen and uac is enabled and i have little "basic Instinct" also. Thats great i have many of ur MT members votes and maybe some suggestions so, it helped me decided. Sure i know little about those things, but now when i come back to the roots with Zonealarm it is interesting what you are thinking is best for that nowadays.

Atm, BD is leader...
 
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BugCode said:
@Wave
Yes smartscreen and uac is enabled and i have little "basic Instinct" also. Thats great i have many of ur MT members votes and maybe some suggestions so, it helped me decided. Sure i know little about those things, but now when i come back to the roots with Zonealarm it is interesting what you are thinking is best for that nowadays.

Atm, BD is leader...
Click to expand...
If you've got SmartScreen and UAC enabled then this is a good step of keeping your system protected; make sure it's used properly though - sometimes you might go on auto-pilot and allow something without thinking... This habit will eventually lead you into the trap of infection. Make sure you pay good attention to any SmartScreen notifications and do not allow anything to run with administrative privileges unless you know it really needs such privileges to function, and if it's really trusted.

Bitdefender are a good vendor and they are famous for having nice signatures, but there is new malware being released into the wild everyday and signatures are becoming more and more obsolete; they have other features too, such as anti-ransomware (not sure if it's on the free version though, and I'm pretty sure it works by protecting a set of chosen documents as opposed to analyzing the program and blocking when signs of ransomware encryption is identified).

Avast on the other hand do appear to provide much more than what Bitdefender can, but the question you must ask yourself is: do I really need all these components? Avast also have good signatures and they are very quick to update their databases multiple occasions per day, and also have a nice customer support system based on tickets if you required assistance directly from them... I would rate their customer support better than that of Bitdefender. Avast also have a basic HIPS system which many seem to be happy with.

Windows Defender is quite light since it's built-into the Windows OS (Windows 8 and above), and it works very smoothly on Windows 10 based on my previous experience with it. I haven't encountered any issues with it on Windows 10, not once. The additional zero-day protection mechanisms based on dynamic analysis isn't really required if you do know what you are doing, have UAC/SmartScreen enabled (and use them properly), and do your research before visiting new websites/running new software.

Some people prefer to take the Default-Deny approach and then they do their research, and others prefer to use Comodo Firewall with the auto-sandbox to keep themselves protected. Whatever floats your boat! :)

Just make sure:
- Do not accept attachments or click links on websites you do not trust, or from e-mails who are not verified senders. Even if you get an e-mail from a trusted sender (and it is not genuinely spoofed) but it is not written in the style the sender is known for using, then double check with them that they really sent that e-mail (in case they were hacked, since malware spreads a lot via e-mail both in the old days and current time).
- Stick to using trusted search engines like Google/DuckDuckGo/Bing, but also be aware that not all search results will lead to 100% clean sites... Search engines are not perfect just like us humans, far from it!
- Research programs before you run them (with or without admin privileges, since not all malware requires the additional privileges - it depends on the malware's purpose/functionality).
- Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) such as CyberGhost/ZenMate to protect your IP address -> this is not really "essential", but beneficial? Definitely. If an attacker obtains your IP address (through their malware being present on your system, or through network traffic of you visiting one of their sites) then they can target it through DDoS attacks (which results in your network bandwidth being used up (as well as the attackers), crashing your network usage).
- Use an ad-blocker extension/software to help protect yourself against advertising. I didn't used to claim this as essential but nowadays I would, since malvertising is slowly becoming more and more common in the wild... You'll get a better browsing experience with it anyway.
- Use HTTPSEverywhere if it's supported on your browser since if someone hacks your network (e.g. they're connected to it and sniffing the network) then they won't be able to obtain information you transmit from your browser client and the website, since it'll be encrypted -> also great if you use open WiFi networks at all.
- Scan new downloads at VirusTotal - Free Online Virus, Malware and URL Scanner or analyze it at an online malware analysis service like Free Automated Malware Analysis Service - powered by VxStream Sandbox (if you know what you're doing to read and understand the reports of course).
- Use a sandbox for unknown program testing, or even a Virtual Machine if your hardware is good enough/you have the time to spend.

At the end of the day, the only person who can choose what they should be using is you - I recommend you make use of the 30-day trials for the premium versions of Bitdefender/Avast or try out the free versions and stick to using either of them if you feel comfortable using them. If you feel that you don't need all of the components, you can disable some (e.g. if you got a premium version) or just switch over to Windows Defender for real-time protection.

Stay safe and good luck,
Wave. ;)
 
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Features of ZA Advanced Firewall | Link
  • OSFirewall™ Monitors programs for suspicious behavior – spotting and stopping new attacks that bypass traditional anti-virus protection.
  • Advanced-access Protection targets and defeats new, advanced attacks that other firewalls miss, such as raw data access, timing, and SCM and COM attacks.
  • Zero-hour Protection prevents silent outbreaks from gaining system access – before other security programs can even detect the threat.
  • Application Control uniquely shields your operating system during start-up, before most security products have even loaded.
  • Early Boot Protection uniquely shields your operating system during start-up, before most security products have even loaded.
Voted for Other.

Windows Defender is the least likely to interrupt and more compatible than other choices, based on listed features above for ZoneAarm Pro Firewall.

Why I Voted Against:
  • Avira forces users with Avira Online Essentials and pushes other Avira software through it.
  • Avast may overlap in security, and is (IMO) better suited with Windows Firewall.
  • Bitdefender requires a Bitdefender Central Account and is very limited under program settings.
 
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Thank you, thank you all who has wroted in own opinion. Lot of info for everybody! It is so great that there is alot of people who like to say own opinion if someone has question or not. So everybodys maybe learn something new.

This is why i made this thread i learn and maybe someone other learn new, that great! And of course that 3party "oldschool" firewall, many,many year ago since last time havin use zonealarm. Well, will see.

Like i have wroted my profile i like to test something new almost everyday :) Nice and fun "hobbie". I have SD & Sbie and my VM hot almost everyday/night depends of my job schedule.
Thanks and more suggestion and opinion are always welcome, not just because me but everybody here in MT!

Let's keep it that way :)

- BC
 
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BugCode said:
Howdy masters!

Well, change after change about security conficurations day after day, testing,testing, :lol:

Now i was looking some 3party firewall and i was goto "oldschool-back to the roots" site zonealarm!!! Like kerio,jetico etc... well, i was thinkig about download free version but, wow!!! when i was press the download buttos site says you got a was it 75% discount!

So i decided bought zonealarm pro firewall 1 year, it was a 8,95 EUR! Not much. Well i give you guys & girl link the site if someone is interesting testing oldschool firewall with cheap price, there it was/is => ZoneAlarm Free Firewall - Personal Computer Firewall Software and when press the download button popup window says HEY DUDE! Look at that price, hope it work with you also, no that i expecting much but that is so back to the root firewall :d .

So my question is, what and i mean nothing but antivirus not included firewall, because they say in support chat that there is lot of problems those., so ive been thinkin 3 antivirus top notch, well just thinkin and i want your suggestion also.

My choise is:
1: Avira
2: Avast
3: Bitdefender
4: <= There you could say ur suggestion your opinion what it could be. (i hope lot of suggestions.)

So pls give me your thoughts and i will pick that what get most vote :) with the zonealarm.

Thank you!

- "Semi-paranoid" BugCode
Click to expand...

ZoneAlarm uses Kaspersky AV drivers and engine. You have no need to supplement the ZA AV module by installing another AV on the system. Doing so will only add an unnecessary load on the system. Instead use a good companion scanner. It makes more overall practical, realistic sense. Tweak the ZA settings and learn how to use it (practice) -- you will have better protection.
 
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You said not to mention any other. But Yes I would go with F-Secure over the Doc. As for an bystander, try running Immunet along side it. It runs in the cloud and you do not know its their. Or you can use it as a second on demand scanner. I run it along side Zemana Antimalware and Eset Smart Security. Well let me say I use it as a on demand.
Immunet screenshots - Google Search
 
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bunchuu said:
Comodo internet security should be included in the list. It is free and has comprehensive protection (default deny, free firewall etc)
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Comodo HIPS and Firewall would create World War III vs ZoneAlarm Firewall Pro. I wouldn't...

Just install any light antivirus and if you have decent knowledge, you're done. Follow up all the advices up there. I'd say Avast Free or any light one with not so many alerts. (just stay away from Immunet, it was designed by the devil itself).
 
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