Zonealarm Hijacks Browser

[keestha]

The last 7 years I always had computers I was working with protected against intruders with the free version of ZoneAlarm. Sometimes the program prompted me to download&install a free upgrade, which I usually did after a few days, after I had been prompted to do this over and over again.

Lately, again the familiar small gray pop up appeared on the screen, suggesting to download a free upgrade. After clicking yes, I was led to a webpage that invited me to purchase goods from one of ZoneAlarms "partners". After having done so, I would be able to download the free ZoneAlarm upgrade. Of course I closed the browser right away.

But since then, the small gray pop up keeps reappearing continuously. It gives you a drop down menu option to be reminded in a certain number of days. But using this option, or simply trying to close the pop up, invariably leads the browser to the webpage inviting you to purchase something fom one of ZoneAlarms "partners".

Simply using the "back" button brings you back to the page you were viewing, but it is rather annoying nevertheless.

Did anybody stumble across the same problem, and, more important, does anybody know what to do against this?>

Edited September 26, 2007 by keestha

[cdnvic]

If you are using Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later you don't need that formerly excellent product called Zone Alarm. Ditch it and use the Windows Firewall.

[Tororoso]

If you are using Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later you don't need that formerly excellent product called Zone Alarm. Ditch it and use the Windows Firewall.

I too have just downloaded the upgrade and have had strange things happening like not being able to right-click on some of the icons, etc.

In lieu of zone alarm and avast, are there any other free firewalls you would you recommend? Preferably one that's not a resource hog.

[cdnvic]

In order of preference:

Windows Firewall

Sunbelt Personal Firewall (formerly Kerio) not free but only $10 now.

Comodo

You still need good antivirus and antispyware programs.

Edited September 26, 2007 by cdnvic

[relayer]

If you are using Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later you don't need that formerly excellent product called Zone Alarm. Ditch it and use the Windows Firewall.

Ha!

You are naive!

I say ditch BOTH products.

ZoneAlarm was quietly bought out by an Israeli firm (Checkpoint Software) several years ago and since then it has become a tool for certain 'nefarious elements', shall we say. They were caught spying on their users by virtue of a 'secret' database file that appeared in a subsequent version and was apparently maintaining a log of where you went on the web, then 'reporting' its contents back to Checkpoint at will (and then, presumeably, on to these other 'elements'). AFAIK, to this day, there is still no way to prevent ZA from granting itself server rights to prevent this. Very dangerous.

As soon as I learned of this, I urgently shopped for an alternative (and settled on Outpost Pro), then immediatlely uninstalled and deleted ZA with disgust and haven't looked back. I recommend everyone do the same -- for peace of mind, if nothing else.

And then, of course, there's Mickeysoft's built-in firewall, which is essentially like having a simple passage lock for the front door of your house, with Mr Softy maintaining a copy of the key (in other words, very weak security), all the while leaving the back door open for the NSA (and who know who else) to spy on you.

And Vista is worse. Don't believe me? Just do some Googlin'.

They don't want you to know this stuff. They want to keep you uninformed and slumbering, thinking you are protected and secure, because, afterall, this is the Mighty Microsoft we're talking about. They are a large, well-established, dominant company and would NEVER violate your trust nor privacy. Never. Big Brother-type monopolies in bed with the gov't just don't do those types of things. Right?

Wrong.

Caveat emptor, people...

[nikster]

Windows Firewall is good enough, free, and free of ad- and spyware. Remove ZoneAlarm and your Windows experience will be a better one

You don't need it. No, really. In addition, ZoneAlarm is one of the worst offenders for installing itself deep into the system, causing instability while not really helping anything. I had the paid-for AntiVirus once - company license - and uninstalled it rather quickly. It's really horrible software. Its only purpose seems to be to keep you in a constant state of paranoia so that you keep buying ZoneAlarm... your life will be less exciting without all those popups and warnings but in the end just as secure

[cdnvic]

Ha!

You are naive!

[nikster]

Caveat emptor, people...

Well Microsoft really isn't a particularly trust-worthy company but that's no reason to delve into conspiracy theories...

If you want to take control of your windows install, use Secure-IT or other tools to lock down the system. Secure-IT locks down all sorts of access points to your system that MS left in there. You have to realize that all of these insecurities were added on top of a generally securable system - Windows NT - and they were added for the sake of convenience at a time when security was considered unimportant. At least by Microsoft that is

[relayer]

...or other tools to lock down the system. ...

Among the many third party apps I have, with their varying degrees of access permissions allowed, I've got 5 System-type files restricted by Outpost. Two are partially allowed access to the internet because they need to in order to maintain a connection:

services.exe (allow UDP only)

svhost.exe (allow outbound TCP HTTP connection only)

The other three applications (mstask.exe, explorer.exe and system.exe) have no business trying to establish outbound connections without my permission, yet they have tried to repeatedly.

So they went into the 'blocked applications' box for good, with no loss of functionality.

It's this type of thing that really irks me about Microsoft.

Sorry, Microsoft, but it's MY computer, thank you ...

[relayer]

Among the many third party apps...

To be clearer, that should have read

"In addition to the many third party apps..."

Obviously, MS System files are not considered 'third party'.

My grammar is careless at times...