ZoneAlarm Extreme Security

ZoneAlarm Extreme Security offers security for users who want a complex software solution for their PC that includes antivirus protection, plus anti-spyware, anti-phishing, anti-ransomware, and others.

With ZoneAlarm Extreme Security, you get a powerful application that can target multiple digital threats. An antivirus solution usually offers you protection by detecting and removing malicious content. The ability to accurately recognize malware and viruses is provided by the software's automatic updating system.

However, ZoneAlarm Extreme Security communicates, in real-time, with a cloud database that has indexed the latest antivirus signatures and web threats. As such, the program's engine keeps itself constantly updated, and it is always on the watch.

Moreover, the tool's anti-ransomware engine targets sophisticated ransomware infections and helps restore encrypted content back to its original state (in both online and offline modes). In the paid version, you can also get identity theft protection (with email notifications for changes in credit reports and phone counseling to a Victim Recovery Service).

With its anti-keylogger protection features (via add-on installation), this application also prevents online, hidden keyloggers (online scammers that attempt to steal passwords and information by recording the keystrokes entered by the user).

ZoneAlarm Extreme Security has sophisticated protection methods and options. However, its GUI looks a bit outdated; on the flip side, the commands and features are accessible and easy to understand. The app allows you to perform quick or full system scans, including security scans with archive files.

You can schedule automatic scans (separately for quick and full system scans), antivirus database updates as frequently as every 30 minutes, and enable/disable the automatic component update.

Last but not least, ZoneAlarm Extreme Security lets you activate the 'Game Mode.' This option temporarily blocks incoming alerts. You can set up a default command for each detected threat — deny or allow (which block or allow processes that raise flags to run in your system).

When in Game Mode, the app does not allow you to create custom filters for selectively blocking or allowing pieces of content to be executed.

Depending on your VPN solution and on your ZoneAlarm Extreme Security's configuration, you might get your VPN disconnected more frequently than usual. If you encounter VPN connection issues in the first place, try disabling the antivirus and see if the connection gets established.

ZoneAlarm Extreme Security is a truly useful antivirus that comes packed with a lot of other complex functionality. Although sometimes it could interfere with some of your existing processes, generally, it integrates well in a non-specialized machine configuration, a PC for the average user (e.g., a PC with a dev or QA configuration for network testing or other VPN configurations would interfere with this antivirus).