Pros

• ZoneAlarm Extreme Security has the best antivirus, antispyware, firewall combination among Premium security suites
• You can schedule daily, weekly or monthly scans
• It has a two-way firewall which blocks threats and protects you when you’re online
• It offers registry repair

Cons

• ZoneAlarm doesn’t offer telephone support
• It doesn’t provide additional backup and restoration solutions such as the ability to backup the hard drive

View side-by-side comparison of Premium Security Suites

ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2012 allows you to stop using individual security software products and have one complete security solution. It’s one of the best premium security suites we’ve seen in our reviews and it has proved it has the ability to stop all malicious threats.

With ZoneAlarm, you can expect a premium security suite that has the ability to stop the latest viruses, worms and Trojans. And that’s because it combines firewall protection, email filtering, PC Utility Tools and antivirus protection into one neat security software solution.

Antivirus/Antispyware Protection

ZoneAlarm Extreme runs full system scans that check for viruses and spyware that are harmful and regularly plague PC users. You can schedule them to run daily, weekly or monthly and ensure that your PC is protected at all times. However, if you prefer, manual scans are possible, and they allow you to scan at times when you feel your PC has become infected.

ZoneAlarm provides kernel level protection and updates its definitions regularly to keep up with the latest threats.

Firewall Security

There are two firewalls in ZoneAlarm Extreme Security and they combine to bring a premium security suite that’s hard to beat.

It has an OSFirewall that monitors all changes on your PC and stop attacks before they cause any harm. And it has a two-way firewall which blocks threats and makes your PC untouchable when online.

And it combines all this with the software’s multiple layers of advanced protection to provide effective firewall security.

Internet Security Software

ZoneAlarm runs a program called ForceField which protects your PC from keyloggers, scammers, drive-by downloads and trackers. And for extra privacy, it provides a browser tool that erases all cookies, history, passwords and cache.

It also supports a virtual browser that mimics your usual browser, except it is not affected like your regular browser would be if attacked.

And it has a gamer mode which stops all pop-ups and interruptions when you are playing games or watching videos in full-screen mode.

PC Utility Tools

Unfortunately, ZoneAlarm Extreme Security is lacking Diskcleanup, a necessary feature for removing unnecessary files. This feature is common in other top premium security suites like Norton 360 and Mcafee Total Protection and it would certainly have boosted ZoneAlarm if it had been included.

However, it performs registry repairs and cleans out temporary internet files which can be a nuisance and cause PC slowdown. It performs this cleaning automatically and doesn’t wait for you to do it.

Other Features

• Parental Controls – you can set passwords with this feature and set the filtering controls to on or off. This helps to block out sites that aren’t suitable for kids in your household and ensures their safety as they use the internet.
• Identity Protection element – it keeps your personal information private and out of the hands of cyber criminals. And it also provides free access to ZoneAlarm Identity Protection Centre, a service which includes a free year of credit monitoring, email alerts and access to Identity Theft Recovery Support

Ease of Use

From the moment you install ZoneAlarm Extreme Security, you’ll find it very easy to use. It has a range of features that range from medium to high, so you don’t have to manually configure everything.

Support

They offer premium support for $49.95 per incident that will help you with things like virus removal and software installation and configuration. They also offer free email and live chat which should be sufficient for most users

Summary

ZoneAlarm Extreme Security is a good premium security suite that has outstanding features like a registry cleaner and parental controls that many users desire. It also offers excellent virus and spyware removal and a formidable firewall.