• Firewalls such as ZoneAlarm block Internet threats from compromising your PC.monitor with padlock image by patrimonio designs from Fotolia.com
  
  National government agencies to institutions of higher learning are encouraging, in most cases insisting, that all computer users connected to the Internet have a software firewall in use. The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, or US-CERT, is charged with understanding and mitigating cyber attacks against the country and its citizens. ZoneAlarm's firewall includes many features that help PC users mount a defense against virtual threats.
  
  

Inbound Firewall

• Inbound firewall protection stops intruders from gaining unauthorized access to your PC. Many activities that you do on your PC make frequent or constant connections to the Internet, like streaming music and video, and instant messaging. You would have a hard time monitoring every single event manually, but the inbound firewall feature of ZoneAlarm monitors these activities automatically. This feature also monitors for abnormal activity and the software takes actions, such as blocking an intrusion and alerting you that something suspicious is occurring.
  
  

Outbound Firewall

• Your personal computer is completely customizable, and you control most everything on it, including the color, theme and programs. Programs deemed as spyware, adware, and Trojan viruses, however, are not developed for you to control. In fact, these types of malware programs deceive PC owners and inflict harm on the computer or the owner's personal life. Malware transmits your computer activities back to a hacker, but an outbound firewall protection such as ZoneAlarm offers monitors for this activity, stops it and alerts you that a connection attempt is in progress.
  
  

Stealth Mode

• Stealth mode is an extension of ZoneAlarm’s inbound firewall feature. Stealth mode hides your computer's presence while connected to the Internet. The computer is still there and able to communicate with legitimate websites, but unsolicited attempts by hackers to find out if you are online are fruitless. Hackers will send a signal, sometimes referred to as a "ping," to see if your PC is detectable, and they will move on if it is not.
  
  

Anti-Phishing and Site Check

• Consumers and businesses are showing due diligence about identity theft via the Internet. "Phishing" is when an imposter website tricks users into divulging personal information, such as a Social Security number, bank account or credit card numbers. It is an unfortunate crime and nuisance when someone is victimized by phishing schemes, but each occurrence brought to light benefits the community as a whole because everyone is on alert for yet another new threat to their privacy and security. The anti-phishing and site check features of ZoneAlarm use historical data in assessing whether a website that you are about to visit is legitimate and then alert you of potential danger.
  
  

DefenseNet

• Millions of consumers and businesses use the ZoneAlarm firewall. That is a large base of real-world, real-time data the company can use to assess potential threats and mount a defense against those threats. User information is encrypted and secure as it is transmitted to ZoneAlarm for analysis. If a threat is widespread and serious, ZoneAlarm can quickly define it and create an update to send out to its customers so that they are protected.