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ZoneAlarm Employs Scare Tactics Against Its Users

Posted by Soulskill on from the your-computer-is-broadcasting-an-ip-address dept.

snydeq writes "Check Point Software appears to be ripping a page from the 'scum it claims to fight,' running a scare-tactic warning dialog to frighten users into upgrading to a paid version of the company's ZoneAlarm firewall product. Preying on fears of ZeuS.Zbot, the Check Point warning dialog tells users their PCs 'may be in danger' without having found ZeuS.Zbot, nor having checked to see whether you're running an antivirus product. 'The program doesn't care if you're infected with ZeuS.Zbot, or if you have protection in place. It just wants to sell you an upgrade to the firewall that may or may not detect future ZeuS.Zbot variants' activities — some day.' Check Point's customers have inundated the ZoneAlarm forums with complaints."

9 of 216 comments (clear)

  1. Backfire after management change by flydpnkrtn · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As a poster indicates, ZA was bought out by CheckPoint a few months ago. This scare tactic will probably backfire on them...

    Why in the hell did someone at CheckPoint say to themselves "Wait a second... Gestapo style marketing that looks like a phishing scam sounds like a great idea!"

    --
    Here's to the crazy ones
  2. ZoneAlarm users get what they deserve by realmolo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Seriously. What morons are using ZoneAlarm? WHY would you use it, when Windows has had a better firewall since XP, and the Vista/Windows 7 firewall is even better than that?

    ZoneAlarm has always been a piece-of-shit.

    1. Re:ZoneAlarm users get what they deserve by mysidia · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Try blocking outgoing connections with the XP firewall.

      Try upgrading to Windows 7 and using Windows Advanced Firewall instead of a 12-year-old product ? :)

      Worrying about blocking outgoing connections with ye' ol' windows XP firewall is kind of like worrying about duplex printing on a 80s/early 90s-era dot matrix printer <G>

  3. ZA -- good but time passed it by by mlts · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I remember ZA being decent, especially the registered version. However, there isn't a need for it anymore, just like there isn't a need for QEMM-like packages for new equipment. Windows 7 has a decent built in firewall to keep things out [1], and for antivirus protection, Microsoft Security Essentials is a download away and licensed at no charge.

    [1]: If a compromised app is trying to phone home, the battle is lost when it comes to host security. So having a firewall popping up Allow/Deny dialogs is pointless on post-XP Windows versions because of the amount of false positives generated.

  4. Re:Trusted by Darkness404 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ....Because many viruses will try to open up ports so they can send spam, etc.

    --
    Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
  5. Zounds! ZoneAlarm zealous about Zeus.Zbot? by Culture20 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Whatever happened to alliteration in article titles?

  6. Re:ZoneAlarm still exists? by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yes; windows XP SP2 or higher, windows Vista, and Windows 7. All three have a firewall that is more than most users need.

    IF you really need a "little snitch" type of app for windows, you need advanced software. 99% of all users do not need this kind of "firewall" and would be better off with the built in windows one.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  7. Re:ZoneAlarm still exists? by magnusrex1280 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Microsoft Security Essentials, hands-down. Faster and more efficient than all the others, and it's unobtrusive. And it's free.

  8. Re:ZoneAlarm still exists? by h4rr4r · · Score: 4, Insightful

    iptables.