ZoneAlarm’s Internet Security 5.5 is one of the best security suites we’ve seen. Its interface is far easier to use and understand than the competition’s, and its feature set, which includes a personal information vault and instant-messenging encryption, puts the comparably priced Norton Internet Security 2005 and McAfee Internet Security 2005 to shame. The latest ZoneAlarm version really beefs up its spam-blocking capability using partnered technology from MailFrontier Desktop, without slowing your PC down. ZoneAlarm Internet Security is now the suite to beat for all-around Internet privacy and security, whether you use your PC from home or take the corporate laptop out on the road.
We’re especially impressed by ZoneAlarm Internet Security’s unique privacy control feature, which lets you store and track user-defined personal information in an encrypted “information vault.” If you subsequently type any of that data, such as your credit card number, on a Web site, ZoneAlarm asks whether you want the destination added to your Trusted Sites list. If you say no, the outbound transmission is blocked. This feature stops keystroke loggers and other tools used by identity thieves; currently, it isn’t included within either the McAfee or Norton Internet security packages.