New Program alert

New Program alerts enable you to set access permission for program that has not asked for Internet Zone or Trusted Zone access before. If you click Allow, the program is allowed access. If you click Deny, the program is denied access.

Why these alerts occur

New Program alerts occur when a program on your computer tries to initiate a connection with a computer in the Internet Zone or Trusted Zone, and that program has not already received access permission from you or, if you have enabled it, from SmartDefense Advisor.

As you begin to work with ZoneAlarm security software, you will probably see one or more New Program Alerts.

What you should do

Click Allow or Deny in the alert pop-up after answering these questions:

Did you just launch a program or process that would reasonably require permission? If so, it's probably safe to click Allow. If not, continue.
Do you recognize the name of the program in the Alert pop-up? If so, does it make sense for the program to need permission? If so, it's probably safe to click Allow. If not, or if you're not sure, continue.
Click the More Info button in the alert box. This submits your alert information (for example, the name of the program and the address it was trying to reach) to SmartDefense Advisor, which then displays a Web page with information about the alert and the program. Use the SmartDefense Advisor information to help you decide if it's safe to answer Allow.

If your browser does not have permission to access the Internet, you will be re- routed to this help file. To access SmartDefense Advisor, give your browser permission to access the Internet.

If you're really not sure what to do, it's best to click Deny. You can always grant permission later by going to the Programs panel. Setting permissions for specific programs .

How to see fewer of these alerts

It's normal to see several New Program alerts soon after installing ZoneAlarm security software. As you assign permissions to each new program, the number of alerts you see will decrease. To keep from seeing Repeat Program alerts, select Remember this setting before clicking Allow or Deny.

If SmartDefense Advisor is set to "Auto," ZoneAlarm security software issues Program alerts only if no automatic setting is available. If you choose Remember this setting in a Program alert when allowing or denying program access, ZoneAlarm security software keeps your setting unless SmartDefense Advisor comes out with a different setting, or until you change the setting manually in the Programs panel.