Customizing your security

If you're not the "set it and forget it" type, ZoneAlarm Pro enables you to manage the details of your Internet security.

Firewall protection

Block or unblock ports

ZoneAlarm Pro's preconfigured security levels (Low, Medium, and High) specify the ports that are open or closed to each Zone. Customize security levels by blocking or unblocking specific ports in the Internet Zone tab and the Trusted Zone tab.

Use the Security tab to customize general firewall options.

Program control

Allow or block new programs

ZoneAlarm Pro asks your permission each time a new program wants access or server rights. To avoid seeing these alerts, you can automatically allow or block new programs using the Access Permissions tab.

Specify the ports a program can use

By default, programs given access permission or server permission can use any port. Tighten program security by specifying the types of servers each program can access, and the ports it can and cannot use, in the Ports tab.

Customize authentication for a program

For each program, you can specify whether ZoneAlarm Pro will authenticate the base executable only, or the executable and the components it loads. If a program is frequently updated, you can avoid repeated alerts by using file path authentication only. Choose these options in the Security tab of the Program Options dialog box.

Alerts and logs

Show or hide informational alerts for specific firewall events

By default, ZoneAlarm Pro displays informational alerts for firewall events only if they are likely to have resulted from hacker activity. You can customize alert display by enabling or suppressing alerts for specific events in the Alert Events tab.

Enable or suppress logging for firewall events

You can also enable or suppress log entries for specific firewall events, also in the Alert Events tab.

Enable or suppress logging for program events

By default, ZoneAlarm Pro creates a log entry when any type of Program alert occurs. You can customize Program alert logging by suppressing log entries for specific Program alert types, such as New Program alerts, Repeat Program alerts, or Server Program alerts, in the Program Logs tab.

Privacy protection

Block or allow cookie types

The default cookie control setting blocks only third-party cookies. You can also choose to block session and/or persistent cookies, set an expiration time limit for persistent cookies, and do other customization by using the Cookies tab.

Block or allow ad types

The default ad blocking setting blocks pop-up ads and slow-loading ads. You can choose to block all ads, change the time limit for banner and skyscraper ads to load, or choose what to display in place of blocked ads by using the Ad blocking tab.

Block or allow mobile code types

By default, mobile code protection is turned off. You can block scripts, embedded objects, and/or MIME-type integrated object by turning mobile code protection on in the Main tab of the Privacy panel. Customize the types of code to block by using the mobile Mobile code tab.

E-mail protection

Quarantine or allow specific attachment types

MailSafe quarantines 46 types of e-mail attachments. You can turn off quarantining for any type of attachment, or add more types of attachments to the quarantine list, in the Attachments tab.

Web Filtering

Block or allow specific site categories

Use the Categories tab to choose which types of Web sites to allow or block.