A firewall is a vital application to protect any PC that goes online. Firewall programs monitor all the electronic traffic travelling between your computer and the internet and can block anything suspicious. Both Windows XP and Vista come with built in firewalls, but neither is particularly advanced. If you want a more flexible firewall then you should consider installing an alternative, like Zonealarm.

This free tool enables fine control over how and when programs access the internet. It can also block attempts by malicious programs to either steal sensitive information or download unpleasant software. Here's how to install and use Zonealarm.


STEP 1

FIRST, YOU SHOULD VERIFY whether or not there's a firewall application other than the Windows Firewall already installed on your computer.To do this,open the Security Center: in Windows Xp,c1ick on Start and select Control Panel, then choose Security Center. ForVista, click on the'Check this computer's security status'link under the Security heading. Click on the Firewall section to expand the information displayed. If the Security Center reports that the Windows Firewall is protecting the computer, you will be able to follow this Workshop in orderto install Zonealarm Free Edition as an alternative. However, if Security Center shows that another (non-Microsoft) firewall is already protecting the computer, you might want to stick with that for protection. Refer to the instructions supplied with your PC for further guidance.

STEP 2

TO DOWNLOAD ZONEALARM, OPEN your web browser, type into the Address or Location bar at the top and press Enter. Click on the Free download link and, when prompted, click on Save and opt to save the file to the Windows Desktop. Once downloaded,locate and double-click on the'zaSetup_en.exe'file on the Windows Desktop. If prompted, click on Run followed by Continue. Select your version of Windows (Vista or 2000/XP) and click on Next. Leave'Download and install' selected and click on Next again, then wait forthe full installation file to download. Once the file has downloaded, the installation proper will begin.

STEP 3

READTHE OPENING DIALOGUE box ofthe installation wizard then click on Next. Provide your name and email address if you wish,or simply untick both boxes and click on Next (Zonealarm will alert you whenever a new version has been released independently of any email). Read the licence agreement and tick the box to accept its terms before clicking on the Install button. Files will be copied to your computer - if you get a security warning, verify it's from Check Point Software (the company that makes Zonealarm), then tick the box and click on Install. Once finished, complete the brief survey and click on Finish .

STEP 4

CLICK YES WHEN PROMPTED to start Zonealarm. Leave'Scan my computer (recommended)' selected and click on Next followed by Finish and finally OK.The computer will now restart. After Windows has launched, you'll be invited to set up a free account - click on Close unless you want the extra free support it provides.The main Zonealarm screen will now appear - close this by clicking on the X at the top-right ofthe window. Make a note of the message, tick'Don't show this message again' and click on OK.Zonealarm is now working .

STEP 5

WHEN A PROGRAM TRIES to connect to the internet - and many will - Zonealarm will alert you. Our screenshot shows the anti-virus application AVG attempting to update itself via the internet. The first alert will ask ifthe program can be granted access to the internet, while a second may follow asking ifthe program can act as a server, which means it can connectto other programs overthe internet. If you recognise the program, tick the'Remember this setting'box and click on Allow for each warning. If you don't recognise the program, you can tick the box and click on Deny - but wait a moment before doing that.

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STEP 6

IF YOU'RE NOT SURE about a program that has triggered a Zonealarm alert, click on the More Info button. You may be told that Internet Explorer has been given internet access - click on Yes to continue to see if Zonealarm knows more about the program in question.The database isn't big, so don't be surprised if it doesn't recognise the program and counsels a 'cautious strategy: Switch to the Technical Info tab for more details, or try typing the suspect filename into a search site such as Google to see what other websites say about it before making a decision .

STEP 7

WHEN INSTALLING NEW PROGRAMS, the installation may trigger Zonealarm alerts as it tries to access the internet.Again, if you're happy to let the program go online, click on Allow. After installing, the program itself will then probably create another alert or two. Similarly, if a program is updated (this will frequently happen with anti-virus software, for examplel,Zonealarm may inform you that it's asking for repeat access. If you still trust the program, tick the'Remember my settings'box and click on Allow as before.

STEP 8

SHOULD YOU ACCIDENTALLY ALLOW or block the wrong program,change its settings from within Zonealarm itself. Double¬click the Zonealarm icon in the Notification Area of the Taskbar on the bottom right of your screen. Select Program Control from the left-hand side and switch to the Programs tab.A list of programs will appear. If they're marked with a cross they're blocked; change this by clicking on each cross and selecting the tick mark instead;to block a program that was previously granted internet access, click the green tick and choose the cross instead.

STEP 9

NOW SELECT FIREWALL FROM the left-hand menu. Notice that there are two 'Zones' set up: Internet and Trusted.The default settings - High for Internet Zone and Medium forTrusted Zone should be left well alone, but it's useful to understand why there are two Zones. Because the internet is a dangerous place,Zonealarm makes your computer invisible to hackers, so it's less vulnerable. The Trusted Zone enables you to make your computer visible to safe sources, such as other products on your home network, so files and printers can be shared .

STEP 10

IF THE PC IS connected to a home network,configure Zonealarm to make it visible - and therefore accessible - to other computers on the network. From the Firewall section ofthe main interface, switch to the Zones tab.The computer's network interface card should be visible¬click on the internet settings under Zones and selectTrusted.Click on the Apply button and your PC should be able to access shared folders, printers and other network devices. Advanced users can configure connections to other networks and servers by clicking on Add and configuring IPaddresses,subnets and individual websites.