ZoneAlarm

There was another positive column in PC Week (4/10/00). Previous columns told about blocking other computers from gaining access to your computer, and blocking ad bots and other programs from using your computer to send information out. In this week's column, Bill Machrone, VP of technology for Ziff-Davis, the publisher, says that he used ZoneAlarm to block read and write cookies sent by spam. He found that HTML email can read and write cookies, divulge your email address, confirm your existence, and launch Java and various script applications. Clicking on a message, to delete it, also opens it. He downloads his email, then uses the "STOP" button on ZoneAlarm to block all access to the internet. He then selects and deletes messages. After the messages are deleted he enables the internet connection by mousing the "GO" button.

I read about ZoneAlarm in PC Week, Jan 31, 2000. It is free. I downloaded it the day after getting the cable modem. That same day I received numerous hits from several IP addresses. ZoneAlarm keeps out hits from IP addresses, and lets you control what applications on your computer are permitted to access the internet.

It is apparent that everyone, including those accessing the internet via dial-up modem, should be using a personal firewall such as ZoneAlarm.

The ZoneAlarm web site is http://www.zonelabs.com/products/