Responding to alerts

When you first start using ZoneAlarm security software, it is not unusual to see a number of Program or New Network alerts. Don’t worry! This doesn’t mean you’re under attack. It just means that ZoneAlarm security software is learning your program and network configurations, and giving you the opportunity to set up your security the way you want it.

If ZoneAlarm is alerting you about an application’s behavior, it’s because it’s one of the rare programs that our community-powered DefenseNet doesn’t have enough data about yet.

In general, we recommend this cautious strategy:

Do you trust the application and what it’s trying to do?

• If yes, click Allow.
• If you aren’t sure, do an Internet Search on the application name to see if you can verify its trustworthiness. Sometimes the name sounds obscure, but turns out to be part of an application you use and trust.
• If you still aren’t sure, jot down the application name (you may need it momentarily) and then click Deny, just to be safe.
• If you click Deny, but soon afterward your application seems to be blocked from working correctly, use the Application Control settings to restore its Internet access privileges:
  1. In ZoneAlarm, select Computer | Details or click the Computer tab.
  2. Select Application Control | Settings.
  3. Click Advanced Settings, then click View Programs.
  4. Select the application in the list give it Access permissions by selecting Allow from the popup menu.

For more about the different types of alerts you may see, and to find out what you can do to see fewer of them, use Understanding and reducing alerts.