Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. today launched a Windows Vista version of its flagship ZoneAlarm firewall and blamed the delay on a switch to the new operating system's application programming interfaces (API). The Vista version of ZoneAlarm, a two-way firewall that will continue to be given away, is the first from a major security vendor to apply Vista's Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) API, said Laura Yecies, the general manager of Check Point's consumer security line.
"This is a bit later than we would have liked," said Yecies, noting the four-month lag between Vista's retail release and ZoneAlarm's appearance. "We underestimated the schedule impact of WFP. But long term, WFP will give us more support and more stability on Vista. It was a lot of extra work, but we'll have to do fewer hacks in the future." WFP, a new Vista architecture that lets developers tap into the TCP/IP processing path, was a hard row to hoe. "At times, it seemed like we were an extension of Microsoft QA. They patched and made changes based on what we found while we were developing," Yecies said. Microsoft used WFP to create its own Windows Firewall, which is bundled with Vista.
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News source: ComputerWorld
"This is a bit later than we would have liked," said Yecies, noting the four-month lag between Vista's retail release and ZoneAlarm's appearance. "We underestimated the schedule impact of WFP. But long term, WFP will give us more support and more stability on Vista. It was a lot of extra work, but we'll have to do fewer hacks in the future." WFP, a new Vista architecture that lets developers tap into the TCP/IP processing path, was a hard row to hoe. "At times, it seemed like we were an extension of Microsoft QA. They patched and made changes based on what we found while we were developing," Yecies said. Microsoft used WFP to create its own Windows Firewall, which is bundled with Vista.
View: The full story News source: ComputerWorld
One step at a time huh
Needless to say im a ZA fan and am patiently waiting for ZASS to protect my Vista box. Although I am a little disappointed that it's taken this long to get even just the free firewall out the door but I trust that the end product will be great.
Sad, because prior versions were terrific (at least to me)
I'm curious is the new version is any good now that Im running Vista... I'll wait and see
Eventually, I came across Comodo Firewall Pro and I havn't had a problem so far. It's been great!
(Or maybe someone is, who knows around here these days.
My prayers have been answered!
Amen
Why yes. Yes it can.
I now just use a hardware firewall combined with Vista's firewall, and it's plenty good enough.
A piece of paper taped to your modem with the word "firewall" is probably better than Zone Alarm, and at least you can remove it with relative ease
We really need a firewall that works and ca be like a nod32 category very lightweight.
Windows firewall needs a lot of improvement, in sp2 its only one side firewall and vista its two side but one of them disable by default and if you allow them it block every outbound and theres no prompt to allow application go out its just annoying, not a big improvement
I have used several Hardware based firewalls which monitor outbound and inbound TCP/UDP traffic. The companies would be Cisco, Fortigate, and Sonicwall.
I personally have used Kerio Personal Firewall (v2, the later v4 versions just added bloat and bugs), and find it to be both very lightweight and reliable. (Anyone else who's had experience with this product, please comment
In case anyone's interested - I don't know of a reliable link (iirc the old Kerio archive site died when they merged with Sunbelt), but google for version 2.1.5 and you ought to find something
Umm shouldn't it be row and not hoe?
LOL
It's also sad to see the ZA team stoop to a new low and blame their slow product launch on Microsoft as if they had no time to develop it for Vista.
google.com
That is correct.
Thank you.
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