ZoneAlarm virtualises browsing

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 13 May 2008 11:37

Opinion and Analysis

We're repeatedly warned of the danger of drive-by downloads and other net nasties. But what if you could browse with factory-fresh software every time?

The idea of an operating system from CD-ROM to avoid infection has been around for some time, the downside is that the operating system is normally Linux - which isn't acceptable to all users - and that updating the software means obtaining a new CD.

Doing all your web work in a virtual machine running from a fresh copy of a virtual disk gets around that, but adds a layer of complexity that not everyone can comfortably cope with.

So Check Point has come up with a different approach: just virtualise the browser and associated software.

According to the company, ZoneAlarm ForceField virtualises only the parts of the system that interact with the Internet. Of itself, that doesn't stop malware from getting into the virtualised part of the system, but such changes vanish when you quit the browser.

Other aspects of the software deliver anti-phishing protection, block known spyware sites and provide a security rating for other web sites, interfere with keyloggers and screen grabbers already installed (that sounds especially useful for Internet banking users), watch for dangerous downloads, and more.

So what does it cost, and is there anything missing?

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