ZoneAlarm Anti-spyware prevents spyware infection from getting onto your PC and removes any existing spyware. Also included is ZoneAlarm's award-winning Firewall which stops spyware from running. Simple to install and run, its intuitive interface tailors the program to meet your needs. Includes Anti-spyware, Spy Site Blocking, Operating System Firewall, Network and Program Firewall. The latest release improves the Operating System Firewall and applies more robust spyware detection and removal functions.

Anti-Spyware provides your PC with real-time security updates and new attack protection support. The program´s SmartDefense Advisor automatically tweaks your security settings for complete protection against the very latest virus and spyware threats. Email Security

Your email is also protected by the software, which quarantines suspicious attachments to protect against viruses, and auotmatically halts outbound messages to prevent you spreading infected files. Wireless Protection.

ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware 6 uses this firewall technology to specifically address spyware, providing a deep level of protection; unfortunately, it also requires a significant amount of user intervention until it learns your system. In testing done by CNET Download.com, ZoneAlarm did very well, finishing near the top of the list for removing known spyware

Installation and setup are pretty straightforward, though after accepting the license terms and clicking Install, you'll still be faced with some annoying optional survey questions that you must either answer or bypass before you can proceed. When you start the program for the first time, a configuration wizard walks you through the initial security settings and provides a quick tutorial. The interface is intuitive, so new users will find it very easy to use, and the interface will be familiar to past ZoneAlarm users.

Not surprisingly, ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware 6 uses a firewall approach to dealing with spyware and adware, and it actually includes three layers of firewall protection to cover the network perimeter, each program you've installed, and your computer's operating system -- including the registry and the file system -- from attack by spyware. This approach catches and stops much of the malware out there.

ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware's default protections are pretty aggressive. Immediately after installation, it was necessary to click through two warning dialog boxes just to get a browser window open to view the contents of a link from ZoneAlarm's own interface. The documentation warns that there's a required training period for the software as it learns what programs you use to access the Internet, and this requires responding to a lot of warning dialog boxes -- some more easy to understand than others. In our informal tests, ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware 6 had to be trained to allow things such as browser and e-mail access to the Internet, iTunes wireless streaming to a home stereo, and even the operation of screenshot-capturing software.

Wisely, ZoneAlarm's makers haven't changed the program's clean and intuitive interface. Features such as Firewall, Antivirus, and Firewall Logs run down the left side of the screen. There's a column for advice regarding each feature section, then there's the main screen, including layered tabs for configuration options.

Why McAfee and Norton haven't switched to a similar design is beyond us. Gamers will appreciate a new option which quiets the pop-up messages from ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware 6.5 while you are in the midst of playing a full-screen adventure game.

This doesn't appear to be working. After I followed the directions to get the software, I was told to check for an email with a link to download the software. Its been 2 hours and I still haven't gotten the email. I did get an email with my password for my new zonealarm account, so I know zonealarm isn't blacklisted by my spam filters or anything like that. I don't know whats up, but I can't download anything without the email, and I don't have the email.

ZoneAlarm's integrated help system is fairly thorough, but if you find yourself needing more technical support, there is FAQ section on the Web site as well as phone support (9am to 5pm weekdays, excluding public holidays.) Zone Labs claim a 24-hour turnaround time for solutions to be resolved, though this may not apply in the case of "massive incidents, special problems and weekends"