# ZoneAlarm

9 Hacker News commenters recommended ZoneAlarm and 2 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Windows firewall that asks permission before programs connect to the internet. Critics say programs running at the same privilege level could bypass it.

## Why people recommend it

- Asks permission for program connections (2 comments): "how impressed I was by ZoneAlarm in the early 2000s asking permission for itself to connect to the Internet" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47698208)) "The "good" Windows firewalls like Outpost and Zone Alarm used to have features to catch this" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47703475))

## What people warn about

- Steals keyboard focus (1 comments): "I absolutely despised the implementation that stole keyboard focus" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46853900))
- Many rules and ongoing upkeep (1 comments): "pained myself with all the little rules and upkeep" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47699014))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [pf (OpenBSD Packet Filter)](https://hackerapproved.com/p/pf.md): 53 recommend
- [nftables](https://hackerapproved.com/p/nftables.md): 29 recommend
- [LuLu firewall](https://hackerapproved.com/p/lulu.md): 27 recommend
- [iptables](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iptables.md): 15 recommend
- [UFW](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ufw.md): 12 recommend

## Where to get it

- [Visit the official site](https://www.zonealarm.com/)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "ZoneAlarm", https://hackerapproved.com/p/zonealarm/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).