ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite in a CORPORATE environment? Any tips?

Hi All,
I am an IT specialist working for a travel and tourism company here with about 8 machines (all Windows XP). We are currently running a server with a combination of Norton Anti Virus Corporate Client/Server setup. I am really considering switching to ZoneAlarm, as it is my personal prefference, and because of various issues with NAV that we can't seem to solve. Here are the basic requirements:

1.) Fully automatic downloading of definitions
2.) Some sort of Client/Server management scheme where the "server" is in charge of downloading updates and pushing them out to clients (like NAV Corporate does)
3.) robust, yet lightweight on the system

One real problem we are facing with NAV is that we use Thunderbird as an e-mail client. Whenever we get a message with a virus attached in it, NAV simply quarantines the entire inbox, rather than block the attachment or message in question. I was hoping that switching to ZA would address this since ZA would only scan for such a virus if/when the file is actually saved or downloaded from the message. Since we use POP/SMTP for e-mail, we do not have the convenience of having a site like yahoo or hotmail deal with the virus threat for us. Restoring the inbox from NAV's quarantine and sifting through it on a daily basis is a HUGE pain and hassle.

So my question is: Is there some sort of client/server setup or configuration for ZoneAlarm that can help us acheive these goals? I sniffed on ZoneLab's web site for "corproate" solutions or software but all I found was ZA Internet Security Suite which runs at the client (or workstation) level.

Any tips or pointers would be greatly appreciated.

NOTE: Please do not try to convince me to avoid ZA. I use it at home and I personally think its the best security suite currently out there, and I've tried Symantec and McaFfee's offerings!

Try McAfee ePolicy Orchestra to manage antivirus and Antispyware software and updates to clients:

http://www.mcafee.com/us/products/mcafee/mgmt_solutions/epo.htm

Originally posted by peterh:


Kindly read my first post. I do NOT want to switch to mcAffee or Norton or any other suite. If we are going to switch, it would be to ZoneLabs.

I thank you for your contribution, but I'm afraid ePolicy Orchestra would not be the solution we have in mind.

Like you I was a fan of Norton but there latest creation is even more problem creating than 2005. I also looked around and decided Zonealarm was the only real alternative. I know a lot of folk have complaint about Zonealarm but when you get down to the nitty gritty of these problems I usually find that they are not using the full suite or has other virus and firewall installed as well. Zonealarm likes to be the only suite on a machine. I tried and tested it with other systems and clean, and with a clean install, (No other virus or firewall) it works flawless.

Originally posted by NinjaGinger:


Me? a fan of Norton? LOL. **** no! hehe. The ONLY Norton product I have true respect for is Norton Ghost 2003 (Ghost 9 was a huge disappointment. waiting to give 10 a chance).

As for the ZoneAlarm/ZoneLabs choice, I have used both Norton, McAfee, and ZoneAlarm. Not only does ZoneAlarm have rock-solid protection on all fronts, I find its interface to be the most "professional" looking (rather than built JUST for dummy users), and as an additional bonus, it runs the lightest on the systems I have installed it on. Even a relatively "outdated" system like my 2000 Athlon XP runs it like a breeze.

Anywho, I am STILL oepn to suggestions on installing and/or configuring ZA in some sort of corporate environment. ZoneLab's site has very VERY limited information in this regard. All they list is pretty much pricing when it comes to "corporate" solutions.