Next generation online threats

What is Browser Malware?

Malware, also known as Malicious Software, is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's awareness or permission. The expression is a general term to mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software or program code.

The term "computer virus" is commonly misused to describe all kinds of malware, though not all malware are viruses.

Next generation online threats

What is a Zero Day attack?

A zero day browser attack is one that takes advantage of security holes for which a solution is not yet available. This could be any kind of malware that loads itself onto your computer through hidden code on a Web site.

By definition, zero day browser threats are unknown and unrecognizable and therefore antivirus and antispyware scans cannot yet detect them.

ZoneAlarm ForceField virtualization technology can shield you from such surprise attacks because it does not need to know the threat in order to stop it. Instead, it automatically catches and neutralizes stealth Web browser downloads in a safe, virtual data space that acts as your computer's stunt double.

Next generation online threats

I already have antivirus software running, why do I need ForceField?

The most important thing to remember is that antivirus software mostly searches for signatures of known viruses. If a new virus exploits your browser and infects your PC, you will only be protected by your antivirus software after:

1. The antivirus company has received and analyzed the virus
2. The antivirus company has added the signature for this virus to the signature database
3. You've installed the new signature database on your computer

Even anti-virus products with advanced heuristics (which can identify a new virus based on its behavior patterns without having first analyzed the virus) cannot keep up with all new viruses.

Next generation online threats

I already have anti-spyware software running. Why do I need ForceField?

Anti-spyware updates are only provided once a signature of known spyware has been found. Additionally, only ZoneAlarm ForceField provides full protection against drive-by downloads  no other anti-spyware solution compares.