Note: This article is from the March 2009 edition of PC Authority Magazine. See the magazine for the full security software roundup.

The last version of ZoneAlarm's security suite disappointed us: it was affordable, and fairly lightweight, but didn't excel at detecting threats. Sad to say, the most obvious thing that's changed in this edition is the price: it's still cheaper than many other packages, but it's no longer the bargain it was.

The new version also can't claim to be as unobtrusive as the old one: ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite had a dramatic effect on system startup in this Labs, making us wait a full 20 seconds longer than any other package before the desktop appeared.

When it comes to detection, however, ZoneAlarm has remained remarkably consistent. In our malware test it scored 89%, precisely the same as last year, placing it a solid fourth overall.

And, as you'd expect from a brand that's synonymous with firewalls, ZoneAlarm protected our test PC nicely in our network attack test: machines in the "internet zone" were unable to see us at all, while those we'd placed in the "trusted zone" had full connectivity.

Its least impressive performance was in this month's web threat test, with just 31% of bad sites intercepted. However, the suite does offer a unique amount of control over web content, with options to filter and mange web cookies, adverts and scripts.

Experienced users will also appreciate features like the ability to disable the antivirus component (so you can use a different malware scanner) and the trademark network activity meter in the system tray.

But while ZoneAlarm has plenty going for it, its effect on boot times is hard to forgive, and its distinctive web features can be had for free with Firefox plugins.