Zone Alarm loads after other applications at startup

[MosheB]

When I boot my computer (Win XP), other applications load before Zone Alarm, including the wireless Internet connection and applications that access the Internet which I have set Zone Alarm to block.

Zone Alarm eventually does load, after which it blocks those applications, but in the time before Zone alarm has loaded, they have full Internet access -- and they can and do access the Internet before Zone Alarm loads. This is a serious security vulnerability of Zone Alarm.

Ideally, the firewall should be the first application that loads on startup, even before an Internet connection is established, or at least before other applications load.

My work-around is to physically disconnect my computer from the Internet and restore the connection only after Zone Alarm has loaded and is active. This is not ideal, however, because it creates the annoyance of Zone Alarm thinking that a "new network" has been added and nagging me about it.

Is there a fix for this?

[fax]

Hi!
no, ZA service (vsmon.exe) start even before you log in on the system. What you see loading is the GUI (graphic user interface).

You are perfectly safe.

Cheers,
Fax

[MosheB]

>no, ZA service (vsmon.exe) start even before you log in on the system. What you see loading is the GUI (graphic user interface).
>You are perfectly safe.

If that's the case, why is my Bablylon application able to access the Internet before the Zone Alarm GUI is running? I set the Babylon application to be blocked. After Zone Alarm GUI is running, Babylon can't access the Internet. Theoretically, it shouldn't ever be able to access the Internet, but when when I turned on my computer, Babylon started & popped up a message verifying that it accessed the Internet and downloaded some information. After the Zone Alarm GUI is up Babylon is blocked and can't do this.

[fax]

Originally Posted by MosheB

If that's the case, why is my Bablylon application able to access the Internet before the Zone Alarm GUI is running?

Applications are blocked according to your rules regardless of the GUI.
Note that logging will be active only when the GUI is up. In other words, blocking/allowing will be honored but not logged before the GUI is up.

If they are not blocked, three possibilities:

1. The application says it connects but its not true
2. You are not blocking correctly the application or blocking a different part of the application
3. Your ZA is corrupted

I don't use that software so I can't help on how to set it up. You may want to ask the developer of that software what is the executable that connects to the internet.
If you have a licensed version of ZA you can contact, free of charge, the ZA technical support (if it is a ZA issue). If not, you are out of lack

Cheers,
Fax

[MosheB]

Thanks, fax,

The only thing I can think of is #2 -- that it's a different part of the application that isn't being blocked. I've looked and so far haven't found any other portions that try to access the Internet. But I'll keep checking.

Have a great day,

MosheB

[fax]

You're welcome!

Cheers,
Fax