BIOS: Technology Means Business

Zone Labs, a Check Point Software Technologies company, just unveiled a new 64-bit compatible preview beta version of the popular ZoneAlarm firewall. This is the first 64-bit Windows firewall available free to consumers.

The free version of ZoneAlarm firewall has been downloaded by more than 35 million consumers since 1998, including most at BIOS towers.

With ZoneAlarm 64, those with 64-bit computer systems will have native host operating system protection, including inbound and outbound firewall monitoring, against the growing threat of hackers seeking to exploit Windows XP Pro 64.

‘We are very pleased to extend our product line to include firewall protection for 64-bit PCs,’ said Laura Yecies, general manager of Zone Labs and vice president at Check Point. ‘A dual- layer firewall is the most essential piece of the security to protect against hackers and their nefarious schemes.’

While some types of malware currently plaguing consumer PCs don’t work with Windows XP64, you shouldn’t be lulled into complacency. The Sober worm variants and the recent Kama Sutra/Blackworm virus were effective in infecting XP64 machines. Threats specifically targeting 64-bit computers are also beginning to appear and are certain to increase in number as more and more consumers adopt the technology.

A 64-bit processor supports significantly more system memory, which can drastically improve the speed and agility of a PC. For users of high-performance computer games and memory-intensive graphic applications, 64-bit PCs are in high-demand.

Since a 64-bit processor and native OS together can potentially access more than 16 billion gigabytes of memory, the hard disk drive no longer needs to play a major role in the minute-to-minute functions of a program.

General availability of ZoneAlarm 64 is expected in the spring, and the company will continue to launch 64-bit versions of its premium ZoneAlarm Internet security products throughout 2006.

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