How to Lock Down Zone Alarm 4

[cwyman]

Okay fellow XP techies...

I have a need to keep my children from turning off Zone Alarm Pro.

I've got Zone Alarm configured so that they can't access certain sites, but if they turn off Zone Alarm, then it defeats the purpose of having the software in place.

I realize this isn't an XP question, but it's on an XP machine%-)

I figure someone has dealt with this issue and might no a reg hack or something else to fix this problem.

Thanks all!!

Carrie

 

[tviman]

Give the children limited user accounts - and be sure to log yourself off the machine when you're not using it.

There's always a better way. The fun is trying to find it!

 

[bcastner]

. convert to NTFS filestore
. logon as the local administrator
. Use the Security tab under any file properties to remove from the ZA .exe file and VLMON.sys anyone but you anything but read privileges.

 

[cdogg]

Why not go into the profile section of Zonealarm's control panel and set a password? In addition, you can also disable ZA.exe from "Start -> Run -> msconfig -> startup tab". By doing so, the Zonealarm Vector service will still load at startup, but the icon won't be present in the system tray. Also, you won't see any item for ZA in the task manager (to keep the kiddies from ending their process).

bcastner's suggestion is also a good idea for more advanced protection, but for a basic deterrent against children, this suggestion should easily do the trick.


~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind";
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[bcastner]

Thanks cdogg,
I have too much system approaches on my mind at present. Of course, ZA lets you lock the settings.

The issue I thought was whether it prevents you disabling ZA. That was the core of the question I was trying to respond to.

 

[linney]

Many firewalls and virus scanners have password protected access to their settings, not sure about ZoneAlarm as I don't use it.

Setting your computer users up properly is half the battle.
Educating them is the other half. Surfing without any firewall will very quickly result in a unusable computer, infected with virus, worm, Trojan and other nasties, then what would they do.

If they have already been online then this may already have occurred on your machine, you may therefor find this article useful.

Removing adware & spyware
faq608-4650

Some security ideas for you.

Set your surfing user up as a Limited User so that any damage to your system is limited to a minute amount as compared to what occurs if you surf as an Administrator.

http://www.cert.org/homeusers/HomeComputerSecurity

http://www.cnet.com/software/0-6688749-8-7248268-4.html

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Markus+Jansson+security

Microsoft TechNet Security - Columns

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/default.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tr...ecurity/prodtech/Windows/Win2kHG/05SConfg.asp