Check Point announced ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall 2013 - a free Internet security solution that protects consumers against hackers, viruses, spyware, and malware.

“Most consumers are unwittingly making themselves an easy target for cyber criminals,” said Bari Abdul, Vice President and Head of ZoneAlarm, Check Point Software Technologies’ consumer business. “They lack a strong 2-way firewall, are unwilling or unable to pay for security, or they have just left their security on the back burner. People are putting themselves at serious risk by not having minimum security, which at least includes a firewall and antivirus software. It’s basically like leaving your home without locking the doors."

ZoneAlarm’s two-way firewall operates quietly in the background, monitoring incoming and outgoing traffic to and from a PC and the Internet. It blocks hackers from getting into a PC and stops them from launching attacks, stealing information, and sending data back to their home servers to conduct malicious activities.

This functionality is powered by ZoneAlarm DefenseNet, a cloud-based service that automatically verifies the safety of a program by analysing data from more than 60 million users through the cloud, eliminating overwhelming alerts and interruptions.

Meanwhile, ZoneAlarm’s powerful antivirus engine scans, detects, and removes any malicious programs. To further insulate a user’s system, ZoneAlarm’s OSFirewall adds an additional layer of protection by spotting and stopping any suspicious behavior and new attacks.