[JudyC]

The standalone Sunbelt Firewall's (previously known as the Kerio firewall) support is being discontinued as of 12-31-2011. While it will still run, no updates will be forthcoming after that date and an unsupported firewall is not a secure firewall. Malware writers waste no time in writing programs that exploit unsupported security programs.

Freeware options for firewalls are becoming scarce. We do have a few others in our Links section; Zone Alarm free, Online Armor and the Outpost freeware firewall. We are aware that there are other choices, but the ones we have included are those that are the most user-friendly as far as configuration is concerned, less likely to have incompatibility issues with other software and easiest to uninstall if you run into problems. If you currently use the Sunbelt firewall and opt to go with another, you will need to completely uninstall it, reboot, and install the one you choose. Make sure the Windows firewall is disabled afterwards.

A few points to remember:

1) The freeware version of Zone Alarm will attempt to bundle in a toolbar that is not necessary. The Zone Alarm toolbar is just the Yahoo toolbar with a different branding and is there for revenue generation. You should opt out of this toolbar during the installation process.

The other two firewalls had "clean" installers at the time the links were posted. However, terms of use may change and you should be vigilant during installation that no toolbars or other potentially unwanted programs are bundled in and opt out if they are.

2) If you run into problems with any firewall, either with configuration, installation/uninstallation, or have other questions, please see this page for links to the products' support forums where they are better prepared to answer questions and/or troubleshoot any issues you may encounter.

3) If you have Vista or Windows 7, the built in firewall is adequate and you should not need a third party software firewall.

4) Just as with antivirus software, you only need one software firewall. Having more than one installed can cause computer slowdown, problems with internet connectivity and can potentially make your computer more vulnerable to malware as the programs will conflict with each other. If you install a third party software firewall, always check to make sure the built in Windows firewall has been disabled.

5) If you keep the Sunbelt firewall after the discontinuation date and your computer becomes infected, most malware removal forums, ours included, will not help you clean up your computer if it becomes infected. It is the computer user's responsibility to keep security software current and updated and trying to remove malware that lands on a computer as a result of having out of date/obsolete/unsupported/expired security software installed is an exercise in futility.

This topic will be closed and pinned because it is for informational purposes only. Again, if you have questions about the programs or encounter any problems with it/them, the best place to seek help is in the products' support forums.