By Consumer Security Chick
Some of my best friends are gamers and they’ve been telling me about their need for speed. They feel it is not acceptable to be killed by a troll or bane spider because:
· Some sort of malware is draining your PC and slowing you down
· Your security software thinks you need an annoying alert
· Your security software starts a system scan or update, slowing you down
The gamer’s catch-22 problem is clear. First, we know Virus attacks in gaming have been rising rapidly since 2008, and aside from slowing your PC, this also puts you at a higher risk for having your PC damaged or pillaged for theft purposes.
At the same time, gamers are tempted to turn off security because they don’t want security alert interruptions (“are you sure you want to let this program do this thing?”) or slowdowns caused by antivirus scans or updates.
What you need is security that understands all this and therefore:
· Doesn’t run system scans and updates during games
· Makes decisions for you during games without bothering you
· Keeps your PC clean of performance-draining malware
This is why antivirus blogger Mary Landesman recently selected the top antivirus products for gamers. In addition to game-friendliness, she looked for strong 2010 AV-Test ratings. ZoneAlarm Extreme Security made Landesman’s top list.
How to use the ZoneAlarm Game Mode
The ZoneAlarm Free Firewall and all ZoneAlarm software with antivirus include the Game Mode. You’ll find it under Quick Tasks:
The right-click option in ZoneAlarm system tray menu is the fastest way to set Game Mode. As Landesman wrote, the ZoneAlarm Game Mode is “a simple right-click option on the system tray icon that will put ZoneAlarm in 'auto pilot' so it will silently make most decisions and you can play uninterrupted.” It also postpones system scans and updates during games.
Setting up Game Mode involves a one-click window:
Tips
· For max security you can choose “Answer all alerts with Deny.” But there is a risk that ZoneAlarm will then automatically deny your game from doing something it needs to do, which would be apparent to you pretty quickly. If this is the case, you can switch to “Answer all alerts with Allow.”
· Remember, even if you choose Automatic Allow, you still have many ZoneAlarm protections active, including on-access antivirus scanning and the world’s #1 firewall.
· When you are done with your game, turn off Game Mode by closing the little Game Mode dialog box in the background. Game Mode also turns off automatically when you shut down your computer.
Okay gamers, no more hard choices between the online security you need and good gaming. You’ve got options, and you CAN have it all.