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Customizing ZoneAlarm for Browsing Active Sites

Internet banking sites, online shops, dynamic data display sites, etc, often require that cookies, javascript ('active content'), and popups are enabled.

Many users set up their ZoneAlarm to routinely block those items, but that means they won't be able to access some specific sites... the pages just won't load.

The answer is to use the Privacy Site list to allow specific sites to use cookies, 'mobile code' (javascript, pdf files, etc.), or popup screens (normally these would be considered Ads).  All other sites will still have those items blocked.

To add a new site to your Privacy Site list, double-click your ZA System Tray icon to open the main screen of ZoneAlarm, then select the 'Privacy' option from the left sidebar:
Under this 'Main' tab is where you set the way ZoneAlarm treats EVERY site – you would typically have the security set fairly high.  Now click on the 'Site List' tab at the top (circled)...

• If you have recently visited the desired site, its URL (address) will appear in the list shown, and you will see that your normal security settings have applied.  Click the Site name to make it the active one, and details for that site will appear in the small window at the bottom.  Use the 'Options' button to change them as shown below.
• If you have not recently visited the desired site, its URL will not appear in your list.  In this case, click the 'Add' button and enter the URL address manually, to add this site to your list.  After adding it, use the 'Options' button to change the default security settings as shown below.

Once you have changed any settings for a particular site, a 'pencil' icon appears beside it to show that it has been edited.  These modified security settings will remain active permanently, and apply the next time you visit that site.

Changing the settings:
The screen that appears has 3 Tabs: Cookies, Ad Blocking, Mobile Code.  You may need to reduce or disable some or all of these options for successful loading of your desired site – requirements vary between sites.

• Under the Cookies Tab: start by un-ticking Session Cookies and Persistent Cookies, while still blocking other types... you may need to allow more than that for particular sites, though.
• Under the Ad Blocking Tab: un-ticking just the pop-up/pop-under option is probably sufficient – such screens may be necessary on active sites for prompts or log-ins, and are not necessarily Ads.
• Under the Mobile Code Tab: most of these options could be un-ticked without risk, given the specific online needs... this depends upon the host.

What if these changes still don't allow me to access the desired site?

This can happen if the site you are accessing is not one URL, but several... as you click on site options you access new pages located on different servers, depending on the level of security required by the host, so your normal security settings cut in again, and the new page will not load.  We know that the Commonwealth Bank online banking site uses this method.  Ask your bank or other host for a list of the separate URLs that need to be customized in ZoneAlarm to allow complete access – it is unusual for more than two URLs to be accessed (usually for 'secure' and 'non-secure' pages), so you may end up with two customized entries for one active site.
As a last resort, or as a temporary measure, you can reduce the security settings in the Main Privacy screen for the duration of your online access to that one site, then restore the settings after you have finished (that is effectively what you do with your Privacy Site list, anyway).