Vsmon.exe is an executable application and is known as True Vector Internet Monitor. It is a component for its main program, ZoneAlarm personal firewall and is developed by Zone Labs. It is now acquired by Check Point. In short, Vsmon.exe is not a malware of virus and is safe.
Quick Overivew
What is Vsmon.exe?
Vsmon.exe is the integral scanning engine of ZoneAlarm. It supervises Internet traffic and also creates alerts and notifications. This is based on the security rules fixed by the user.
The network connections in the ZoneAlarm firewall are divided into zones. It has two zones- the internet zone and the trusted zone. The trusted zone comprises of Local area network and the internet zone comprises everything that is not in the trusted zone.
ZoneAlarm works by asking the user to permit the programs that can access the Internet.
There is one drawback of ZoneAlarm. It takes up a lot of CPU memory and slows down the computer. The CPU usage goes up to 45%.
You may also like to know the free alternatives to Windows Defender to keep your system safe.
File Size and Location
The average file size of Vsmon.exe is approx 3.6 to 4.5 Mb. While it is usually installed in C:\Windows\System32\ZoneLabs folder. If you have Windows 10 (64-bit version) then it also may be located under C:\Program Files (x86)\CheckPoint\ZoneAlarm folder.
Is Vsmon.exe safe or a virus?
Vsmon.exe is a legitimate program by Zone Labs and is safe to keep in the system. But if a malware imitates its identity then it could be dangerous. In such a case it would be wise to quarantine or delete it.
You can verify the presence of a similarly named malware in two ways:
- If the suspected program is not present in the location C:\Program Files (x86)\Checkpoint\ZoneAlarm
- If it is not digitally signed by Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.
If you spend a good time on the web, then use free bandwidth monitoring software to save your internet data.
High CPU Usage
You may notice that Vsmon.exe is consuming high CPU usage, in that case, you may use the below steps to fix this problem.
Update Zonealarm
If you are using an older version of Zonealarm then it is recommended to update it to the latest version. You can download the free ZoneAlarm from the official website here – https://www.zonealarm.com/software/free-firewall.
Disable
If the above option does not help to reduce the high CPU usage by Vsmon.exe then you may consider it to disable on a temporary basis and see whether the issue resolved.
1) Click on Windows logo, type services and click on it
2) Locate ZoneAlaram (status should be running), right-click on it and choose Properties
3) Choose Disable from Startup type dropdown, click on Apply and OK.
Restart your system and a high CPU consumption issue should be resolved.
How to Remove It?
If all above option doesn’t help or if you want Vsmon.exe no longer running on your system then follow below steps to delete it on a permanent basis.
1) Click on the Windows logo, type Control panel and click on it
2) Click on Uninstall a program, located under Program sub-heading
3) Locate ZoneAlarm, double-click on it and follow the uninstallation process.
Restart your system and you are done.
