Comodo – Comodo Antivirus & Comodo Firewall
Comodo Antivirus now features the Comodo Firewall in a package they call the Comodo Internet Security Suite. The Comodo Internet Security Suite is free. It is available for download at Comodo’s website. The program is closed source, so unlike other programs like ClamWin, you cannot have the joys of browsing through pages of source code for your leisure. Comodo also offers a more premium service which offers an incentive thirty day free trial. So there is one free virus removal version and another retail version with a free virus removal trial. Comodo also goes as far as to have malware removal and spyware removal as well.
Many people compare Comodo Internet Security Suite to more advanced programs, so I will too. I had Comodo Internet Security Suite and Norton Antivirus installed on the same computer. I loaded up IRC, and downloaded questionable files from questionable persons. The first thing I did with each piece of software was to update it to the latest virus definitions, as searching for viruses with anything less than the latest in knowledge is just, useless. So, I ran Norton first. Norton picked up two of the three viruses and two of the two malwares. Not bad, Comodo Internet Security Suite however, picked up all of the infections… not bad for a free piece of software. Okay, well, if they’re going to advertise that they offer a firewall with it, why not test that too!?
Like most people in my trade, I often dabble into the darker side of computing. The tools to use for firewall testing are Firewalk and Nmap. The first tool probes the firewall for what kind of traffic it will pass, the second looks for open services. Now, I am not going to lie to you and tell you it’s flawless, after some light testing, I found it to be pretty good. I should mention that for these tests, I had to disable Comodo’s built in host-based intrusion prevention system, which uses data gleaned from its database to identify inbound attacks and blacklist that internet address. One final note regarding its performance and comparison to other antivirus programs – it does not use many resources at all, it’s very light weight and does not bog the computer down when scanning.
Using Comodo Internet Security Suite isn’t very hard. Comodo has taken steps to ensure that their software only changes behind the scenes and that their user interface remains pretty consistent. The only down side to this is that when you want to run software, it will ask you for permission to let that program run, while some people like this level security, it’s a little tedious for day to day operations. The plus side to this level of security though, is that once you’ve registered all of your programs with the antivirus, it leaves you well enough alone unless something goes awry.
I’d like to end with a note about Comodo’s support. Most free software comes with rubbish support; some companies just release software and never talk to the users. Comodo is one of the companies who make an effort to communicate with their user base. Comodo has a very informative knowledge base and helpful people in their forums.
Have you tried Comodo? Have you tried the Free Virus Removal Free Trial? What Did You Think?
