Recommend a good free internet security program please

madtownidiot · 23 Oct 2010

CarlTR6 said:

Maxxwire said:

CarlTR6 said:

All I want is nice, simple list of the programs I have that connect to or try to connect to the internet. Comodo used to have such a critter, which is why I started using it in the first place.

Carl- The Comodo Firewall in default Safe Mode will not make rules for individual programs, but if you set the Firewall to Custom Policy Mode it will ask you how to set the permissions for each program that tries to access the Internet. You also have the option of manually customizing the Firewall rules for any program on your computer for any additional rules that you want to set.

~Maxx~
.

Thanks, Maxx; I will give this a try. But I still want a list of the programs to show in one place - as Comodo used to do.

Maxxwire said:

madtownidiot said:

Hopefully Comodo won't follow in the path of most other software companies by "streamlining the user interface" (moronizing by removing features)

People sure are interesting. Over on the Comodo Forums there is a group of very vocal Members who contend that the new CIS v5.0 which now includes State of the Art Automatic Sandboxing of unrecognized programs, Cloud Based Malware scanning and Cloud Based Behavior Blocker has way too many features already...go figure!

~Maxx~
.

I tend to agree. There is nothing wrong with the features; I just want easy, upfront choices as to whether to use those features or not.

If you install comodo after you have all your software installed, choose a preconfigured policy,set everything to safe mode and leave it alone, it doesn't get much simpler.. people who like to constantly change settings are the ones who have the most trouble with their computers.

Maxxwire · 24 Oct 2010

madtownidiot said:

If you install comodo after you have all your software installed, choose a preconfigured policy,set everything to safe mode and leave it alone, it doesn't get much simpler.. people who like to constantly change settings are the ones who have the most trouble with their computers.

Setting the Comodo Firewall in Safe Mode is all well and good if the user is not concerned about what system programs call up to the Internet to report their activities to Redmond because in Safe Mode "outgoing traffic by safe applications is learned".

Earlier today I simply switched the USB input for my Logitech wireless mouse and the Comodo Firewall which I have set in Custom Policy Mode gave me this warning...

I get Firewall warnings like "Newdev.dll is trying to connect to the internet" quite frequently and I just don't like the idea of my computer reporting these kinds of things to MS and I consider these kinds of communications spyware activity and I use the Comodo Firewall in Custom Policy Mode to put a stop them just as I would any other spyware program trying to report information about activity on my computer on the internet.

The amount of information that Win 7 is programmed to collect and send back to Redmond is shockingly large and many Win 7 users know nothing about this secretive reporting because the Windows 7 Firewall does not report it and neither will the Comodo Firewall if it is run in Safe Mode instead of Custom Policy Mode in which "the Firewall will not learn the connection behavior of any applications" which allows the user to decide whether information about activity on his computer is shared on the Internet or not.

~Maxx~

tw33k · 24 Oct 2010

+1 Maxx. I do the same

madtownidiot · 24 Oct 2010

I agree partially. Most people don't know or care what information gets sent back to microsoft but I don't really make it my business to try to get people all paranoid about Microsoft either.. In the example above it's ostensibly nothing more than windows wanting to search the microsoft database for a better driver, but the nearly total ineffectiveness of it.. when has the online search ever found a better driver? ..makes me wonder if it's something they use more for marketing purposes. Want to cut the traffic to/from microsoft from a particular computer by 100%? Turn off the right services, manually delete a few dozen dlls and protected registry keys and download updates from another computer..... Then block it with a good firewall. I'm not going to post here exactly what I do with my own computers because that would be against the forum rules and could possibly expose me to a lawsuit from microsoft, but you know.. I didn't have to agree to anything before they took my money, so they can stuff the EULA you know where. It's my hardware and I'm the one who has to pay for the internet connection. I decide how and when it gets used, not Microsoft or anyone else who took my money for their software

Maxxwire · 24 Oct 2010

madtownidiot said:

It's my hardware and I'm the one who has to pay for the internet connection. I decide how and when it gets used, not Microsoft or anyone else who took my money for their software

Nearly every program I have ever installed has wanted to immediately phone home...But I don't allow them to...

~Maxx~

CarlTR6 · 25 Oct 2010

I am aware of those popups and I do use them. My point is this. I installed program X and gave it permission to phone home for registration purposes and I neglected to uncheck the "Remember my answer box" or I have simply changed my mind and don't want X to phone home any longer. Also, I like to review those programs/services I have allowed to connect to the internet periodically. This was easy to do in the previous Comodo version. There was a page that showed me every program and its status regarding being block, ask, or allowed. This feature was the very reason I chose Comodo. I liked the ease of managing outgoing connections. Now they have eliminated it. Regardless of good Comodo is or is not, if it does not do what I need and want it to do, it is not the software for me.

I have now uninstalled Comodo. I may try to find the previous version, try PCTools firewall or simply use Windows Firewall with Spinx Firewall Control. I have not decided yet. In the meantime, I am still protected from incoming by my hardware firewall. I will once again find the right firewall - until the makers change it, too. :)

madtownidiot · 25 Oct 2010

here's where you find the list of applications that are allowed to connect to the internet:
Attachment 107612
On most of my computers it's a very short list

barky · 25 Oct 2010

I am surprised by the number of reccomendations for microsoft security essentials in this thread -- I don't often see this pattern elsewhere!
I currently use avast free & comodo firewall on my own computers and wouldn't even consider trying MSE !!
Have put the full free comodo internet security on many computers & so far all is well.

Maxxwire · 25 Oct 2010

barky said:

I am surprised by the number of recommendations for Microsoft security essentials in this thread -- I don't often see this pattern elsewhere!

barky- Welcome to the Windows 7 Forums! Yes, a lot of the Members here use and recommend MSE and some even use it with the Comodo Firewall.

~Maxx~

tw33k · 26 Oct 2010

barky said:

I am surprised by the number of reccomendations for microsoft security essentials in this thread -- I don't often see this pattern elsewhere!
I currently use avast free & comodo firewall on my own computers and wouldn't even consider trying MSE !!
Have put the full free comodo internet security on many computers & so far all is well.

I don't use or recommend MSE. And I agree with you, compared to other forums I'm a member of (mainly security related) this one has a very high proportion of users who do use and recommend it.