Recommend a good free internet security program please

[Maxxwire]

Comodo Internet Security does a good job too

I've used over a dozen iterations of CIS since v3.8 and the most recent v5.0 release is better than ever and even more user friendly with greatly enhanced State of the Art layered default-deny protection.

~Maxx~
.

 

[CarlTR6]

Actually, I don't think it is as user friendly as was the previous version. I am using it; but I like the older version much better. This version is certainly not intuitive.

 

[Maxxwire]

This version is certainly not intuitive.

How do you mean not intuitive?

~Maxx~
.

 

[CarlTR6]

I have a very hard time finding my way around in it. It is difficult for me to find the list of programs blocked, allowed, ask. It took two clicks to get there in the previous version. I want easy access to the programs list. I am strongly considering going back to Windows Firewall with the addon for ease of use.

 

[The Howling Wolves]

I have a very hard time finding my way around in it. It is difficult for me to find the list of programs blocked, allowed, ask. It took two clicks to get there in the previous version. I want easy access to the programs list. I am strongly considering going back to Windows Firewall with the addon for ease of use.

Carl,
I use MSE, windows firewall, and MBAM just for the ease to use.

 

[Maxxwire]

I have a very hard time finding my way around in it. It is difficult for me to find the list of programs blocked, allowed, ask. It took two clicks to get there in the previous version.

You're right the Comodo GUI has changed. The Firewall Rules you are looking for are called Network Security Policy and is still just 2 clicks away. I know what you mean by
it being hard to find because I also had a difficult time getting used to the new GUI layout myself for the first few weeks I had v5.0 installed.

~Maxx~
.

 

[Maxxwire]

I use MSE, windows firewall, and MBAM just for the ease to use.

I also use MBAM as an on demand scanner ever since A-Squared Free stopped offering a context menu scanner and although it works very well I found that the Hitman Pro Second Opinion Cloud Scanner many times will find Malware that MBAM misses and a full scan of the 22.5 GB of data on my HDD takes just over 1 minute to complete plus its free.

~Maxx~
.

 

[fiverglem]

Just a question has anyone even tried Microsoft Security Essencials? i mean its totally free and it works great iv had it for about 1 year now and i have not had a single problem.

 

[CarlTR6]

Yes, many of us have tried it and use it. Just read through this thread. In the Crashes and Debugging section, the BSOD team recommends MSE daily.

 

[fiverglem]

Ahh sorry my stupid school computers block the loading of random posts sorry!

 

[CarlTR6]

I have a very hard time finding my way around in it. It is difficult for me to find the list of programs blocked, allowed, ask. It took two clicks to get there in the previous version.

You're right the Comodo GUI has changed. The Firewall Rules you are looking for are called Network Security Policy and is still just 2 clicks away. I know what you mean by
it being hard to find because I also had a difficult time getting used to the new GUI layout myself for the first few weeks I had v5.0 installed.

~Maxx~
.

Even there, it seems to no longer show a complete list of programs as it did before.

 

[mitchell65]

Nick
Although I am really one of "the old folks" I run a similar sevice to yourself. Slightly off topic but I have managed to cut down my home visits by using Team Viewer. It really does do what it say on the tin. I tend to let the person I am helping do the work while I watch and help as we go along. I think that is better than taking control and doing it myself. Just a thought to help ease your commitment but don't give up the visits all together, they are often more important than getting the PC to work properly.

 

[madtownidiot]

I have a very hard time finding my way around in it. It is difficult for me to find the list of programs blocked, allowed, ask. It took two clicks to get there in the previous version.

You're right the Comodo GUI has changed. The Firewall Rules you are looking for are called Network Security Policy and is still just 2 clicks away. I know what you mean by
it being hard to find because I also had a difficult time getting used to the new GUI layout myself for the first few weeks I had v5.0 installed.

~Maxx~
.

Even there, it seems to no longer show a complete list of programs as it did before.

Read the manual.. That's what it's there for.. Hopefully Comodo won't follow in the path of most other software companies by "streamlining the user interface" (moronizing by removing features)

 

[PooMan UK]

Nick
Although I am really one of "the old folks" I run a similar sevice to yourself. Slightly off topic but I have managed to cut down my home visits by using Team Viewer. It really does do what it say on the tin. I tend to let the person I am helping do the work while I watch and help as we go along. I think that is better than taking control and doing it myself. Just a thought to help ease your commitment but don't give up the visits all together, they are often more important than getting the PC to work properly.

John pal

I 2 use "team viewer" and I use it allot and just like my screwdriver I wouldn't be without it, but I enjoy seeing their faces light up when the "The computer man is here... "

They, like myself enjoy the 1 on 1 visits and it makes them feel that they are still part of the community and not all together forgotten.
It only takes an hour or two of my time and I have a great laugh. (plus they make a cracking cup of tea) But thanks for the advice.

 

[CarlTR6]

You're right the Comodo GUI has changed. The Firewall Rules you are looking for are called Network Security Policy and is still just 2 clicks away. I know what you mean by
it being hard to find because I also had a difficult time getting used to the new GUI layout myself for the first few weeks I had v5.0 installed.

~Maxx~
.

Even there, it seems to no longer show a complete list of programs as it did before.

Read the manual.. That's what it's there for.. Hopefully Comodo won't follow in the path of most other software companies by "streamlining the user interface" (moronizing by removing features)

And therein lies the problem. The manual is less intuitive than the GUI. I need to read every freaking page to find if what I am looking for is there. And I have not found it yet. The more I work with this version, the less I like it. It may work fine mechanically and it does the job well, but it has lost me along the way.

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. If it still does, I can't find it. I will probably ditch this version next week.

 

[Maxxwire]

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~
.

 

[Maxxwire]

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~
.

 

[blue skies]

Just changing anti-virus isn't good enough, in my opinion. No anti-virus is 100%, especially against rogue/fake applications.

You should educate them more on what they should look out for. If you don't have the time, find a good article that you can link them all to/print out. An example regarding fake anti-virus:

Show them what their anti-virus' pop-up should look like. If they get a message claiming an infection, whether or not it looks like it comes from their anti-virus or something else, tell them to close their browser (though, some malicious scripts will prevent it), update their anti-virus and on-demand anti-malware and do a complete/full, successive scan.

I agree showing them what fake anti-virus pop-ups look like is a good idea. Perhaps you may also want to use the MVPS.org Hosts file so that known malicious sites are not even accessible: Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File

I've used it for many years and have never had any kind of infection.

 

[Maxxwire]

I agree showing them what fake anti-virus pop-ups look like is a good idea. Perhaps you may also want to use the MVPS.org Hosts file so that known malicious sites are not even accessible: Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File

I've used it for many years and have never had any kind of infection.

Malware domain filtering is such an important feature that the developers have added it to the Comodo 2011 DNS servers.

~Maxx~

 

[CarlTR6]

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.

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.