COMODO FIREWALL PROTECTS USERS FROM THE GROWING THREAT OF MALWARE CODE ON LEGITIMATE SITES THAT COULD COMPROMISE END USERS COMPUTERS

According to leading researchers, 51% of sites classified as malicious were legitimate sites that had been compromised

JERSEY CITY, NJ January 30, 2008 – In a recent report by ComputerWorld, for the first time ever, a majority of sites (51%) classified as malicious were actually legitimate sites that had been compromised with attack code that infects unsuspecting visitors. This startling statistic demonstrates the significant new challenges online users have in staying safe online. To help mitigate this issue, Comodo recently introduced Comodo Firewall Pro (v3.0) with its A-VSMART technology platform (“Anti-Virus, Spyware, Malware, Adware, Rootkit and Trojans”). This technology is uniquely designed to protect end users from this type of threat because it delivers a revolutionary approach to desktop security. Unlike detection/ signature-based solutions that first allows all applications to gain access to a PC to be evaluated based on by their signature, Comodo Firewall Pro takes the opposite approach. Comodo Firewall Pro with A-VSMART architecture allows only those applications known to be safe to gain access to computer resources, greatly reducing the probability of damage occurring.

Hijacking legitimate sites to make them “distributors” of malware gives attackers instant advantages because fraudsters need not work to drive people to a specific site. This is a serious issue for online users because they have no way of knowing whether a site that should be trusted, in fact, can be trusted. Comodo Firewall Pro provides one of the only known ways to protect against this type of threat. Comodo Firewall Pro only allows trusted applications to gain access to system resources thus preventing malware that is resident on a site from gaining access to an end user’s system. Typical detection based security solutions are far less effective at preventing this type of breach.

“We are empowering end users to be proactive in the protection of their PCs and we deliver this level of technology for free.” said Melih Abdulhayoglu, CEO and Chief Security Architect of Comodo. “While an eCommerce site may have all the security in the world, some types of threats may bypass these solutions. With Comodo Firewall Pro end users can be confident that their machines are secure even if the site they are on may not be. That is a revolution in the way consumers can stay safe online and we are giving consumers this powerful technology for free so they protect themselves.”

In addition, the threat to consumers is accelerating according security experts. Last year, for instance, reports estimated that only about 35% of sites identified as malicious were actually legitimate, hacked domains. Additionally, the efficiency and scale of these types of attacks is growing significantly. Just recently two “mass hacks” compromised over 90,000 sites in one attack and another 10,000 sites from another attack. These statistics demonstrate the extent of the problem and Comodo Firewall Pro, which garnered an Editor Choice rating from PC Magazine and the highest five star rating from CNET’s Download.com, can enable users to continue their online activities without fear that their systems will be compromised.

For more information, please visit Comodo.com/products/free_products.html

About Comodo

The Comodo companies provide the infrastructure that is essential in enabling e-merchants, other Internet-connected companies, software companies, and individual consumers to interact and conduct business via the Internet safely and securely. The Comodo companies offer PKI SSL, Code Signing, Content Verification and Email Certificate; award winning PC Security software;  Vulnerability Scanning services for PCI Compliance; secure e-mail and fax services.   

Continual innovation, a core competence in PKI, and a commitment to reversing the growth of Internet-crime distinguish the Comodo companies as vital players in the Internet’s ongoing development. Comodo secures and authenticates online transactions and communications for over 200,000 business customers and 3,000,000 users of our desktop security products. 

For additional information on Comodo – Creating Trust Online® visit Comodo.com

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