Firewall Security : Comodo Unveils Free Products and Strategies for Creating a Highly Secure PC

On BreakfastBytes, a Popular NPR Show, Melih Abdulhayoglu, CEO of Comodo, Describes How Consumers Can Keep their PCs Protected

Jersey City, NJ (August 9, 2007) — Comodo, as a group of Internet security companies, announced significant enhancements to their portfolio of free desktop security and trust assurance solutions. The Comodo companies are committed to transforming desktop security from a “detection-based” model to a “prevention-based” model and have developed new technologies to encourage this change.

In a recent interview with National Public Radio’s (NPR) BreakfastBytes hosted by Felicia King and Ray Koukari that aired on WGTD in Wisconsin (8/04/07), Melih Abdulhayoglu CEO and Chief Security Architect of Comodo explained how recent innovations in Comodo’s desktop security solutions are changing the face of desktop security. Unlike other security vendors, Comodo’s approach uniquely identifies safe applications rather than simply detecting and blocking harmful applications. This approach employs a white list technology and only allows trusted applications access to the PC.

This approach will evolve desktop security from a “detection-based” approach to a “prevention-based” model. In describing Comodo’s approach, Melih Abdulhayoglu explained, “The world of security has to change. It is no good to say – hey let everyone else around the world get infected and we will protect ourselves. We have to give security to everyone even people in countries where salaries are low [and they] cannot afford to buy security packages for $50. We need to secure these machines because each machine is a powerful tool with CPU and connectivity… that can be used against us as bots. That’s why we are doing what we are doing.”

During the interview, Comodo outlined its strategy for upcoming releases of its free desktop security software. Currently, over 350,000 new users are downloading Comodo Desktop Security solutions every month.

Comodo Free Desktop Security Product Overview

1) Comodo Firewall Pro
Comodo’s advanced firewall has received major industry recognition and provides robust security within a “plug ‘n protect” solution architecture. The firewall has received the following reviews (and often besting expensive paid versions):

To further improve end user protection, Comodo is introducing Firewall Pro V3.0. This version is currently in Alpha, but is expected to be widely available within the next six weeks. The new version will evolve firewall protection beyond a detection scheme and introduce firewall as a prevention solution. This will be a paradigm shift within personal firewall approaches. Key new features include:

• Host Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS) Application Control
  HIPS can prevent spy ware and malware from ever being installed on a user’s PC. With HIPS activated, the user is warned EVERY time an unknown executable (.exe) attempts to run. If the application is not in Comodo’s safe list database, the user is alerted and asked to allow or block the application from running. This type of approach is effective with a highly extensive “white list” database.
• Extensive and proprietary application safe list
  Comodo Firewall Pro includes an extensive white-list of safe executables called the ‘Comodo Safe-List Database’. This database checks the integrity of every executable and Firewall Pro will alert users of potentially damaging applications before they are installed. This level of protection is new. Traditionally, firewalls only detect harmful applications from a blacklist of known malware and often missing new forms of malware that are launched in day zero attacks.
  Firewall Pro’s safe list is continually updated and currently contains over 600,000 applications, making it one of the largest safe lists in the security industry.
• User profiled safe list database creation:
  Comodo Firewall Pro also creates a customized safe-list profile of a user’s applications through a review of Comodo’s safe list database. In addition, users can include their own applications within their profile as safe. Once the profiling is finished, Comodo Firewall Pro will create a custom ‘safe list’ database that is unique to that user’s PC.
• Totally redesigned user interface
  Users can control all aspects of the firewall’s configuration with 3.0’s sleek, more intuitive design. Each module of the program can be easily accessed and configured from a single centralized location. The program also provides an immediate ‘heads-up’ summary of the program’s current configuration. There’s no complex configuration or steep learning curves – just simple point and click deployment of the security settings.

Version 3.0 is a significant improvement over current firewall solutions because it is designed to add to its detection capabilities with a prevention level that protects from damage – even from day zero attacks. The new version will include support for 64-bit processors.

2) Comodo BOClean
BOClean is designed to complement traditional anti-virus solutions by checking executable files just before they run. BOClean consults its database of 278,000 malware signatures (which equates to nearly 2 million malware variants) and instantly kills the process if malware is detected. In this way, BOClean delivers an extra layer of protection by catching any virus, Trojan, or malware that has already eluded the other active guards a user has installed on their system. Comodo BOClean can be used with almost every AV product on the market.

3) Comodo Anti Virus (BETA)
Comodo Anti-Virus both detects known threats and prevents day-zero attacks. Comodo Anti-Virus will not allow unknown applications to be installed or to run without the explicit permission of the user. This solution works in tandem with our anti-malware solution.

4) Comodo Backup
Comodo Backup allows users to quickly and easily create backup copies of critical files. It includes complete file and folder-duplication to local network drives and FTP servers, intelligent incremental backups, e-mail reporting, extensive report logs, real time back ups with “synchronization” mode, advanced rule-based filtering, flexible scheduling and space-saving archiving capabilities.

5) Comodo VerificationEngine
This patent-pending solution provides content verification of what users see online to authenticate verified sites. This is critical because unless a user can authenticate content, such as a company logo or a bank’s login box, they cannot know whether they are on the correct site or a phishing site. VerificationEngine is a free download that allows users to see a green verification indicator confirming the site’s authenticity. Users that install VerificationEngine can immediately authenticate the home page logos of over 200,000+ websites.

6) Comodo Memory Guardian (BETA)
This BETA solution protects against 90%+ of Buffer Overflow attacks. With this solution, users are protected from “drive by” download attacks whereby a website injects malware onto a user’s PC. It is expected that this solution will be integrated into the firewall toward the end of the year. Today, this solution is available as stand-alone software to select testers.

7) Email certificates
Comodo was the first company to start offering trusted email certificates for free. It enables the encryption and signing of email within email clients that already have encryption capabilities built in. With Comodo email certificates, emails between individuals remain private and secure which might otherwise be intercepted.

To hear the interview in its entirety, please visit

Part 1: download.comodo.com/BBytes/BBPt1Aug4-2007.mp3
Part 2: download.comodo.com/BBytes/BBPt2Aug4-2007.mp3

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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Comodo
Email: media-relations@comodo.com
Office: +1 (888) 266-6361