Comodo Antivirus

Comodo Antivirus software is packaged in a variety of options. Included in both the commercial Internet Security Pro and Internet Security Complete versions, it’s also available as freeware or bundled within Comodo Internet Security. Only about 50MB in size, the antivirus software downloads and gets up and running quickly. Fortunately, it installs without automatically loading a toolbar, desktop icon or hidden and unwanted software like so many other antivirus software applications do.

Among the galaxy of free antivirus software out there, Comodo Antivirus is one of the richest in features. An exceptionally fast antivirus software application, it’s also one of the least demanding on computer resources. The user interface is simple and easy to use, and everything you need to operate the software is clearly laid out. One of its most popular aspects is the lack of irritating banner and pop-up advertisements.

All of the standard features you expect from antivirus software are included. It scans emails, although some users report that it can inexplicably hang up on some messages. The software scans in real time, and you can have it conduct scheduled or on-demand full system scans. Program and definition updates are frequent, current and automatic. It can scour compressed files and folders. Versions for Windows 7 and 64-bit versions are available. Comodo Antivirus can scan removable devices and works across network drives and folders while it builds a safe list of software to speed up future scans.

With an impressive arsenal of tools, Comodo Antivirus gets high marks from users. As part of the security suite, it is effective in blocking threats that include rootkits, Trojans, worms and other malware. Employing “Defense+” heuristic detection, it makes excellent use of a large, local signature database and uses cloud-based behavior analysis. It doesn’t simply look for defined threats; it assumes that nearly any software is a threat. Once Comodo Antivirus detects a threat, it uses sandbox technology to limit the functionality of suspicious software while it is temporarily stored in a protective vault. When you determine that an application is safe, it’s released from the sandbox. The upside to this technology is the high level of effectiveness. The downside is that obviously safe software is often blocked, sometimes causing it to behave erratically or even fail.

Comodo Antivirus has a Host Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS) that is commonly complained about. The system learns what is acceptable from your responses to intrusive messages. This learning process can be both annoying and a bit alarming because many of the messages are sometimes difficult to understand, and the suggested solutions are equally confusing. This function can be turned off, but at the expense of the software’s excellent detection sensitivity.

Users of Comodo Antivirus are very pleased with customer support. Accessible by phone, forum or email, the software is well supported. Sometimes even Comodo’s CEO pipes in on the forum. You can buy any of the more comprehensive suites, or download the free version. With the free version of Comodo Antivirus, you will get much more than what you didn’t pay for.

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