Comodo Internet Security Pro does offer some extra features that are nice to have, but it’s also missing some you would expect. So, Comodo Internet Security Pro is a mixed bag and you’ll have to decide if what you do get is worth losing what you don’t. Read on for our full Comodo Internet Security review.
Type of Protection/Security: Definition Scanning & Behavior Monitoring
Comodo Internet Security Pro performs definition-based scans for viruses based on the proprietary Dragon platform, which promises to catch whatever threats may come your way. According to AV-Test, Comodo delivers on that promise. During industry testing, Comodo consistently scores perfect or near-perfect on the Protection tests. Definition scanning is only part of the equation. Comodo also offers behavior-based monitoring to catch viruses, malware, Trojans, and other threats that might not yet have a defined definition. This behavior-based monitoring helps to stop Zero-Day attacks before they can harm your system. One minor frustration with Comodo’s scan is that it occasionally locks down files as false positives. It happened one time during our tests, but the trade-off is that Comodo stopped all the legitimate threats we threw at it. The occasional false positive is probably worth it when you know that your virus protection is top of the line and stopping whatever threats your system may face. We also found that the deep scan took an inordinately long time to complete; more than three hours on our test system. And we did experience some lag during that scan, so if you plan to run deep scans often, it’s best to run them during system low- or no-use hours.
Scan Locations: You Have Options
Most antivirus applications on the market today have both a Quick Scan and a Full Scan. Comodo Internet Security does as well, but it goes a little further by offering a Custom Scan that allows you to scan files and folders you choose. This can include files and folders on external storage devices, however, there isn’t an option to scan the whole external drive at one time. You can select multiple files or folders on a drive, but that’s a little clunkier and less intuitive than we would like for it to be. You can also run a Rating Scan, which scans commonly infected areas and memory in the cloud to determine if the reputation of those locations is good or bad. If it finds concerning issues, the application will make recommendations on how the issue should be handled. You can choose to apply the selected actions or change them at your discretion.
Types of Malware: Viruses, Rootkits, & Bots
Comodo Internet Security Pro doesn’t shy away from the many types of threats you may encounter on the Internet. The software protects against viruses, malware, spyware, rootkits, and bot threats. It also includes what Comodo calls Defense+, which blocks malware before it can install on your system. It does this using signature monitoring, which allows Comodo to tell if a file has recognizable bits of known threats. Tuck all of that behind a firewall to protect the perimeter of your system, and you can understand why AV-TEST gives Comodo Internet Security Pro good marks on lab tests.
Ease of Use: Easy to Use, Until It’s Not
The installation of Comodo Internet Security Pro is where you encounter your first stumbling block with the application. The first problem you’ll encounter is that the software automatically installs the Dragon browser, and gives Dragon control over your DNS settings unless you deselect the option for these things during the installation process. Given that most people click right through all the notifications during a software installation, this feels a little underhanded to us. The good news is, if you slow down and read the notices and options as you’re installing the program, you can deselect these options. If you happen to miss them, you can also go into the settings for the application and change those options, then uninstall the browser, but that’s a hassle when you didn’t want the browser to start with. Another issue we encountered when installing the application was that Comodo forced a system restart immediately after installation. It is possible to ignore this request to restart, but if you do, you won’t be able to access the Comodo Internet Security Pro user interface until the restart has been performed. Once installed, Comodo is easy to use on the surface. The big buttons on the main dashboard are probably all the tools most users will need. However, if you dig into the application to configure updates, scan external storage, tweak the firewall, or adjust the Host Intrusion Protection System (HIPS), you may feel a little intimidated by all the options. The reconfigurability is great for advanced users, although your specific needs may determine how important it is to you to be able to dig deeper, or if you just need to stay on the surface.
Update Frequency: You Get to Decide, With Limits
Virus definitions are the heart of how your system is protected from threats. Antivirus applications should update regularly to help keep you safe from the latest threats. With Comodo Internet Security Pro, you have some options for how and when you receive updates. If you go to Settings > General Settings > Updates you can control when Comodo program updates are checked and when the virus signature database is updated. By default, updates for the Internet Security Pro program are checked once each day. You do have the option to change that to more or less frequently, but we think once a day is reasonable. You can also change how often to check for virus definition database updates. Comodo defaults to every six hours, but you can update that as you see fit. In most cases, the default settings will be more than sufficient to keep you safe from any new potential threats.
Performance: Mostly Unnoticeable
The first thing Comodo does when it settles after the install is to run a Quick Scan on your system to ensure you don’t have any common threats that need attention. After that, you’ll have to trigger the Full Scan to do a deep review of your system. During testing, we tried surfing the Internet, streaming movies and music, and a variety of other online activities while both the Quick and Full Scans were running and only noticed minor amounts of lag during the Full Scan. The Quick scan takes just minutes to complete. On our test system, running Windows 10, the scan was completed in under five minutes. The Full Scan is much longer than that, as would be expected, but it did cause a few moments of lag here and there when we were performing resource-intense activities (streaming, gaming, etc.) while the scan was processing.
Additional Tools: A Few Really Good Ones
For most antivirus applications today, the real differentiator after the effectiveness of virus scans is the tools that are included with the virus engine. For Comodo Internet Security Pro, a few are pretty good. Despite being disgruntled that Comodo tries to force-install the Dragon web browser, we’re not completely opposed to it. The Dragon browser is a secure browser, which can protect you as you move around the Internet. Our only issue with it is that we would like the option to choose the Dragon browser made cleaner, and easier to spot. In addition to this, however, Comodo Internet Security Pro also offers one of the better sandbox capabilities that we’ve seen. You can use this sandbox to safely open files you think could be infected with some type of malware without infecting the rest of your system. When we tried it, it worked perfectly every time. No threats managed to escape the sandbox or infect our system. In addition to the Sandbox, Comodo offers two additional features that many users will be happy to hear about. The first is unlimited live expert virus removal. If your system is infected, Comodo will help you remove the virus from your system at no extra charge. The other feature and this one is unusual to see in most antivirus applications, is a $500 Virus-Free Guarantee. Comodo covers your computer for up to $500 worth of repairs if you become infected with malware and the Comodo team can’t help you remove it. Comodo is just that confident that it can block or remove any threat you may encounter.
Type of Support: Paid or Free? The Answer is Murky
Support is another area we are not fond of. After providing the promise of Unlimited Product Support and Unlimited Live Expert Virus Removal, the Comodo website sends you to an “Unlimited Tech Support” program that will cost around $200 a year. It promises 24/7 support, but that is another thing that feels wrong to us. Fortunately, if you click the Support link at the top of the Comodo home page, you are given some different options. From that menu, you can access support forums, online guides, and phone numbers that you can use to speak with someone online. There are also chat and ticketing systems, so the help is there, but finding it might not be the easiest thing.
Price: Middle of the Road
The price for Comodo Internet Security Pro is about what you would expect from a mid-level antivirus application. You can expect to pay about $30/year for one device or $40/year for three devices.
Competition: Comodo Internet Security Pro Vs. Bitdefender
Comodo Internet Security Pro is another security product in a pool of tough contenders. Bitdefender Total Security is one of the toughest. On some levels Bitdefender’s product does many of the same things that Internet Security Pro does; virus & malware protection and a firewall are two examples. And the protection from both companies gets high marks during lab tests. However, once you get past the basics, and that is where these two products differ. Internet Security Pro also has the Comodo $500 Virus-Free guarantee. Bitdefender Total Security does not, but it does offer a host of other features, including parental controls and a secure VPN. Bitdefender’s sale price of $36 is not too far from Comodo’s price of $29.99. If not on sale Bitdefender’s Total Security is listed as $89.99, for coverage on 5 devices, including Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows where Comodo only works on Windows machines. Given these differences, we would suggest investing in Bitdefender over Comodo. In doing so, you will get a high-quality virus protection suite that includes more of the features you will need. Overall, Comodo Internet Security Pro is a decent protection suite, available from a company known for security. It does a great job of protecting your system from viruses and malware, and there are a few nice-to-have features that come bundled with the application. However, the fact that Comodo is limited to Windows computers is problematic in a world where everyone carries one or more mobile devices and none of those devices are Windows-based. Add to that the additional, and ultimately more usable features you’ll get from a product like Bitdefender Total Security, and our recommendation would be to invest your budget into a security suite that offers both great protection and fits more comfortably into your everyday life.
