Good morning, wwwdotcom (or at least, where I am, drinking coffee…)
I’ll try to answer your questions one at a time here; please bear with me.
From the CPF GUI at the top right there’s a link to “Help.” You can find explanations of ABA within the help file. You can access the settings for ABA in Security/Advanced/Application Behavior Analysis, to change which ones are being monitored.
ISSUE 4 & 5 - Regardless of the mode or co-existing applications, I expect the program to work in either scenario. I find your responses in these areas not really addressing the issue but laying excuses for the program's weaknesses. So I don't appear to be vague on this, please read the next response so I can give a detailed example of what I mean by "weakness". I think you will agree then, if not now, Comodo still has work to do with its firewall program.
I have seen a tremendous number of problems solved by users reinstalling and choosing Automatic instead of Advanced. As with any software, choosing an Advanced installation/setup is not recommended until the user knows what the software does and how it works. I cannot quantify what configuration issues were caused by them choosing Advanced over Automatic, because they could not explain exactly what they did during the install/config process; since they were not already familiar with CPF, things were pretty much permanently messed up (until an uninstall/reinstall).
I have also seen a tremendous number of problems solved by users uninstalling/reinstalling CPF after deactivating other security software. It is a very common problem to have software problems if the user does not deactivate security software prior to installation. The security software is frequently trying to protect files/registry that need to be written to. Even if the user is given a popup to allow the install action to occur, and does allow it, an error may have already occurred. This is the nature of computers. At times, it seems like a butterfly flapping its wings in the rainforest will cause problems… ;D
I assure you, I am not trying to cover up any CPF weaknesses; as with any software, there are issues/glitches; some of these are directly related to CPF; some are related to the individual’s computer/software configuration. I am merely explaining some frequent causes of problems that users experience with CPF.
ISSUE 1 & 2 - Start with 1. "The Alert Frequency level" addresses every program if I am not mistaken. If so, then if I were to lower the security, then it would lower security levels across the board. I want to lower the security level for ONLY one program while keeping everything else HIGH. I thought "Allow all activities for this application" was to alleviate constraints on one program while giving the user not only security but also freedom to pick and choose what programs required desired security levels. If I were to take your suggestion in the state the program is in now, I don't see how I could adjust the alert frequency level for specific programs. This is one weakness in the Comodo firewall program.
Yes, the Alert Frequency works across the board; it does not apply to single applications (please feel free to add that to the CPF WishList V4 ). However, this is separate from the “Allow all activities for this application.” If you go to Security/Advanced/Miscellaneous and move that slider up and down, it will tell you exactly what aspect of alerts it is giving. These relate to IP address accessed, Ports used, direction of traffic (in/out) for the application, and IP Protocol (TCP, UDP, etc). The “Allow all activities…” more specifically relates to Application Behavior Analysis, rather than what is covered by the regular alerts. You will note when moving the Alert Frequency slider, that it makes no mention of Application Behavior; that’s because that is a separate issue.
For the second part, I do not advocate ignoring alerts, nor am I saying that you do. My point is that if CPF gives a popup alert that a program is trying to connect to the internet, there is a reason it is doing so. Users in general have a tendency to not pay close attention to the details of the message; however, that message is important to read before allowing or denying the connection attempt. As a note, in your first post to this topic, you said,
Whenever I try launching programs, it throws out the alert window. I know that program is launching. I CLICKED THE ICON!!! Stop popping up and just run the ■■■■ program.
; this would seem to indicate that you think that CPF is alerting you that the program is launching/starting/opening, but that’s not the case. CPF, as a firewall, only alerts you that a program is trying to connect to the internet in a way that is not explicitly addressed in the Application Monitor rules. CPF doesn’t care if you start a program; it only cares if that program tries to connect to the internet; that is the only job a software firewall has. Inasfar as the “Do not show alerts for applications certified by Comodo” goes, this only addresses applications that are on CPF’s internal safelist. While that list is growing, it only contains applications that Comodo has checked and verified, and has the necessary cryptographic signatures for; by checking this box, you will not see alerts for those applications; this doesn’t mean you won’t get alerts.
I hope that specifically addresses all your responses. As a Moderator, I am not a Comodo employee; I am a fellow user. As such, I have no interest in covering up CPF problems, and I have pressed Comodo on a number of things I have felt need to be addressed. Comodo has always been very responsive to its users’ concerns/issues, and has a strong presence in the forums. Although they work specifically from the WishList, rest assured, they have seen this thread. As to CPF’s security, you can review these independent tests: https://forums.comodo.com/index.php/topic,4232.0.html (there are two links in Melih’s first post).
I highly recommend you read through the links on this page: CPF FAQ; this is a compilation of the most frequent/hottest questions, and/or responses to those issues. There is a wealth of information here.
LM
PS: I noticed in one of your other posts that you starting looking into a firewall after getting a computer virus earlier this year. I just want to make sure that you are aware that a firewall (either hardware or software) will not stop you from getting a computer virus; that is simply not the firewall’s job. A hardware firewall is designed to keep unauthorized internet traffic Out; a software firewall is designed to keep unauthorized internet traffic In (ie, malware - virus, trojan, spyware, etc) by blocking the connection attempt. An integrated HIPS is planned for a future version of CPF (which I think you’ve already read); while not normally part of a firewall, this will greatly help in preventing malware from getting on your computer.