Comodo Firewall 6 Review

I always had a bit of bias towards Comodo but since version 6 has had time to mature this program does very well, and I have to retract my earlier statement of recommending online armor. There are many reasons behind this and I will elaborate. You can also look under our computer security tab, and it shows our firewall recommendations, and it takes you right to the Comodo website. You should look at trying the program because there truly is no better firewall on the market.

Features

While many of us have the idea that all firewalls are equal we see that Comodo stomps on the competition with features and protection. We have a lot of "toys" and security settings to play with in this program but for the sake of simplicity lets elaborate on those at a later time.
-Firewall - Kind of important.

- Defense + - This is a technology that was developed by Comodo, and the point of it is to scan every action that is occurring and it warns you. While the pop ups are very annoying from a security aspect you are practically impregnable unless you allow the unsafe process to run by clicking allow. I find that this is annoying until you allow all of your programs.

Scan- The program will scan for files and programs and compare them to Comodo's records and ratings. If the file is known it is given a rating. If not you generally will have the option to submit it for analysis. I recommend running this right after installation is complete.

Sandbox- This allows you to run a program in a sandbox environment. It is best to use this when you are banking so that you prevent malware and hackers from getting into your accounts.
     Virtual Kiosk- This is an added feature from the sandbox that allows you to run in an instanced environment separate from your main desktop to prevent malware and keyloggers. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS WHEN SHOPPING AND BANKING.

Create A Rescue Disk- While you download this separately it is nice to include all the other tools as links in the program. I recommend running this if your computer does not start or you can't access the internet.

Protection

This program while may seem very simple to use it is actually very feature rich and can be complicated when editing settings. Don't mess around with any other features unless instructed to by someone like me or another person who knows what they are talking about. The program is rated as the most secure firewall on the market, and since it is free it must be hard to resist. On the leak test without being configured it scores about 250/340. This beats every other firewall out of the box but after my configuration the score came out to be a perfect 340/340. I was also able to terminate the test right after I completed the first test. Even when I used online armor I was not able to get a perfect score no matter what settings I had.

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Malware Removal Guide

Our computers are a vital importance to all of us, and the one thing that we don't want is malware. Now the issue is that most computers are infected by some type of malware, and they might not even know it. The one thing that we don't want to do is trash a computer because it is infected with malware, and the sad thing is, is that seems to be the option that most people seem to take if they can't remove the malware. Now I want to tell you that this is not necessary and that I can give you free tools that will remove the malware and fix that machine to save you money. Now it can take some time to remove the malware but you must ask yourself is the computer worth it or would you rather waste the money. You remove the malware you save the computer. You want to buy a new one but since you removed that malware you can sell that old machine or pass it down to your child. Let's begin!

Diagnosis Of Your Issue
When you have an infection you want to first figure out how bad it is. So look at it like this what can you do with the malware on the computer.
1. Does the computer start.
2. Can you start the computer AND connect to the internet.
3. Does my browser send me to another site.
4. Does everything work, but there seems to be a slow down.

Removal
So let's say that your computer does not start up, and you know that this is the work of some sort of malware. You will want to use a scanner that scans the hard drive before windows even starts up. Now lucky for us there is a couple of tools that allow us to do that and the best part is that they are all free.

So You Will Want To Use These Scanners
1. Kaspersky Rescue Disk http://support.kaspersky.com/4162
2. AVG Rescue CD http://www.avg.com/us-en/avg-rescue-cd
Now for you to use these scanners you will need to have a USB drive nearby so that you can download these programs to the USB and run them.

So You Can Connect To The Internet/Slowdown
So if you can connect to the internet then simply download the malware scanners below and run them.

1. HitmanPro: http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro/
2. Panda Active Scan: http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/
3. Malwarebytes: http://www.malwarebytes.org/ 
4. Super AntiSpyware: http://www.superantispyware.com/
5. Bitdefender Quick Scan: http://quickscan.bitdefender.com/
6. Norton Power Eraser: http://security.symantec.com/nbrt/npe.aspx

You Can Get On But No Internet

This is the one were you are given he most options. You may either use the scanners from the first section or you may use any of the secondary scanners in  a strange way. You can download the .exe for Malwarebytes and then run the installer but change the download location to your USB. You would then launch the program and download the updates. Now go to the infected computer and you can run this from the disk or you can copy all of the files from Malwarebytes and move it to the infected machine. Since Malwarebytes use chameleon technology they will launch regardless of the malware. HOPEFULLY there are certain types of malware that are meant to block this from happening but chances are that you did not get that.

As always feel free to ask any questions in the comments below and I will gladly help.

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W32.Phopifas!gen2

This family of malware is known as the Phopifas family. This is another family of worms that has done some major damage in the past. Just last year alone Phopifas!gen1 was responsible for 2.5 million infections. This was a wide spread malware at the time, and it started with the rise of Skype. Now while it is not as well known today this malware is a smaller threat to companies such as Symantec and Bitdefender who have labeled this threat as Low Level Risk. The reason for this was the malware is not widely spread, and the malware has already been identified once.


Origin 
The origin of this malware was first found via a Skype link were there was a message along the lines of Were did you get this picture? Or is this picture really of you? Or even i cant believe that you would do that. These messages want the user to click the link to see what the image is unfortunately they don't know they are headed to a malicious site. This malware has been transferred in many other forms of social networks including Facebook. After they go to the download page they download the image in a ZIP file which strikes many people as odd but they continue with it anyways. The malware is in the folder and is apparently the second downloaded item.

Effects
This malware has in some cases contained some other forms of malware such as trojans. However since the malware has been used by many other people it is hard to tell what the exact type of malware was being spread. The purpose of the worm is to spread its self to other users by using the same social media source that it originated from. So one person get the worm then their skype account sends out the same message that they received to spread the malware even more. Now the other malware that the ZIP file contains has mostly been isolated to trojans, however some cases have been reported to contain viruses, rootkits, and others. As with any worm be sure to avoid using a USB drive or connecting to your internet or there is a risk that this malware will spread to other users on the same network.

Removal
The removal process is quiet simple you will want to delete the zip file that you downloaded and use one of the secondary scanners below. After that I recommend that you change your Skype password because it might have been compromised during the infection. Now if your antivirus is not detecting or removing the malware then you can try booting into safe mode and deleting the file that way to wipe it out for good.

Protection
As always have some sort of antivirus and firewall installed on your computer and make sure that they are being updated daily. Even if you have these installed to click on any suspicious links that you may come across on skype or Facebook. The reason is if the malware is new and the company does not have it in their signatures or database then you will be in trouble because the antivirus program cant help you. So just because your system is protected don't be daring and try to download the file.

Secondary Malware Scanners 
HitmanPro: http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro/
Panda Active Scan: http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/
Malwarebytes: http://www.malwarebytes.org/
Super AntiSpyware: http://www.superantispyware.com/
Bitdefender Quick Scan: http://quickscan.bitdefender.com/
Norton Power Eraser: http://security.symantec.com/nbrt/npe.aspx

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Issues With The American Patent System

There has been a storm or mixed feelings related to the patent system, and after the new rules relating to software patenting and how it has been practically outlawed in New Zealand there needs to be a change. The new rules that were set forth have made the idea of patenting software a hopeless dream. These new rules are

(1) A computer program is not an invention and not a manner of manufacture for the purposes of this Act.
(2) Subsection (1) prevents anything from being an invention or a manner of manufacture for the purposes of this Act only to the extent that a claim in a patent or an application relates to a computer program as such.
(3) A claim in a patent or an application relates to a computer program as such if the actual contribution made by the alleged invention lies solely in it being a computer program.

So why should people be allowed to patent software when they are using open source code to write it? This is the main argument that many hackers such as the deceased Aaron Swartz had. Why is it someone can take a program code it in C++ and then patent it. The code is all open source, and they did not invent the kernel or the programming language. This idea is what creates the big threat for the technology industry which is known as the "Patent Troll". The patent troll is someone who goes out a patents an item for the sake of suing another company for money. Some companies including Apple INC are being labeled as patent trolls. The whole idea of intellectual rights is being thrown under a bus because of the Apple vs Samsung case which is still going on. Apple sued Samsung for over 1 billion dollars and won for some software and functions that they claim Samsung stole. While the judge reduced it by half the trolling by Apple is doing nothing to benefit us as a consumer.

Look at the lawsuit above and let me ask you "Does this lawsuit aide the consumer in anyway?" the answer is no we don't care, and Apple does not need the money. They are trying to take down their threat which is Samsung because Samsung is the "Big Dog" in the smart phone market. These charges are wasting tax payer money because the court house the judge and any other federal employees are getting paid with our taxes and all of this for a patent and money that Apple does not need. Apple has over 100 Billion Dollars worth of investments.  So it is clear to us that Apple was not doing it for the money and actual damages to their profits but they were doing it to knock out Samsung. This is the fine art of patent trolling, and it needs to stop.

These patent laws which are meant to protect companies products which obviously these tech giants don't need to fear are squandering innovation. If patent trolls are allowed to exist this prevents innovation because going into the technology industry is so scary to entrepreneurs because they can make a product and get sued like no tomorrow because of the patent system. This article from The Independent basically covers that the amount of patents for silicon valley is to high. Why should new companies have to worry about the patent system when thinking of a new product or idea. Why can people patent code that they did not invent all of these questions remain, and no one has an answer because it does not make sense. If we were to all follow the New Zealand change of pace the patent trolls would have to go some were else.

*Let me know in the comments about your thoughts about the American patent system and the patent trolling.

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Packed.Generic.410

Pay our friends over there at Symantec a visit why don't you?

Symantec corporation has identified a newly released threat which they have labeled as a Packed.Generic.410 please remember that just because another company labels it something different it does not mean that it is different. This particular piece of malware which I believe is a trojan based off of its actions. While this variation of trojan is not a major threat to you please keep your computer safe by downloading safe programs from trusted websites. Now lets break this malware down.

Simple Name Break Down
Packed = This means that it is a packer. A packer is a program that has been packed with some sort of security. Whether it was a password or a special algorithm, they are generally weak and not a serious threat.
Generic = This just means that it is another common variation of a packer.

Effects
The thing to keep in mind with these packers is that they are very weak, and are generally a low level threat to the user. Now since it is a trojan you should still take it as a threat to your bank information and other account information. These "packer trojans" generally get onto the computer and are released when extracted UNLESS they are self extracting which is a possibility. These trojans are generally downloaded from an infected computer. They can be downloaded from emails but as email systems are becoming more and more secure these are slowly being weaned out. So always download safe programs from safe and well trusted websites and these packers wont be an issue.

Removal
As always run a scan with an antivirus program from my secondary scanner list at the bottom of the post. You will also want to delete the source whether you downloaded a zip file or it was an exe file. It is also recommended to delete your internet files and cookies because we don't know what other modifications that it made to your computer. After you use the scanners and delete the cookies you should not have to worry about them, but if you feel that the trojan still remains post a comment below.

Protection
Download any of the free antivirus products below and update them. If you have an antivirus program please remember to update it daily. If you don't know whether your product is safe or a trusted program ask in the comments below or consult this short list. Again just because it is not on the list does not mean that it is not a trusting program.
Avg- http://free.avg.com/us-en/homepage
Avast- http://www.avast.com/en-us/index
Bitdefender- http://www.bitdefender.com/
Ad Aware- http://www.lavasoft.com/
Avira- http://www.avira.com/en/avira-free-antivirus
Panda- http://free.pandasecurity.com/
Comodo- http://www.comodo.com/
Microsoft Security Essentials- http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security-essentials-download
Windows Defender- Installed on all windows 8 machines

Secondary Scanners

HitmanPro: http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro/
Panda Active Scan: http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/
Malwarebytes: http://www.malwarebytes.org/
Super AntiSpyware: http://www.superantispyware.com/
Bitdefender Quick Scan: http://quickscan.bitdefender.com/
Norton Power Eraser: http://security.symantec.com/nbrt/npe.aspx

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Malware: WN32.Changeup!gen41

A new string of the Changeup family of malware was detected and categorized by Symantec today. This malware is quite strange because it a low level worm. Generally when someone writes a worm it is meant to be very difficult to remove however Symantec marks it as a low level threat. Lets explore this family of malware and explain what it is meant to do to your computer.

Possible Infection Routes

You will contract a worm generally by downloading some sort of unsafe program. However they are also commonly shared by USB drives and the USB was infected for downloading the unsafe program and either it replicated its self onto the USB, or it was installed onto it. Since it is a worm we also know that it was possibly spread through the network from another infected machine. This is one of the reason any Network Manager or IT professional hates to deal with worms.

Effects

This malware is very similar in its effects compared to any form of worm. It will set its self to autorun so that it will always run with the computer on start up. This is so common with malware that it is almost not worth mentioning. The worm is meant for two main things. The first thing being that a worm spreads to other users through any means necessary. The second main thing is to download more malware onto the computer. This malware is generally trojans that will steal information from your computer. Now think about this the worm spreads to as many computers as it can. It will then try to download trojans and more malware onto the computer. This technique is meant to steal as much information (credit card, banking, etc..) so the author can make money. There is also a thought that these worms are part of an affiliate scheme to were the author says if you pay me (insert dollar amount here) then I will get this many downloads.

Removal

Scan your computer with any secondary scanners at the bottom of this post. You should also check anyone else that was on your network or if you used a flash drive. While you might get malware from the flash drive your antivirus product will detect it if it was already updated. You will want to disconnect your self from the internet if you feel like your computer does have the malware after you downloaded a scanner. The reason for this is you want to reduce any chances of getting the malware onto another computer or it makes removing it that much more difficult.

Protection

Don't download any programs if you cant prove that they are safe or if they are from a trusted partner of the owners. For instance I could download Microsoft word but if I got it from some random site then even though the product is safe they might have added malware to that package. You should also keep an updated antivirus product on your computer to protect it in case you do run into the malware.

Secondary Scanners

HitmanPro: http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro/
Panda Active Scan: http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/
Malwarebytes: http://www.malwarebytes.org/
Super AntiSpyware: http://www.superantispyware.com/
Bitdefender Quick Scan: http://quickscan.bitdefender.com/
Norton Power Eraser: http://security.symantec.com/nbrt/npe.aspx

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