CHECK POINT SOFTWARE AND INTERNET SECURITY SYSTEMS FORM STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIP
Check Point to OEM ISS' RealSecure Intrusion Detection Software; Partnership Delivers Integrated, Best-of-Breed Enterprise Security Solution REDWOOD CITY, Calif. and ATLANTA, Ga. — July 20, 1998 -- Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKPF), the leader in policy-based management for active networks, and Internet Security Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISSX), the leading provider of adaptive network security systems for the enterprise, today announced a strategic relationship, bringing together the market leaders in enterprise security and intrusion detection software. As part of the agreement, Check Point will OEM ISS' RealSecureTM intrusion detection software, enabling customers to purchase a best-of-class enterprise security solution, including firewall, authentication, virtual private networking (VPN), network address translation, content security and intrusion detection, from a single vendor. The Check Point-branded intrusion detection product, called Check Point RealSecureTM , is tightly integrated with the Check Point FireWall-1 enterprise security suite through Check Point's OPSEC™ (Open Platform for Secure Enterprise Connectivity) framework. The companies will work together to further integrate ISS' technology with Check Point products through co-development work, including enhanced management capabilities from a centralized management console and sharing of network objects, user information and IP addresses. The companies are also committed to cooperation at the field and channel level. "Customers have made ISS' RealSecure the winning choice in the intrusion detection space," said Dr. Deborah Triant, president and CEO of Check Point Software Technologies, Inc. "This partnership will solve real customer problems by providing an integrated solution for the effective management of security risks. Together Check Point's and ISS' products offer the ‘best-of-class' approach to security overwhelmingly preferred by enterprise customers." In a recent survey conducted by SoundView Financial Group at a Gartner Group Information Security Conference, 67 percent of respondents said that their organizations preferred purchasing "best-of-breed" information security products versus 33 percent who said that their organizations preferred purchasing a "suite of products from a single vendor." "This strategic relationship demonstrates ISS' commitment to delivering open and integrated security solutions that are totally focused on providing adaptive security functionality," said Tom Noonan, president and chief executive officer of Internet Security Systems, Inc. "Combining our companies proven leadership and expertise, along with best-of-breed intrusion detection and enterprise security technologies, will result in a superior customer solution for ongoing information protection." The Combined Solution – Check Point RealSecure RealSecure (an ISS SAFEsuiteTM solution) provides a critical layer of information protection that complements fundamental security technologies within the FireWall-1 suite, such as access control and VPN, and ensures that customers' networks are protected across all devices and layers of the enterprise. A single rule in the Check Point policy-based management console enables customers to include intrusion detection in their enterprise security policy. With Check Point RealSecure, the firewall component examines activity from external networks, while the intrusion detection component simultaneously monitors the information passing through the firewall for attacks and internal network abuse. RealSecure responds instantly to suspicious activity by logging the session for later review, immediately notifying the administrator and/or automatically terminating the connection. RealSecure can automatically reconfigure FireWall-1 in response to a network attack to reject further traffic from the attacking system, thereby preventing further attempts at unauthorized access. This groundbreaking response capability means that customers can ensure the safety of their internal network information systems while maintaining the highest possible level of network perimeter protection. Availability and Pricing Check Point RealSecure will be available in the third quarter of 1998 through Check Point's worldwide channel of resellers, distributors, VARs and ISPs. Check Point RealSecure is priced at $8,995 US. About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. is a leading provider of policy-based management solutions for active networks. Through its Secure Enterprise Connectivity strategy, the company is dedicated to enabling secure, reliable, and manageable business communications over IP networks. The company's products include the world's leading enterprise security and Virtual Private Network (VPN) suite, FireWall-1, and the industry's premier bandwidth management solution, FloodGate-1™. MetaInfo, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Check Point, is a leader in network and IP address management software that simplifies the set-up, integration and administration of complex networks. The company has U.S. headquarters in Redwood City, California and international headquarters in Ramat-Gan, Israel. For product information, please call (800) 429-4391 or (650) 628-2000 or visit our web site at http://www.checkpoint.com About Internet Security Systems Internet Security Systems, Inc. is the proven leader of adaptive network security management software with 30% market share. ISS' adaptive network security software dynamically detects and responds to security vulnerabilities and threats, protecting the integrity of enterprise information. ISS' SAFEsuite family of products provides protection across the Internet, extranets and internal networks, from attacks, misuse and security policy violations. The Company has delivered its monitoring, detection and response software solutions to organizations worldwide, including firms in the Global 2000, 9 of the ten largest U.S. commercial banks and over 35 governmental agencies. For more information, call ISS at 678-443-6000 or 800-776-2362 or visit the ISS web site at http://www.iss.net.
This release, other than historical
information, may include forward-looking statements with respect
to achieving corporate objectives, developing Internet, network
and other security products, expanding and diversifying the
Company's customer base and sales channels, and certain other
matters. These statements are made under the "safe harbor"
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995 and involve risks and uncertainties which could cause
actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking
statements, including but not limited to the risks identified
in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. These filings can be obtained either by contacting
ISS Investor Relations or through the Securities and Exchange
Commission's Web site at http://www.sec.gov. ### Internet
Security Systems, RealSecure, Internet Scanner, and SAFEsuite
are registered trademarks of Internet Security Systems, Inc.
All other companies and products mentioned are trademarks
and property of their respective owners. 1998 Check Point
Software Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Check Point,
the Check Point logo, FireWall-1, FireWall-1 SecuRemote, FireWall-First!,
OPSEC, INSPECT, UAP, FloodGate-1 and IQ Engine are trademarks
or registered trademarks of Check Point Software Technologies
Ltd. Meta IP and Meta DNS are trademarks of MetaInfo, Inc.
All other product names mentioned herein are trademarks of
their respective owners. |