Leading Content Security Vendors Announce Support for Check Point FireWall-1 3.0

New Partners for Anti-Virus Protection, URL Screening and Java Security

Redwood City, CA —

In conjunction with the unveiling of Check Point FireWall-1 3.0 (see related release), Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. today announced partnerships with several industry leaders to provide comprehensive content security, including anti-virus protection, URL screening and Java security, within the company's FireWall-1 3.0 open network security framework. FireWall-1's content security enables network managers to set security policies based on the message content of network transmissions.

Check Point today also unveiled the first of many APIs for integrating third-party software 'plug-ins' into FireWall-1, the Check Point Content Vectoring Protocol (CVP). Through the CVP, third-party vendors Cheyenne Software, Integralis, McAfee Associates, Symantec Corporation and Trend Micro Incorporated will provide user-selectable anti-virus protection for FireWall-1. Check Point is also partnering with NetPartners and Netegrity/Microsystems to provide high-performance URL screening within FireWall-1. Additionally, Check Point has developed the industry's most flexible and comprehensive Java security available, with technical input from Sun JavaSoft and Netscape Communications.

"Through the Content Vectoring Protocol and integration of third-party solutions for content security, Check Point is offering the industry's first open network security platform with FireWall-1 3.0," said Dr. Deborah Triant, president and CEO of Check Point Software Technologies, Inc. "With the support of these industry-leading vendors in the areas of anti-virus scanning, Java security and URL screening, Check Point has raised the bar for a comprehensive and open network security solution."

An Open Solution for Integrated Content Inspection and Anti-Virus Protection
Check Point's Content Vectoring Protocol (CVP), integrated into FireWall-1 3.0 and publicly available from Check Point, provides an open specification to enable the integration of and communication with external and third-party "plug-in" content screening software. The first application of the CVP will be anti-virus protection. The CVP was developed in conjunction with and is supported by leading anti-virus companies including Cheyenne Software, Integralis, McAfee Associates, Symantec, and Trend Micro Incorporated. These companies have committed to enhancing their products to support the CVP and to integrating their anti-virus protection products into Check Point FireWall-1.

Through the Check Point CVP, customers can now integrate the industry's leading network security solution with their existing or company-wide standard anti-virus software. By implementing anti-virus scanning at the firewall, companies will enjoy a higher level of security than they would by relying on each user to install and correctly use and maintain anti-virus scanning software on the desktop. In addition, Check Point's open, enterprise-wide anti-virus solutions can be more cost-effective than the desk-by-desk approach, both in up-front per copy cost and in back-end virus cleanup cost.

URL Screening to Ensure Appropriate Access
Check Point is partnering with the leading providers of URL list services, NetPartners WebSense and Netegrity for Microsystems CyberPatrol, to bring high-performance URL screening to FireWall-1 customers. This capability will allow network managers to set URL screening-related security policies, such as one which prevents all users on the internal network from accessing sports-related sites, directly from within FireWall-1's management console.

By providing an open URL screening solution and allowing customers to choose from multiple list providers, Check Point is enabling users to select the list that best fits their specific content and categorization requirements. The lists are integrated into FireWall-1 in their native, encrypted format to maintain a high level of performance and security.

Customers purchasing FireWall-1 3.0 will have the option to receive a free, three month trial subscription for either of the URL list subscription services integrated with FireWall-1.

Three Levels of Security for Java
Based on technical input with Sun JavaSoft and Netscape Communications, the industry experts on the Java language and Java security, Check Point has developed the highest degree of flexibility and control over Java security currently available. Check Point's patent-pending Stateful Inspection architecture enables Check Point to provide these unprecedented levels of Java security, protecting organizations from the most common and dangerous Java network attacks.

The various levels of Java security allow FireWall-1 administrators to define the Java security policy which is best-suited for their specific organization and its business requirements.

In Check Point's level one Java security, which has been available to FireWall-1 users since version 2.1, Java applets can be blocked entirely or can be restricted to those from or to specific hosts or network domains. Level two prevents malicious Java applets from connecting back to the FTP server by restricting outbound FTP to authenticated users behind the firewall. Check Point's third level of Java security restricts return Java connections from the server back to the client.

These tight controls over Java-based communications prevent known forms of Java-based server attacks from succeeding.

About Check Point Software
Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:CHKPF) is the network security market share leader and inventor of the emerging "Stateful Inspection" standard. The company commanded a 40% share of the worldwide firewall market in 1995 according to an IDC study issued in February 1996. The companys flagship product, Check Point FireWall-1, protects internal and external network communications for thousands of organizations of all sizes. Its products are sold worldwide through OEM partners, distributors, VARs, systems and network integrators and Internet Service Providers. The company has U.S. headquarters in Redwood City, California and international headquarters in Ramat-Gan, Israel. For product information, please call (650) 482-4900, e-mail info@checkpoint.com or visit Check Point at http://www.checkpoint.com.

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