Industry Accolades Fan Flames of FireWall-1

Product Douses Competitors in Separate In-Depth Tests By Network Computing and Data Communications Magazines

Redwood City, CA —

Check Point Software Technologies, Inc., the market share leader in network security software, announced today that its award-winning Check Point FireWall-1 product has earned top honors from two more leading computing industry publications. Network Computing magazine has awarded FireWall-1 its coveted "Editor's Choice" award based on comparative testing of six firewall products, and Data Communications magazine has presented FireWall-1 its "Top Performer" award after an in-depth review of 14 leading competitors.

Network Computing's comparative product review, which appeared in the February 15, 1996 issue of the publication, praised FireWall-1 as "Editor's Choice," stating that "FireWall-1's ease of use, power, flexibility and performance impressed us… Even though it does not implement proxies in the traditional sense, the ability to process much more than network protocol headers is built into its architecture…In the unlikely event that you cannot implement your security policy as precisely as you'd like with the extensive point-and-click options, a powerful macro language is available for further customization…FireWall-1 was one of our top performers." The editors also were impressed with FireWall-1's support for Progressive Networks' RealAudio.

In Data Communications' November 21, 1995 issue, FireWall-1 also received top honors, with the editors declaring that "FireWall-1 finished first in most of our performance tests, suggesting it can withstand even the heaviest attacks from outsiders…FireWall-1 includes security features not offered by most other devices, such as the ability to monitor state information about all open circuits. Another plus: FireWall-1's graphical user interface is a model of clarity."

In addition to winning top honors in Network Computing and Data Communications, the product also has recently received accolades in comparative product reviews conducted by PC Magazine and Network World. In awarding FireWall-1 an "Honorable Mention" in their comparative review in the March 12, 1996 issue, PC Magazine's editors again praised the product's ease of use. The product was commended as "one of the most user-friendly products in (the) review…(its) nifty graphical interface was easy to use and navigate. It made adding hosts, users, and groups of users hassle-free. Firewall management was also a breeze."

FireWall-1 also stood out in Network World's January 29, 1996 review, with editors noting that "FireWall-1…offers what no other firewall has: centralized configuration and administration of multiple firewalls from a single point. If your network requires multiple firewalls, FireWall-1 is a must-buy."

About FireWall-1
Check Point FireWall-1 represents a new generation of firewall technology, delivering unprecedented levels of security, user transparency, performance, extensibility and ease-of-use. Based on a unique architecture using Check Point's patent-pending "stateful inspection" technology, the product is the most flexible, easy-to-install, configure, and maintain firewall product available. FireWall-1 allows a customized security policy to be created, monitored, and maintained from a single workstation, and enables network managers to configure and manage multiple firewalls throughout the enterprise from one, centralized management station. The product is also sold by SunSoft, Inc. as Solstice FireWall-1.

About Check Point Software
Check Point Software Technologies is the leading vendor of network security software with more than 40% share of the firewall market (according to International Data Corporation). With thousands of installations in small to Fortune 100 companies worldwide, Check Point FireWall-1 has emerged as the standard for enterprise-wide network security. Check Point's products are sold through distributors, resellers and Internet service providers worldwide, including SunSoft, Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company, and UB Networks and their respective distribution channels. The company is privately-held and has U.S. headquarters in Redwood City, California and international headquarters in Ramat-Gan, Israel. For more information, please call (800) 429-4391, e-mail info@checkpoint.com or visit Check Point at http://www.checkpoint.com.

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