Check Point and Sun Microsystems Secure North America's Largest IPv6 Test

Department of Defense Calls for IPv6 Migration; Check Point and Sun Microsystems Prove IPv6 Deployment and Integration Capabilities

REDWOOD CITY AND SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 22, 2003 - Check Point Software Technologies, the worldwide leader in securing the Internet (NASDAQ: CHKP), and Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUNW), today announced that they successfully participated in and completed interoperability testing, providing the only Internet security solution for multiple test sites in North America's largest real world demonstration of the next generation Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). Prompted by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)-mandated transition to IPv6 by 2008 for all inter- and intra-networking, the "Moonv6" test project, run in conjunction with the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL), was designed to promote adoption of the new IPv6 protocol throughout the industry by showcasing its benefits in a realistic environment that requires security and interoperability.

Check Point Next Generation™ with Application Intelligence™, the industry's only solution that protects against both network and application-level attacks to deliver unparalleled network security, was powered by the latest generation Sun UltraSPARC® system running Solaris™ 9, the premier UNIX® operating system for security solutions. Check Point and Sun Microsystems solutions interoperated with more than 30 networking solutions, including switches, routers, applications and operating systems, to validate the performance and interoperability of next-generation IPv6 networking hardware and software under realistic network conditions.

"With hackers continuing to exploit network vulnerabilities, Internet security is critical for secure, seamless migration to IPv6," said Ben Schultz, UNH-IOL managing engineer and UNH-IOL technical team leader for Moonv6. "The 30 organizations that participated in the Moonv6 project have demonstrated their commitment to providing solutions that comply with the DoD's government directive."

Government Driven Migration
Today's Internet runs on Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4). Due to the growing shortage of the IP network addresses needed by all new machines added to the Internet, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has planned to transition from IPv4 to IPv6 by 2008.

The Moonv6 project was formed to promote IPv6 throughout the industry through a two-phased demonstration designed to validate the security, performance and interoperability of IPv6 networking hardware and software under realistic network conditions. Check Point has successfully completed the first phase of this demonstration; the second phase is scheduled to begin in February 2004.

"Together with Sun Microsystems, we have proven that our industry-leading Internet security technology provides seamless protection in the most sophisticated next-generation IPv6 environments," said Gonen Fink, vice president of solutions and strategy, Check Point Software Technologies. "Customers can rest assured that as their network needs evolve, Check Point's intelligent Internet security solutions will seamlessly interoperate with current and emerging standards, such as the IPv6 protocol."

"Sun Microsystems is the systems company that leads the industry with vision and products for networking solutions. We are the pioneer that first delivered a commercial implementation of IPv6 through the industry's best operating system, Solaris," said Stuart Wells, vice president, Market Development, Sun Microsystems Inc. "This constant innovation in networking has propelled a hotbed of innovative solutions development with our partners. Check Point Software, a premier Sun iForce partner, is a leading example of such innovation that delivers incredible value to customers such as the DoD. We are excited about our joint work on the DoD IPv6 deployment initiative."

About Moonv6
The Moonv6 project is a collaborative effort between the North American IPv6 Task Force, (NAv6TF), the UNH-IOL the Joint Interoperability Testing Command (JITC) and various other U.S. Defense Department agencies and Internet2 (I2). Taking place across the U.S. at multiple locations, the Moonv6 project represents the most aggressive collaborative IPv6 interoperability and application demonstration event in the North American market to date. For more information, visit the organization's Web site at http://www.moonv6.org.

About the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory
Established in 1988, the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL) is a non-profit organization that offers comprehensive interoperability and conformance-based testing through 16 technology-based groups, called consortiums. Test solutions created at the UNH-IOL offer a set of methods to increase interoperability through protocol operations, signaling, point-to-point and multi-system scenarios. For more information, visit the UNH-IOL website at: http://www.iol.unh.edu.

About Check Point Software Technologies
Check Point Software Technologies is the worldwide leader in securing the Internet. It is the confirmed market leader of both the worldwide VPN and firewall markets. Through its Next Generation product line, the company delivers a broad range of Perimeter, Internal and Web security solutions that protect business communications and resources for corporate networks and applications, remote employees, branch offices and partner extranets. Extending the power of the Check Point solution is its Open Platform for Security (OPSEC), the industry's framework and alliance for integration and interoperability with "best-of-breed" solutions from over 350 leading companies. Check Point solutions are sold, integrated and serviced by a network of 1,900 Check Point partners in 86 countries. For more information, please call us at (800) 429-4391 or (650) 628-2000, or visit us on the Web at http://www.checkpoint.com or at http://www.opsec.com.

About Sun Microsystems
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision - "The Network Is The Computer™" - has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that make the Net work. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com.

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© 2003 Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.
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