Symantec Launches Host Intrusion Detection And Prevention Solution For Servers

A Component of Symantec Intrusion Protection, Symantec Host IDS 4.1 Introduces Real-Time Prevention Capabilities

SYDNEY --NSW - 1 July, 2003 -- Symantec, the world leader in Internet security, today announced the release of Symantec Host IDS 4.1, introducing scalable intrusion detection and prevention capabilities for business critical servers. Symantec Host IDS helps ensure business continuity by providing intrusion detection and prevention with the advanced management capabilities administrators require.

"Corporates are demanding broad platform support, non-intrusive agents and intrusion prevention from their host-based intrusion detection deployments," said John Donovan, Symantec's Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand. "Symantec Host IDS is designed to safeguard enterprise servers from a variety of threats, utilising new process management capabilities and real-time intrusion detection and new proactive intrusion prevention."

Many enterprise customers require real-time detection of security events occurring in their server environment, therefore they implement a robust and versatile intrusion detection solution that can map directly to their internal security infrastructure. Enterprises concerned about protecting intellectual property prefer a more proactive approach to securing their server environments, which calls for prevention of security breaches. And still other enterprise customers favour a balanced approach to server security, opting for detection of security events and prevention of only threats and attacks known to be harmful. The combination of intrusion detection and prevention provides comprehensive protection against intrusions.

Symantec Host IDS enhances the security of critical server platforms throughout the enterprise by providing real-time intrusion detection and new proactive intrusion prevention. It offers new process management capabilities that combined provide an efficient and non-intrusive prevention solution to stop threats such as buffer overflow attacks and Trojan horse attacks.

Symantec Host IDS also offers broad platform support (Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows XP, Solaris 8 and Solaris 9) and the ability to co-exist with Symantec's earlier host-based IDS, Intruder Alert 3.6, to provide a singular view into IDS security events.

In addition, Symantec Host IDS is highly scalable and easily managed from a single administrative console. Administrators can create and deploy monitoring and response policies, collect and archive audit logs for incident analysis and reporting, and automatically receive the latest intrusion signatures through a centralised management console. To lower the cost of ownership, Symantec Host IDS integrates with the Symantec Security Management System, a management framework that provides common data collection, logging and reporting for Symantec and third-party products. With the Symantec Security Management System, administrators can view security alerts and manage incident response for a range of security products across the enterprise.

Symantec Host IDS is a key component of Symantec Intrusion Protection, which offers the flexibility to implement the appropriate technology to anticipate, detect, prevent, and mitigate attacks from internal and external intruders. Symantec Intrusion Protection consists of products and services that evolve with an organisation to meet its changing security needs as the business grows. Elements of Symantec Intrusion Protection may include network- and host-based intrusion detection and prevention, integrated appliances, early warning services, and analysis and mitigation services. Unlike point-product security vendors that provide only a single element of this strategy, Symantec offers all of these elements for comprehensive intrusion protection.

Availability
Symantec Host IDS is available through Symantec's worldwide network of value-added authorised resellers, distributors and systems integrators. Organisations can be connected with Symantec's resellers and distributors in their areas by visiting the Symantec Solution Provider locator at http://www.symantec.com.au/region/au_nz/partners/.

About Symantec
Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC), the world leader in Internet security technology, provides a broad range of content and network security software and appliance solutions to individuals, enterprises and service providers. The company is a leading provider of client, gateway and server security solutions for virus protection, firewall and virtual private network, vulnerability management, intrusion detection, Internet content and e-mail filtering, remote management technologies and security services to enterprises and service providers around the world. Symantec's Norton brand of consumer security products is a leader in worldwide retail sales and industry awards. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Symantec has worldwide operations in 36 countries. For more information, please visit www.symantec.com.au

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