Symantec Enterprise Security Manager 6.0 Offers Comprehensive Policy Compliance and Assessment

Symantec ESM Now Offers Pre-configured Industry Best Practice Security Policies and Application Modules

SYDNEY --NSW - October 28, 2003 -- Symantec, the world leader in Internet security, today announced the release of Symantec Enterprise Security Manager (ESM) 6.0, an industry-leading policy compliance solution that performs more than 2,000 different security and vulnerability checks to measure whether systems and applications are configured properly, and discover un-patched vulnerabilities so that they can be contained or remediated. The solution also now includes pre-configured industry best practice security policies and application modules for greater protection against potential security risks within an enterprise environment.

"Enterprises are increasingly faced with the challenge of protecting their networks against sophisticated threats, that combine viruses and worms with vulnerability exploits. In today's current environment, it is essential that enterprises develop and deploy comprehensive network security policies that guard against these complex Internet security threats," said Robert Pregnell, senior regional product manager at Symantec Asia Pacific. "Symantec ESM 6.0 allows security administrators to swiftly assess and address potential weaknesses in their network security infrastructures, simplifying the security policy set-up and installation process for enterprises."

With unparalleled performance and scalability, Symantec ESM provides centralised, automated and comprehensive security analysis of organisations' critical business applications and operating systems. Performing more than 2,000 different security and vulnerability checks, it offers accurate assessment on the broadest range of operating system platforms, including newly added support for Microsoft Windows 2003 and IBM iSeries (OS/400). By ensuring systems are being used in accordance to standards and patched according to policy, organisations can better understand their security and risk posture, use current security resources more effectively, and plan and prioritise for future security spending.

In addition, organisations can now holistically manage and measure compliance to one of the pre-defined industry best practice security policies from a central location. Symantec ESM offers policy compliance modules and sample baseline standards-based security policies for market leading database and Web server platforms to protect against known security vulnerabilities. It also includes industry standards and regulations capabilities, including ISO 17799 and Sans Top 20, and policies based on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

To ensure the most up-to-date protection and reduce total cost of ownership, Symantec ESM allows organisations to download the most current Security Updates through Symantec's LiveUpdate technology and deploy them enterprise-wide through the Symantec ESM console. Further, it is backed by Symantec Security Response, the world's leading Internet security research and support organisation, which provides the latest security context and vulnerability information, signatures and event refinement rules to protect against today's ever-increasing threats.

Symantec ESM is a key component of the Symantec Security Management System, which is comprised of multiple components that can be purchased and deployed separately, but also integrate with one another to provide the right set of security management applications unique to individual business objectives. Other key components of the Symantec Security Management System include Symantec Incident Manager and Symantec Event Managers.

Availability
Symantec ESM is available through Symantec's worldwide network of value-added authorised resellers, distributors and systems integrators.

About Symantec
Symantec, 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

NOTE TO EDITORS: If you would like additional information on Symantec Corporation and its products, please view the Symantec Press Center at http://www.symantec.com/PressCenter/ on Symantec's Web site.

Symantec and the Symantec logo are trademarks or registered trademarks, in the United States and certain other countries, of Symantec Corporation. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the individual companies and are respectfully acknowledged.