Symantec Receives FIPS 140-2, Level 1 Validation for the Symantec Cryptographic Module

TORONTO, ON - January 4, 2005 - Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC), the global leader in information security, today announced that the Symantec Cryptographic Module has received Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2, Level 1 validation from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The Symantec Cryptography Module is used in Symantec pcAnywhere 11.5, the latest version of Symantec's industry-leading remote control solution, to provide the cryptography for its communications encryption and may be implemented in future Symantec products requiring encryption technology. FIPS 140-2 validation allows products that include the Symantec Cryptography Module to be deployed by federal agencies, including contracted service providers, and other organizations that require stringent security standards to protect sensitive information.

"Security is the most important factor in deciding whether or not to implement technology such as a remote control solution within the corporate environment. This is particularly true in the government and financial sectors, where validation of standards is generally a mandatory requirement," says Thom Bailey, director of product management, enterprise administration, Symantec Corporation. "By providing our customers with superior security options and functionality, such as the FIPS 140-2-validated cryptographic module, Symantec addresses the demanding security concerns of organizations of all sizes and sectors."

FIPS 140-2, Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules, is a government standard that validates security claims for products using cryptography through the National Institute of Standards and Technology. By law, U.S. government purchasing agents must purchase the product that is validated for FIPS 140-2 (or FIPS 140-1) over one that is not. FIPS 140-2 is also required by federal agencies in Canada and recognized in Europe and Australia. The financial community uses FIPS 140-2 to measure the safety of products handling monetary transactions. Security Level 1 allows the software and firmware components of a cryptographic module to be executed on a general purpose computing system using an unevaluated operating system without any additional hardware security mechanism.

For more information on FIPS 140-2, visit http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips/fips140-2/fips1402.pdf. To obtain additional information on Symantec pcAnywhere 11.5, call (800) 745-6054 or visit http://sea.symantec.com.

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.

Symantec's Canadian operations are headquartered in Toronto with offices in Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver. For more information on Symantec products or current promotions, contact the Canadian office at (416) 441-3676 or access Symantec's Canadian Web site at www.symantec.ca. Symantec is an active member of the Canadian Alliance Against Software Theft (CAAST).

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