In response to the increase in online cyber threats targeting the endpoint, combined with IT staffing pressures, Symantec is now offering Symantec Managed Endpoint Protection Services - a new set of offerings which provides management and monitoring of endpoint protection technologies to defend users against malware and other sophisticated attacks, such as rootkits, zero-day attacks, and spyware. The new managed services leverage the customers’ existing endpoint protection technologies, Symantec security experts, and the Symantec Global Intelligence Network to secure customer, employee, and corporate data, while providing expert management to help IT departments with the configuration, availability and effectiveness of their endpoint protection technologies. Symantec’s March 2009 Managed Security in the Enterprise report highlighted the need for additional protection from cyber threats that are growing in number and intensity and becoming more effective. According to the report, 88 percent of the 1,000 enterprise security practitioners surveyed experienced cyber attacks in the past two years with 30 percent rating these attacks as somewhat or highly effective. Nearly all (97 percent) experienced some sort of loss, including downtime (46 percent), theft of customer or employee personally identifiable information (31 percent) and theft of corporate data (25 percent). In addition, Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report, Volume XIV, released in April 2009, underscored the significance of threats to the endpoint. According to the report, Symantec created more than 1.6 million new malicious code signatures in 2008, representing a 165 percent increase over 2007 and more than 60 percent of all the malicious code signatures ever created by Symantec. To provide relief for IT departments in the face of increasing threats and staffing challenges, Symantec is offering Symantec Managed Endpoint Protection Services, which are composed of deployment, management, and 24x7 monitoring for endpoint protection technologies, including Symantec AntiVirus, Symantec Endpoint Protection, and Symantec Network Access Control. These services enable enterprises to secure information and manage endpoint risks, while lowering total cost of ownership, improving operational efficiencies, and meeting strict Service-Level commitments. Symantec Managed Endpoint Protection Services are now available globally. For more information on these services, please visit the Symantec Managed Endpoint Protection Services page on www.symantec.com.