NSCN Netscreen Technologies (MM)

NetScreen Raises the Bar with Next-Generation Integrated Network Security Platform Alleviates Performance and Network Compromises Forced by Competing Solutions; Provides Scalability to Address Evolving Threats SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continuing its consistent track record of introducing ground-breaking security solutions, NetScreen Technologies, Inc. today announced availability of the NetScreen-ISG 2000, the industry's first integrated security gateway uniquely designed to provide best-of-breed perimeter security functionality protecting against network- and application-level threats, while optimizing performance and decreasing complexity of enterprise and carrier networks. Unlike other security solution developers' integration approaches that can force customers to make performance and network compromises, NetScreen's new purpose-built system with a modular design and a unique processing architecture -- including NetScreen's new fourth-generation Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) -- integrates firewall and virtual private network (VPN) technologies and will be able to support integrated intrusion detection and prevention (IDP) functionality. As a result, the NetScreen-ISG 2000 provides exceptional performance as well as flexibility and scalability to combat today's and tomorrow's sophisticated threats. The NetScreen-ISG 2000 is ideal for enterprises, carriers and data center operators struggling to efficiently address theincreasing volume and sophistication of attacks that are threatening their networks while maintaining performance and balancing limited IT resources and budgets. "There is an overriding trend to integrate many security functions into fewer devices; however, without the right design and combination of functionality, there can be serious network performance and management drawbacks," said Jeff Wilson principal analyst at Infonetics Research. "When Netscreen approached this problem, they were very conscious of the integration pitfalls; NetScreen-ISG 2000 is a great example of the successful marriage of management, performance, and feature integration." Unique Processing Architecture The NetScreen-ISG 2000, capable of 2 Gbps firewall and 1 Gbps 3DES/AES IPSec VPN performance, supports up to 8 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, 28 Fast Ethernet interfaces, or a combination of both. It also can support up to 10,000 VPN tunnels, 512,000 concurrent sessions and 30,000 new sessions per second. This performance acceleration is achieved by leveraging a unique combination of flexible processing power that includes dual GHz Central Processing Units (CPUs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and NetScreen's next-generation ASIC, the GigaScreen3 -- the industry's first programmable ASIC to perform Gigabit-speed, hardware-accelerated AES and 3DES encryption and multi-Gigabit firewall inspection for any packet size. Doubling the performance from its previous generation ASIC, NetScreen's newest ASIC delivers up to 3 million packets per second (pps) for firewall processing and 1.5 million pps encryption processing with low latency throughput at any packet size, which is critical for complex applications like Voice over IP (VoIP). Additionally, multiple embedded processors accelerate features such as Denial of Service protection and encryption fragmentation, while providing a means of integrating additional features through future software updates. Further, the NetScreen-ISG 2000 system architecture is uniquely designed to provide wirespeed firewall and VPN packet processing while simultaneously performing policy-based redirection of selected sessions to specific security modules for additional security processing. The GigaScreen3 ASIC can balance sessions across up to three security modules, each with dual GHz CPUs, an FPGA and memory to run the security applications, such as intrusion detection and prevention. In addition to the unique design of the system, NetScreen-ISG 2000 customers can benefit from the security and networking capabilities built into NetScreen's operating software, ScreenOS, including Deep Inspection firewall technology, dynamic route-based VPN and virtualization capabilities, as well as support for BGP, RIPv2 and OSPF routing protocols that can ease deployment in many complex environments. Also, active/active and active/passive High Availability (HA) options can eliminate a single point of failure and maximize network connectivity and productivity. "The new, highly scalable NetScreen-ISG 2000 platform represents a new class of product designed to address sophisticated network- and application- level attacks while enabling optimal network performance and minimizing operational overhead," said David Flynn, vice president of marketing for NetScreen. "Its unique processing architecture and modular design are critical to achieving scalable performance and security functionality that can help protect networks now and into the future." Availability The NetScreen-ISG 2000 is available now. NetScreen-Security Manager is expected to support the NetScreen-ISG 2000 later this quarter and the NetScreen IDP security module is expected to be available in the second half of 2004. For more information about NetScreen products, visit: http://www.netscreen.com/ . About NetScreen Technologies NetScreen Technologies, Inc. is a leading developer of network security and access solutions for enterprises and carriers worldwide. NetScreen's solutions offer customers multiple layers of network and application-level protection in purpose-built appliances and systems that meet customers' security, performance and total cost of ownership objectives. NetScreen is located at 805 11th Ave., Sunnyvale, CA, 94089. More information on NetScreen's products can be found at http://www.netscreen.com/ or by calling toll free at 1-800-638-8296. NOTE: NetScreen,GigaScreen and the NetScreen logo are trademarks of NetScreen Technologies, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This press release contains forward-looking statements about events and circumstances that have not yet occurred. For example, words such as "will," "expects," "enabling," "provide," "continue,"and "allows," or other statements in the future tense, are forward-looking statements. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from expectations in this press release due to a number of risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties include whether the market for security products will grow as projected, if at all, whether demand for NetScreen products will continue, whether new products, if and when introduced, will be successful and whether products will perform as expected. DATASOURCE: NetScreen Technologies, Inc. CONTACT: Jennifer Jennings, +1-408-543-8243, or , or Heather C. Lowles, +1-408-543-4136, or , both of NetScreen Technologies, Inc. Web site: http://www.netscreen.com/

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