Oracle Corp. and Secure Computing Corp. announce marketing relationship to support Internet database applications

Business Wire, Oct 24, 1995

ROSEVILLE, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 24, 1995-- Secure Computing Corp., the world's largest company dedicated exclusively to computer information security, and Oracle Corporation, the leading provider of database technology, have announced a joint marketing and development relationship, which provides Oracle-specific functionality through Secure Computing's award-winning Sidewinder(TM) Internet firewall.

The relationship is an outgrowth of the rapidly increasing use of the Internet's World Wide Web to provide information to both customers and employees.

"Customers today require access to network information 24 hours a day, seven days a week," said Richard Allen, director of security marketing at Oracle. "At the same time, corporations must protect confidential information on their internal computer networks from unauthorized users. We are pleased to enable this level of security to the growing number of our customers with internetworks and World-Wide Web sites on the Internet."

Secure Computing's Sidewinder uses a patented technology to protect access to internal corporate computer networks while simultaneously making information available over the Internet.

"Our mutual customers have been asking for this type of product," said Kermit Beseke, chief executive officer of Secure Computing Corp. "We're excited about the potential of offering Oracle's expertise in database management, coupled with the security for which we are known."

Sidewinder, a combination of hardware and software, was developed by the same team that developed computer security standards for the U.S. Department of Defense and National Security Agency.

Sidewinder was named 1995 "Product of the Year" by LAN Magazine and was voted as both the "Best New Security Product" and the "Best Internet Firewall" by readers of Infosecurity News.

To date no one has been able to break into a Sidewinder-protected site. As an added challenge to hackers, Secure Computing has maintained a "Challenge Site" on the Internet since November, 1994 and also installed a site using the new Sidewinder 2.0 at the annual DefCon hacker conference in Las Vegas last August. In total it has withstood more than 2,000 attacks.

A key difference between Sidewinder and other Internet firewalls is Secure Computing's patented technology, known as Type Enforcement, which divides a computer into the equivalent of watertight compartments on a ship. Each Internet service, such as the World-Wide Web Server, is in its own compartment. Even if one compartment is compromised, Type Enforcement prevents a hacker from carrying out most operations. At the same time, all of the other compartments will remain secure.

Sidewinder is named after the deadly rattlesnake because it can actively "strike back" at attackers by allowing a hacker to remain in a "watertight compartment" where he can do little harm while the program attempts to trace him. The software can be configured so that any attempted violation of security will sound an alarm and notify the network administrator by telephone or pager.

Sidewinder also is the only firewall to offer separate physical connections to the internal and external networks, each operated by dedicated protocol stacks.

Secure Computing Corporation has more than 160 security engineers and scientists exclusively dedicated to information security and management - the largest group of any company in the world. It offers a complete range of security products and services. Additional information may be obtained from the Internet at http://www.sidewinder.com. or by telephoning 1-800-692-LOCK.

Oracle Corp., a $3 billion company, is the world's leading supplier of software for information management, and the world's second largest software company. The company offers its database, tools and application products along with related consulting, education and support services, in more than 90 countries around the world.

For more information, about Oracle, call (415) 506-7000. Oracle's World Wide Web address is http://www.oracle.com/.>CONTACT: Julie Herubin, 612/628-2745 (work)

or 612/753-0194 (home)

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