Cabletron's SPECTRUM announces alliances with Network General and AXENT Technologies for critical new management capabilities; Alliances to provide important network performance analysis and information security management for SPECTRUM

Business Wire, July 24, 1996

ROCHESTER, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 24, 1996--In order to help customers solve their network traffic performance and security problems, leading Intranet provider Cabletron Systems (NYSE: CS) is announcing SPECTRUM Enterprise Manager's availability/integration plans for Network General's Distributed Sniffer System(R) and AXENT Technologies' OmniGuard(R).

The Distributed Sniffer System is available with SPECTRUM 3.1 this quarter and will be available with 4.0 in the future, while AXENT Technologies' new partnership with Cabletron will create many synergies between its OmniGuard and SPECTRUM. The Distributed Sniffer System is a fault and performance management solution that provides monitoring and analysis capabilities for a wide variety of LAN/WAN topologies as well as for high-speed data transmission.

OmniGuard provides SPECTRUM with a comprehensive security solution that includes security policy-based management, user administration, access control, authentication, and real-time monitoring /intrusion detection.

"Both the Distributed Sniffer System and OmniGuard provide crucial Intranet management capabilities for a SPECTRUM-managed network," said Patty Chrystycz, director of systems and network management marketing. "While OmniGuard can provide a secure user environment to corporate Intranets, the Distributed Sniffer System can monitor and diagnose Intranet traffic conditions which may affect performance and security."

Network General's Distributed Sniffer System is available this quarter on SPECTRUM for UNIX systems through the integration of its SniffMaster for UNIX. The integration of SniffMaster for UNIX onto SPECTRUM allows UNIX network managers to access Network General's powerful Distributed Sniffer Servers within widely dispersed global networks from SPECTRUM monitors.

The Distributed Sniffer Server is integrated with SPECTRUM at the GUI, Alarm & Event, and Knowledge Base stages, which allows models of Sniffer Servers to appear on SPECTRUM user interfaces, and alarms to appear in SPECTRUM's Alarm/ Event Monitor.

"Network General's Distributed Sniffer System is a perfect complement to SPECTRUM Enterprise Manager," said Teresa Law, Distributed Sniffer System Product Manager at Network General. "Both products, with SPECTRUM's alarm and event and Distributed Sniffer Server's symptoms and diagnoses filtering, provide network managers with a more focused view of their network."

AXENT Technologies' plans to integrate its OmniGuard suite of security solutions with SPECTRUM at the Alarm & Event phase, which is a level of integration that allows customers to view alarms and events from OmniGuard on SpectroGRAPH consoles, and invoke automated corrective actions in response. This will allow notifications of possible security breaches, such as multiple failed log-in attempts or misuses of a password, to be indicated and correlated as alarms on SPECTRUM screens. OmniGuard and SPECTRUM will work together, both using artificial intelligence and automation to increase network management efficiency.

OmniGuard is designed to define, manage, implement and enforce information security policies across distributed, heterogeneous computing environments including PCs, PC-LANs, UNIX, Windows NT, mid-range and mainframe platforms. OmniGuard is comprised of several modules including OmniGuard/Enterprise Security Manager, OmniGuard/Enterprise Access Control, OmniGuard/Intruder Alert, and OmniGuard Enterprise SignOn. The modules can be used individually to provide a specific security function, or together to deliver a comprehensive security solution.

"AXENT's partnership with Cabletron will enable SPECTRUM customers to develop and manage their own information security policies," said Richard Lefebvre, President and CEO of AXENT Technologies. "With the robust OmniGuard applications as the foundation of their security strategy, SPECTRUM customers can enjoy truly seamless management of applications, systems and networks in a secure environment. AXENT will also provide comprehensive service and support to all its customers."

Founded in 1986, Network General Corporation (NASDAQ: NETG) is a worldwide leader in providing fault and performance management solutions for enterprise networks. Drawing upon its extensive experience in complex heterogeneous network environments, the company offers a suite of technologies, products and services designed to provide total network visibility for network equipment vendors, field service organizations and corporate IS managers. The company's Sniffer network analyzer is recognized as the de facto standard within this industry.

AXENT is the leading provider of enterprise-wide information security solutions for a variety of client/server computing environments. Additionally, OmniGuard provides enhanced data confidentiality, access control, user administration and intrusion detection for PCs, PC-LANs, UNIX, Windows NT and mid-range systems. Headquartered in Rockville, MD, AXENT Technologies' broad line of security offerings is used by the Fortune 1000 and government worldwide to effectively secure and protect information systems in heterogeneous computing environments. Contact AXENT via Email at info@axent.com, or visit the World Wide Web site at http://www.axent.com.