WatchGuard Earns IPSec VPN Certification from ICSA Labs; ICSA Labs Certifies Interoperability Between Firebox System and Other VPN Products

Business Wire, April 10, 2001

Business/High-Tech Editors

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2001

WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:WGRD), a leader in Internet security solutions, today announced that its Firebox firewall and VPN (Virtual Private Network) appliance has achieved IPSec certification from ICSA Labs, a division of TruSecure Corporation and the worldwide authority for research, intelligence, testing and certification of Internet security products.

Recently ranked the No. 1 revenue-generating mid-range VPN appliance, the Firebox System demonstrated IPSec interoperability with twelve other certified VPN devices. IPSec is the set of protocols that make IP communications secure by authenticating the users and maintaining the data integrity.

"ICSA Labs IPSec certification distinguishes the Firebox System and puts WatchGuard in a special class of vendors that have demonstrated their commitment to the VPN market," said George P. Japak, vice president of ICSA Labs. "We congratulate WatchGuard on achieving our stringent standards for interoperability, and we are pleased to add the Firebox System to our exclusive list of IPSec certified products."

"Analysts expect the VPN market to grow from just over $1 billion in 2000 to $6.3 billion by 2004 and as companies roll-out VPNs in increasingly more complex network environments, IPSec compliance will become a necessary feature for successful VPN deployment," said Mark Stevens, vice president of WatchGuard Technologies. "Our scalable WatchGuard Firebox System supports the Internet security needs of a company's headquarters, branch offices and telecommuters in a way that is easy to manage and affordable. And, with the ICSA Labs IPSec certification we're giving customers the benefit of knowing that our Firebox System will be interoperable with the vast majority of VPN devices."

IPSec certification provides organizations with legacy VPN devices the flexibility to build a VPN strategy based on the award-winning Firebox System. The scalable Firebox System supports the high performance requirements of a large headquarters and can be easily deployed to securely connect branch offices and telecommuters. Coupled with WatchGuard's VPN Manager software, the Firebox System delivers a comprehensive solution that reduces the cost and complexity of managing a VPN network throughout an Internet distributed enterprise.

During their evaluation process, ICSA Labs tested the Firebox System for baseline VPN requirements, validating authentication, data integrity and confidentiality. In addition, under version 1.0A of the certification process, ICSA Labs tested the Firebox System for VPN capabilities such as DES encryption utilizing SHA-1 or MD5 authentication for establishing VPN tunnels -enterprise level features found in a limited number of VPN products. Detailed lab notes are at www.icsalabs.com/html/communities/ipsec/lab/notes. In addition, detailed interoperability instructions for commonly used VPN products are located on the WatchGuard web site at www.watchguard.com/support/interopvpn.asp.> The Firebox System is a scalable firewall and VPN solution for small, mid-sized and large distributed enterprises. The comprehensive hardware and software solution delivers four key benefits: centralized management, comprehensive security protection (including firewall and VPN), the LiveSecurity Service and a choice of plug-and-play Firebox security appliances. For distributed enterprises with multiple branch offices and telecommuters, WatchGuard's VPN Manager enables administrators to simply and quickly create VPNs, reducing the complexity and costs associated with operating a network of VPN connections.

About TruSecure Corporation

TruSecure provides global 10,000 companies with comprehensive enterprise risk management programs that assure the ongoing security of their critical systems and information. By integrating disparate security products and processes into a comprehensive risk management program, TruSecure helps hundreds of companies achieve greater risk reduction at lower cost. TruSecure's ICSA Labs is the security industry's central authority for product standards and testing, and today certifies more than 95% of the market's anti-virus software, network firewalls, cryptography and IPSec products. Based in Reston, VA, TruSecure Corporation is privately-held with investors including J. & W. Seligman & Co., JPMorgan Chase, Weston Presidio Capital, Greylock and WaldenVC. For more information about TruSecure, please visit www.trusecure.com.

About WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.

WatchGuard (Nasdaq:WGRD) is a leading provider of dynamic, comprehensive Internet security solutions designed to protect enterprises that use the Internet for e-business and secure communications. The Company is a pioneer in the creation of the plug-and-play Internet security appliance and offers solutions for any size organization--from large enterprises with geographically dispersed offices and telecommuting employees to home offices with a single broadband connection. The Company's innovative LiveSecurity Service enables organizations and users to keep their security systems up-to-date, and its ServerLock software provides server content and application security to protect critical data and services against unauthorized or unintentional access or manipulation. For more information, please call 206/521-8340 or visit www.watchguard.com.