SonicWall Releases Firewall and Anti-virus Upgrades to Protect Users Against Fraudulently Acquired VeriSign Digital Certificates

Business Wire, March 27, 2001

Business Editors and High Tech Writers

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 27, 2001

SonicWALL, Inc., (NASDAQ: SNWL) a leading provider of Internet security solutions, announced today that it has released a firmware upgrade for its full line of Internet security appliances that protects its customers from the security threats presented by the recent fraudulent acquisition of VeriSign digital certificates.

VeriSign discovered through its routine fraud screening procedures that it issued two digital certificates to an individual who fraudulently claimed to be a representative of Microsoft Corporation. These stolen digital certificates expose customers to the threat of allowing into their network seemingly secure transmissions that actually contain viruses or other malicious code.

SonicWALL has responded to this threat by updating its firewall technology to identify data transmissions signed by these fraudulent digital certificates before the data is allowed into the network, thereby preventing any potential damage. SonicWALL has made this security firmware update available to its installed base of award winning Internet security appliances, which today protect approximately 4 million users at more than 125,000 networks worldwide.

In addition, subscribers to SonicWALL's Network Anti-Virus, offered in partnership with Network Associates (NASDAQ: NETA), have received updated anti-virus protection that will detect and prevent damage from software code signed by these fraudulent certificates that enters the network through encrypted files, "zipped" files or internally through floppy disks or other similar media.

"The recent theft of digital certificates from VeriSign is an unfortunate reminder of the sophisticated and changing security threats that exist on the Internet today," said Sreekanth Ravi, President and CEO of SonicWALL. "Our security solutions have been designed to allow the rapid deployment of updated security code to eliminate the threat of damage to our installed base from this type of criminal activity. And since our integrated security appliances are the only ones to offer firewall technology and anti-virus protection in one product, we can detect the use of these fraudulent certificates at the multiple layers at which they may try to penetrate a network."

About SonicWALL, Inc.

SonicWALL, Inc. is the leading provider of integrated Internet security appliances offering access security, transaction security and security services for the enterprise, e-commerce, SME and education markets. Core technologies include firewall, VPN, SSL, high availability, anti-virus, strong authentication with digital certificates and content filtering. Together, these products and technologies provide the most comprehensive Distributed Security Architecture available. SonicWALL, Inc. is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA. SonicWALL trades on the NASDAQ exchange under the symbol SNWL. For more information, contact SonicWALL at (408) 745-9600 or visit the company Web site at http://www.sonicwall.com.

Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the time the statements are made and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect SonicWALL's actual results include, but are not limited to, the "Risk Factors" described in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based upon information available to SonicWALL as of the date of the release, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statement.

SonicWALL is a registered trademark of SonicWALL, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.