Avatier Corporation Announces Immediate Availability of Password Bouncer Deluxe Edition for Improved Network Security

Business Wire, April 29, 2002

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

Microsoft Management Summit

Booth #107

SAN RAMON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 2002

New Deluxe Edition Targets Enterprise Customers with Enhanced

Customization and Complete Automation of Password Policy

Avatier Corp., a leading provider of award winning Microsoft-centric enterprise, administration, security and productivity applications for Global 2000 companies, announced today the immediate availability of Password Bouncer(TM) Deluxe, the second in Avatier's line of popular Password Bouncer security products for Microsoft NT 4.0, Windows 2000/Active Directory and .NET environments. Password Bouncer cost-effectively allows enterprises to gain control over the weakest link in network security, the user password. According to security analysts at Oppenheimer Funds, Inc., 80% of security budgets are spent on trying to keep people out when, in fact, 80% of all attacks originate from inside the firewall. Password Bouncer, created exclusively for the Microsoft environment, automatically enforces enhanced password security policy that provides immediate and continuous network protection and password enforcement. Avatier is exhibiting Password Bouncer Deluxe, along with the company's other products -- Password Station.Net(TM) and Trusted Enterprise Manager(TM) (TEM) -- at the Microsoft Management Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 29-May 3, Booth #107.

"Before we installed Password Bouncer, even when we used a Windows NT Domain policy that required employees to change their password every 35 days, we discovered that close to 100% of those passwords were easily cracked within two hours using a basic hacker's tool," said Dennis G., senior network analyst at a large insurance holding company. "Password Bouncer enabled us to immediately strengthen our password policy and protect our company's vital assets by preventing employees from using vulnerable passwords. With only a few Password Bouncer settings enabled, subsequent attempts to crack passwords have resulted in a success rate of only 12% over 72 hours."

Most users are prone to selecting simple, easy-to-remember passwords containing only letters and digits -- unaware of how easy it is to guess or use a cracking tool to uncover the password and gain access to the company network. Password Bouncer screens passwords at user-creation time and when users or administrators change. Potential security breaches due to weak passwords can be prevented before the system is compromised.

"Strict log-on password policy is a company's first line of defense -- Password Bouncer can be installed in five minutes to prevent the use of vulnerable passwords as they are created and reset to automatically ensure that all new passwords are secure," said Nelson Cicchitto, president and CEO of Avatier Corp. "With an average network break-in cost of $89,000, Password Bouncer delivers both an immediate return on investment and the peace of mind that a company's intellectual property is safer from intruders."

According to a recent poll conducted by Sunbelt Software, 35% of organizations do not have a formal written password policy. Even when a strong password policy is in place, enforcement is difficult. Password Bouncer overcomes human nature by preventing vulnerable passwords from being used -- rejecting passwords containing common words and names, palindromes and repeating sequences, while enforcing rules associated with upper and lower case, position of certain characters and numbers, and minimum/maximum length. Once in place, password policy can be changed dynamically and is automatically updated across the network for immediate enhanced security.

Specific features of Password Bouncer Deluxe include:

Enhanced Security

-- Deployable in five minutes regardless of the size of the enterprise

-- Reduces administrative cost by eliminating need to constantly audit and
update weak passwords

-- Ability to filter over half a million words in less then 0.5 seconds to
accommodate the largest environments

-- Ease of use -- Microsoft Installer supports 27 languages for quick global
rollout

-- XP Logo Certification-Ready

Customization/Personalization

-- Deployable in five minutes regardless of the size of the enterprise

-- Reduces administrative cost by eliminating need to constantly audit and
update weak passwords

-- Ability to filter over half a million words in less then 0.5 seconds to
accommodate the largest environments

-- Ease of use -- Microsoft Installer supports 27 languages for quick global
rollout

-- XP Logo Certification-Ready

Low Investment and High Productivity Gains

-- Deployable in five minutes regardless of the size of the enterprise

-- Reduces administrative cost by eliminating need to constantly audit and
update weak passwords

-- Ability to filter over half a million words in less then 0.5 seconds to
accommodate the largest environments

-- Ease of use -- Microsoft Installer supports 27 languages for quick global
rollout

-- XP Logo Certification-Ready

Security Benefits of Combining Avatier's Password Station.NET and Password Bouncer