Secure Computing Selected to be Web Filtering Database Provider for Netopia Parental Control Service

Business Wire, May 19, 2004

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 2004

New SmartFilter 4.0 Database is Merged With N2H2 to Create

Industry-Leading Filtering

Secure Computing Corporation (NASDAQ:SCUR), the experts in securing connections between people, applications, and networks(TM), and Netopia, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTPA), a market leader in broadband equipment and software, today announced that Netopia is using Secure Computing's database in its new Parental Controls Service for broadband home networking customers. The Parental Controls service utilizes the new SmartFilter(R) 4.0 database, which has been enhanced with the addition of N2H2's filtering database, which Secure Computing acquired in October 2003.

Parents who want to filter inappropriate content from their children have traditionally had to choose between installing a "client" filter residing on each PC in their home, or having an ISP provide filtering. Both approaches have serious drawbacks, since each PC must be installed, maintained, and updated regularly for client-based filtering, which in some cases can be circumvented easily by computer-savvy teens. ISPs offer filtering that is much more difficult to defeat, but in most cases cannot be adjusted to specific levels, nor immediately overridden if a URL is blocked incorrectly.

"With Netopia's parental controls employing the SmartFilter 4.0 database, parents can finally have the best of both worlds, with filtering that cannot be easily defeated because it sits on the home gateway rather than PCs, and can be easily adjusted to employ one or more of 18 categories," said Chris Peterson, Vice President of OEM and Channel Sales at Secure Computing. "Parents call us regularly asking if they can get the same institutional-grade filtering that protects millions of school children worldwide through our SmartFilter and N2H2 brands, and we are very pleased to now be able to say the answer is yes."

"SmartFilter 4.0 greatly enhances our Parental Controls offering by providing best-of-breed protection against inappropriate or dangerous content on the Internet," said Evan Solley, Vice President of Product Planning for Netopia. "We selected Secure Computing's filtering because of the reputation of the SmartFilter brand for providing first rate filtering, as validated in one independent study after another."

The SmartFilter 4.0 database merges two databases that have placed number one and number two in independent studies. In 2002, the Department of Justice released a study conducted by eTesting Labs that compared the four leading institutional-grade Web content filtering applications for effectiveness at blocking pornographic material. N2H2 placed first at 98 percent, SmartFilter placed second at 94 percent. In 2002, the Kaiser Family Foundation released a study of the six leading web filters, and found N2H2 most effective at blocking pornography at 94 percent effective.

The Netopia Parental Controls Service uses a thin-client model, delivered on a broadband gateway. This solution automatically covers all Internet-capable devices (wired or wireless) on a home network and delivers far stronger protection than desktop or ISP-based parental control software that is installed separately on each computer. While family-specific security functions are embedded in the broadband gateway, the core service is network-hosted in order to minimize deployment costs and offer the most robust features.

The Netopia Parental Controls solution is the ideal home networking service delivering protection and peace of mind to broadband-networked households. Advanced features include the ability to manage access for all major Internet applications -- web browsing, e-mail, chat, and instant messaging; Internet usage and governance based on personal profiles that reflect individual maturity levels and needs; Web site classifications that can be overridden on a case-by-case basis based on parental judgment; and online reporting to monitor household Internet activities (including Web surfing and chat), on-demand from any location inside or outside the home network.

The Netopia Parental Controls solution is offered on a wholesale and "private label" basis to carriers and service providers. Netopia recently announced that Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) has incorporated Netopia Parental Controls into its flagship WRT54GS Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster, which is now available nationwide at leading electronics superstores, through major online retailers, and other Linksys resellers. Details are available at www.linksys.com/press.> The Linksys WRT54GS (using Netopia Parental Controls) has been acclaimed "unmatched" in the competitive 802.11g gateway review by PC Magazine, dated 18 May 2004. The review went on to state that the WRT54GS "provides by far the best set of parental controls for enforcing safe web browsing for those using your network."

About Netopia

Netopia, Inc. is a market leader in broadband and wireless products/services that simplify and enhance broadband delivery to residential and business-class customers. Netopia's offerings enable carriers and broadband service providers to improve their profitability with feature-rich DSL smart modems, routers and gateways, software that simplifies installation and reduces ongoing support needs, as well as value-added services to enhance their revenue generation. Netopia's WiFi-CERTIFIED(TM) gateways include 3-D Reach(TM) technology delivering enhanced wireless range, security and performance. Headquartered in Emeryville, Calif., Netopia's common stock trades on The Nasdaq Stock Market(R) under the symbol "NTPA." Further information about Netopia can be obtained via phone: 510-420-7400, fax: 510-420-7601, or on the Web at www.netopia.com.