St. Bernard Software Tech Advisory: Sasser Worm

Business Wire, May 3, 2004

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 3, 2004

St. Bernard Software Inc., a global provider of security solutions that protect against data loss, system threats, Internet abuse and unsolicited email, today advised users of its UpdateEXPERT(R) patch management and remediation solution to verify that they have installed the appropriate Microsoft(R) patches to counter the effects of the "Sasser" worm.

"Sasser" is a fast-spreading computer worm that launched last Friday, and has already infected hundreds of thousands of PCs globally. The worm exploits the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) issue that was addressed by the security update released on April 13 in conjunction with Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-011. Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP systems that do not have all relevant Microsoft patches installed are vulnerable to attack.

The Sasser worm spreads from an infected computer to vulnerable computer with no user intervention required, and scans for vulnerable systems, creates a remote connection to the system, installs a file transfer protocol (FTP) server and then downloads itself to the new host. The worm does not require the user to double-click an attachment for activation -- Sasser can strike even without anyone using the PC. An infected machine may display error messages and reboot repeatedly.

Information about this and other Microsoft patches was made available to subscribers of St. Bernard Software's free, global opt-in email service, which alerts the public to the very latest Microsoft(R) security patches and critical updates as they become available. Instructions for the free subscription to the opt-in "Patch Update" email are available at http://www.stbernard.com/products/support/updateexpert/support_update expert-listserv.asp. (Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field.)

St. Bernard Software also provides a Web page that allows subscribers to view the status of the most recently announced patches added to its UpdateEXPERT patch management solution database. The Patch Update Web page can be accessed at http://www.stbernard.com/uepatches/.> About St. Bernard Software Inc.

St. Bernard Software Inc. is a global provider of security solutions that protect against data loss, system threats, Internet abuse and unsolicited email. Through its products and services, St. Bernard Software helps companies protect their bottom line by securing networks against major risks before they happen. The company's products include Open File Manager, which captures open and in use files that would otherwise be skipped during the backup process; UpdateEXPERT, which solves system and application security problems by keeping software patch levels current; iPrism, an Internet access management appliance solution that monitors, filters and reports on inappropriate Internet usage and helps organizations enforce an Internet Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP) and ePrism, a dedicated mail filter appliance that provides a total spam management solution.

Founded in 1995, St. Bernard Software is a privately held corporation with corporate headquarters in San Diego and an international office in London. Ranked by Software Magazine as one of the world's 500 largest suppliers of software and services, St. Bernard Software's award-winning products are sold and supported through key solution partners worldwide. For more information call 1-800-782-3762 or visit http://www.stbernard.com.

(C) 2004 St. Bernard Software. All rights reserved. The St. Bernard Software logo and Open File Manager are trademarks of St. Bernard Software Inc. UpdateEXPERT is a registered trademark of St. Bernard Software Inc. iPrism is a registered trademark of Internet Products Inc. Internet Products is a wholly owned subsidiary of St. Bernard Software Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are hereby acknowledged.