Akonix Protects Customers Against Three New Instant Messaging Worms; Provides Only IM Management Solution to Automatically Protect Customer Networks from Real-Time Spreading of IM Worms

Business Wire, March 8, 2005

SAN DIEGO -- Akonix Systems, Inc., the premier provider of business solutions for secure, managed and integrated multi-network enterprise instant messaging (IM), today announces protection against three new IM worms that target MSN Messenger: FATSO.A, Bropia-K and a new variant of the Kelvir worm, Kelvir-C. The Akonix Security Center, which constantly monitors IM and P2P threats, has identified these latest vulnerabilities and provided customers with automatically updated security policies to immediately protect Akonix L7 Enterprise users from an attack.

According to security specialist Sophos, Kelvir-C (which is also referred to as Kelvir-B) spreads over MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger by sending a message to the infected user's contacts. FATSO.A, also targeting MSN Messenger, encourages users to click on a URL in a message that then downloads malicious files, according to Trend Micro. Finally, Sophos also reports that the Bropia worm has morphed again and is still attacking MSN Messenger users.

The Akonix Security Center has taken immediate action to provide new and updated Spim (spam over IM) & Malware filtering policies. Akonix L7 Enterprise is the industry's only IM management system that combines dynamically updated IM specific policies and integrated anti-virus scanning using leading scan engines to provide the most comprehensive protection for corporate networks from IM-based attacks.

More than 500 customers in Financial Services, Telecommunications, Energy, Technology, Healthcare and Entertainment depend on Akonix to manage, secure and enable IM for over 700,000 enterprise users. For more information on how Akonix solutions ensure networks are protected against the security risks of unmanaged IM use, please visit www.akonix.com, or contact Akonix's sales group at sales@akonix.com / 619-615-9415.

About Akonix

Akonix is the leading provider of enterprise-class business solutions for leveraging the power of multi-network enterprise instant messaging. Akonix's award-winning products leverage patent-pending core technology, an advanced IM application development platform, and certified strategic partnerships to deliver multi-network management, security, integration and compliance capabilities across all major IM systems, including America Online(R) AIM(R) and ICQ(R), Microsoft MSN, Yahoo!(R) Messenger, Microsoft Live Communications Server, Reuters Messaging, IBM/Lotus SameTime and Jabber. More than 500 customers in Financial Services, Telecommunications, Energy, Technology, Healthcare and Entertainment depend on Akonix to manage, secure and enable IM for over 700,000 enterprise users. Akonix is the preferred IM management solution of some of the world's largest companies, including Cingular Wireless, EMC and ING. For more information, visit www.akonix.com.