CounterStorm Launches Breakthrough Security Appliance That Stops Unknown Attacks in Seconds; Department of Homeland Security selects CounterStorm to protect critical infrastructure against zero-day cyber attacks

Business Wire, Nov 7, 2005

NEW YORK -- CounterStorm, Inc., a New York City-based security company, today launched CounterStorm-1(TM), the only network security appliance that detects and stops zero-day and targeted attacks in seconds. CounterStorm also announced today that it has been awarded two Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grants by the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) of the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate for a total of $1.5 million. DHS selected CounterStorm's technology because of its potential to provide unprecedented protection against zero-day attacks.

Zero-day attacks are defined as the malicious exploitation of previously unknown vulnerabilities before patches and signatures are available. They are one of the most difficult network threats to protect against. The near zero-day Zotob attack crippled hundreds of enterprises and several national media outlets over the summer. Security experts and industry analysts have issued warnings in recent months that zero-day attacks are a major threat to corporations.

The two SBIR grants from DHS will enable CounterStorm to commercialize the next generation of its already powerful solution. CounterStorm is the first network security company to simultaneously win two SBIR Phase II grants from DHS.

Using patent-pending technologies, CounterStorm-1 achieves unprecedented accuracy and speed to immediately quarantine infected machines and prevent widespread damage. CounterStorm-1 achieves this through a unique combination of behavioral attack recognition, anomaly detection and a dynamic honeypot. Evidence from each of these three engines is dynamically correlated in real-time to enable immediate and accurate containment of malicious activity. CounterStorm-1 also protects against attacks targeted at specific companies and organizations, a practice which has become common among profit-seeking criminals. Companies already using CounterStorm-1 have realized significant cost savings, limited network downtime and increased protection of valuable corporate assets.

"The Brookings Institution prides itself on our clean and secure network environment," said Jane Fishkin, CIO of The Brookings Institution, one of Washington's oldest and most respected independent think tanks. "What impresses us so much about CounterStorm's solution is its accuracy and the absence of false positives that plague other solutions. CounterStorm's product plays an important role in assuring that we are well-protected from attacks."

Unlike other security solutions, CounterStorm-1 does not rely on signatures and can accurately identify and automatically stop today's and tomorrow's increasingly destructive attacks without time-consuming false positives. Even new solutions that don't require signatures are plagued by accuracy and latency issues, sometimes taking minutes or hours to detect attacks which CounterStorm-1 stops in seconds. As a result, these tools instill a false sense of security while leaving networks vulnerable to zero-day and targeted attacks.

"Many other security companies claim they solve the zero-day problem, but they don't have the technology to make it work. Even with millions of dollars invested in security, chief information security officers know it's not a question of whether a targeted or zero-day attack happens, but when," said Gil Arbel, CounterStorm's president and CEO. "At CounterStorm, we set out to create the most advanced, accurate and automated solution to stop zero-day attacks immediately before damage occurs. We've achieved that goal with CounterStorm-1."

About CounterStorm-1

CounterStorm-1 is the only network security appliance that detects and stops zero-day and targeted attacks in seconds. Through a unique correlation of behavioral attack recognition, anomaly detection and a dynamic honeypot, CounterStorm-1 immediately quarantines affected machines preventing widespread damage. Companies already using CounterStorm-1 have realized significant cost savings, limited network downtime and increased protection of valuable corporate assets.

About CounterStorm

CounterStorm, based in New York City, is the maker of CounterStorm-1, the only network security appliance that effectively stops zero-day attacks in seconds. CounterStorm is the first network security company to simultaneously win two Small Business Innovative Research Phase II grants from Department Homeland Security. DHS selected CounterStorm's technology because it provides unprecedented protection against zero-day attacks. Global enterprises and government agencies use CounterStorm for the fastest and most accurate network protection available. For more information, please visit www.counterstorm.com.