Media Alert: Check Point Preemptively Protects Against New Pharming Attack

Business Wire, Sept 19, 2007

Check Point SmartDefense subscribers immune to BIND DNS server threat

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:CHKP), the worldwide leader in securing the Internet, today announced that its SmartDefense[TM] Service uniquely protects against the latest pharming attack targeting BIND (Berkeley Internet Name Domain) servers, the most popular domain name server (DNS) used on the Internet. This new attack can avoid certain security measures and direct traffic to fictitious Web sites to defraud users and businesses.

This DNS manipulation attack exploits a critical vulnerability found in Versions 8 and 9 of BIND DNS servers and allows a hacker to direct all Web site requests from users to illegitimate Web sites. As a result, personal information such as usernames, passwords and credit card numbers are at risk of falling into criminal hands.

Check Point provides customers with the best network and application-level security protection for dynamic Internet threats. The Application Intelligence found in Check Point SmartDefense Service protects against cache poisoning and defends customers against this current threat as well as similar future attacks.

"This is a particularly nefarious exploit because of BIND's popularity and because it is very difficult for a computer user or network administrator to detect," said Oded Gonda, vice president of network security products at Check Point. "SmartDefense subscribers were proactively protected against this attack thanks to the unique Application Intelligence DNS protection technology implemented in Check Point security solutions."

For more information on how to protect against this latest attack, please visit www.checkpoint.com.

About Check Point SmartDefense Service

The Check Point SmartDefense[TM] Service reinforces Check Point's preemptive security by providing configuration advice, and real-time and ongoing updates, for security defenses and policies. The SmartDefense Service is available with VPN-1[R] Pro[TM], VPN-1 Express, InterSpect, Connectra[TM], and Integrity[TM] (via the SmartDefense Program Advisor Service).

About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (www.checkpoint.com) is a leader in securing the Internet. The company is a market leader in the worldwide enterprise firewall, personal firewall, data security and VPN markets. Check Point's PURE focus is on IT security with its extensive portfolio of network security, data security and security management solutions. Through its NGX platform, Check Point delivers a unified security architecture for a broad range of security solutions to protect business communications and resources for corporate networks and applications, remote employees, branch offices and partner extranets. The company also offers market leading data security solutions through the Pointsec product line, protecting and encrypting sensitive corporate information stored on PCs and other mobile computing devices. Check Point's award-winning ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite and additional consumer security solutions protect millions of consumer PCs from hackers, spyware and data theft. Extending the power of the Check Point solution is its Open Platform for Security (OPSEC), the industry's framework and alliance for integration and interoperability with "best-of-breed" solutions from hundreds of leading companies. Check Point solutions are sold, integrated and serviced by a network of Check Point partners around the world and its customers include 100 percent of Fortune 100 companies and tens of thousands of businesses and organizations of all sizes.

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