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Check Point Positioned as Leader in Firewall and VPN Markets by Major Research Firm

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., the worldwide leader in securing the Internet, today announced it has been recognized for its leadership in the firewall and VPN markets by research and advisory firm, Gartner, Inc. In a report titled "Firewall 2H02 Magic Quadrant," Check Point was placed in the far right of the upper right quadrant - which signifies the lead position based on ability to execute, completeness of vision and breadth of platform partners. Check Point was also named VPN leader in the recent Gartner VPN Magic Quadrant" report issued earlier this month. Please visit http://www.checkpoint.com/press/2002/gartner091002.html for more information.

Gartner defines leaders as "vendors who are performing well today, have a clear vision of market direction and are actively building competencies to sustain their leadership position in the market." These placements further confirm Check Point's leadership in the firewall and VPN markets. For more detailed report information, please visit www.gartner.com.

Check Point's reputation for Internet security innovation and leadership began with the creation of its patented Stateful Inspection technology, which lies at the heart of Check Point's market-leading FireWall-1® - now the industry's security de facto standard for firewalls. Check Point's VPN-1 soon followed, defining the VPN market and setting a technology standard yet to be matched. Further solidifying its leader status, an increasing number of vendors support Check Point's VPN and firewall solutions on their platforms -- from purpose-built appliances to open servers -- including Nokia, HP/Compaq, IBM, Nortel Networks and Crossbeam.

"With Check Point's creation of FireWall-1 and VPN-1, entire industries were born," said Jerry Ungerman, president, Check Point Software Technologies. "We defined the Internet security space, and continue to leverage our core technologies to create innovative technologies such as SmartDefense, the first Active Defense solution that protects networks against known and unknown attacks. This continuous innovation is a key driver behind Check Point's position at the forefront of Internet security technology and leadership."

About Check Point Software Technologies
Check Point Software Technologies is the worldwide leader in securing the Internet. It is the confirmed market leader of both the worldwide VPN and firewall markets. The company's Secure Virtual Network (SVN) architecture provides the VPN and security infrastructure that uniquely enables secure and reliable Internet communications. SVN solutions, as delivered in the company's Next Generation product family, secure business communications and resources for corporate networks, remote employees, branch offices and partner extranets. Extending the power of SVN is Check Point's Open Platform for Security (OPSEC), the industry's framework and alliance for integration and interoperability with "best-of-breed" solutions from over 300 leading companies. Check Point solutions are sold, integrated and serviced by a network of 2,500 certified partners in 149 countries.

Active Defense Protection Against
Microsoft RPC Vulnerabilities
 

Check Point SmartDefense protects customers against the three latest reported Microsoft Remote Procedure Call (RPC) vulnerabilities. The current vulnerabilities are related to, but are different than, the vulnerability exploited by the LovSan/Blaster worm in July 2003. A Check Point SmartDefense Advisory, issued in April 2003, provides protection against not only the Blaster worm of July, but also protects against the current vulnerability variants.

The RPC vulnerabilities highlight the strengths of Check Point SmartDefense capabilities. SmartDefense is based on Check Point's patented Stateful Inspection and Application Intelligence technologies, and blocks not only specific attacks, but also entire categories or "classes" of attacks. Check Point provides this unique level of protection by enforcing the proper and expected usage of protocols, such as RPC, and does not rely solely on signatures. Traditional signature-based defenses are reactive because they require knowledge of the exact characteristics of an attack in order to create a defense signature.

RPC
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) is a protocol used by the Windows operating system, which is installed on a large number of PCs worldwide. RPC provides an inter-process communication mechanism that allows a program running on one computer to access services on another computer. An exploitation of RPC vulnerabilities could potentially allow an attacker to gain control of a computer, delete data or install unwanted programs.

A publicly known worm has not yet exploited the current vulnerabilities. However, the situation can change at any time.

Defense Mechanisms
Users of Check Point FireWall-1 NG with Feature Pack 3 or later who have applied the DCE-RPC advisory (CPAI-2003-11) protection, available since April 2003, already have defenses that proactively protect against these current vulnerabilities and the Blaster/LovSan worm.