- MessageLabs’ Australian Financial Services Portfolio Continues To Grow -

SYDNEY, 6 December 2005 – MessageLabs, the leading provider of messaging security and management services to businesses, today announced it had been selected by Bank of Queensland to protect it from email-borne threats.

MessageLabs will provide managed anti-virus and anti-spam services at the Internet level, which will protect the bank’s 1,500 email users in Australia.

With the rapidly increasing level and sophistication of spam and viruses, Bank of Queensland chose to adopt MessageLabs’ managed email security services to strengthen its security architecture.

The services form the first line of defence in Bank of Queensland’s multi-layered approach to security, which sit at the Internet level outside the corporate network and raises network utilisation levels through reduced email volumes and less demand on Internet bandwidth.

Bank of Queensland Head of Technology Nick Young said the Bank couldn’t rely solely on traditional methods of protection anymore.

“Traditional methods of protection are often only effective once a threat is known and by that time the damage may already have been done,” Mr Young said.

“We wanted a more proactive approach to protect us, and believe a way to do this is to keep our first line of defence for email security outside of the corporate network.”

MessageLabs’ Anti-Virus and Anti-Spam Services are based on its unique predictive intelligence technology Skeptic™, which monitors, tracks and combats email-borne threats, whether they are known or not.

As it scans all incoming emails at the Internet level, Bank of Queensland does not have to implement additional hardware or software to use the services, thus delivering a low total cost of ownership (TCO).

James Scollay, Vice President Asia Pacific for MessageLabs, said a central web-based management console provided the facility for Bank of Queensland to view data and statistics on MessageLabs’ services.

“It can configure email security controls to suit particular user requirements and can specify policies controlling outbound and inbound traffic. All configurations and management facilities, such as customisations and releasing of infected email, can be set by Bank of Queensland using this central console, helping it to meet acceptable email usage policies,” Mr Scollay said.

“Financial institutions in Australia are increasingly looking to security service providers as a way of keeping email-borne threats outside their networks, helping them to manage and reduce risk.”

Other financial institutions in Australia using MessageLabs’ services include: ABN AMRO and Credit Union Services Australia Limited (CUSCAL).

-ends- **Photography is available upon request.**

About MessageLabs: MessageLabs is the world's leading provider of messaging security and management services with more than 12,000 clients and offices in eight countries. For more information, please visit http://www.messagelabs.com

Media Contact:

Claire Hosegood MessageLabs Ph. +61 (0)2 8208 7111 Mob. 0411 253 663 Email chosegood@messagelabs.com