Symantec Deepsight Threat Management System 7.0 reduces customer risk to targeted attacks, spyware and adware

AUSTRALIA, Sydney - Feb. 23, 2006 - Symantec Corp. today announced Symantec DeepSight Threat Management System 7.0, the premier resource for personalised information about known and emerging vulnerabilities and current worldwide attack activity. Available later this month, Symantec DeepSight Threat Management System 7.0 now alerts customers to targeted attacks and is the first early warning service to offer security alerts with risk ratings of potentially unwanted programs such as adware and spyware.

Targeted attacks are on the rise as hackers increasingly write malicious code for monetary gain rather than for notoriety, according to Symantec's most recent Internet Security Threat Report, September 2005. As a result, organisations must know when a targeted threat appears on the threat landscape. Symantec DeepSight Threat Management System 7.0 includes domain alerts that notify organisations when their company domain is being specifically named by a malicious code payload. This proactive notification enables businesses to quickly take appropriate steps to mitigate the threat and protect themselves and their customers.

"As a leading provider of health care and related benefits with customers around the world, it is critical that CIGNA IT has an understanding of the entire global threat landscape," said says Jim Jeffers, chief business continuity officer, CIGNA. "The insurance industry is also beginning to experience more targeted attacks, with significantly less time to react. Symantec DeepSight Threat Management System 7.0 will help provide the personalised intelligence needed to help increase our overall security posture and minimize potential negative impacts to our customers and employees."

In response to the changing threat landscape, Symantec DeepSight Threat Management System 7.0 will provide detailed analysis about adware and spyware including how the code behaves and mitigation and removal instructions. By providing organisations with the required intelligence needed to understand these potential risks, Symantec DeepSight Threat Management System 7.0 enables enterprise IT leaders to make better decisions, define appropriate security policy, and respond quickly.

"With a vastly changing threat landscape and an increased focus on financial motivated malicious attacks, our customers need to arm themselves with the most current threat information," said Arthur Wong, vice president, Symantec Security Response and Managed Security Services. "Symantec DeepSight Threat Management System 7.0 provides customers with the latest intelligence and recommendations from the world-class security experts of Symantec Security Response to avoid these attacks and proactively alerts customers to unnecessary security risks that may impact their business."

Symantec DeepSight Threat Management System 7.0 leverages Symantec's enterprise-scale Global Intelligence Network of more than 150 million desktop antivirus sensors; 20,000 intrusion detection and firewall sensors; and 4,300 monitored and managed security devices worldwide. This information is combined with Symantec's vulnerability database of 14,000 entries - the world's largest; coverage of 35,000 versions of applications and operating systems from more than 4,200 vendors; and daily scans of more than 2 million decoy e-mail addresses for anti-spam, phishing, and e-mail security threats.

"The main value of threat response services is the global intelligence network that feeds it. A robust global network with sophisticated data analysis differentiates one service from the next, "said Andrew Jaquith, Yankee Group senior analyst. "It is a key determining factor when choosing a security provider."

Symantec DeepSight Alert Services 7.0 has also been enhanced to deliver alerts on new vulnerabilities, malicious code, and now spyware and adware. These highly personalised alerts provide actionable information to help organisations mitigate vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. By providing only the information that's pertinent to a customer's specific environment, enterprise administrators will receive comprehensive vulnerability information from one trusted source and can focus their resources on securing their infrastructures.

About Symantec Symantec is the world leader in providing solutions to help individuals and enterprises assure the security, availability, and integrity of their information. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Symantec has operations in more than 40 countries. More information is available at www.symantec.com.

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Fiona Martin Max Australia Tel: +61 2 9954 3492 Email: fiona.martin@maxaustralia.com.au