3Com Introduces Advanced Security Solution for Intranetworking; Company Strengthens Intranet Solution With Feature-Rich, NCSA Certified Router-based Firewall.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 21, 1996--3Com Corporation (NASDAQ: COMS) today announced an advanced network security solution for corporate Intranets with the release of a comprehensive IP Firewall implementation for all NETBuilder router products.

This new business solution aids in protecting corporate networks from unauthorized users, attacks from hackers and industrial espionage. Delivered as a standard feature with all NETBuilder platforms, this new IP Firewall feature is cost-effective, easy to implement, and can be extended to meet user's custom business requirements or to be integrated with a wide range of host-based security solutions. Integrated with 3Com routers, 3Com's firewall solution delivers network security at lower cost and with more flexibility for custom-implementations than standalone firewall products and competing router-based products.

"The NETBuilder IP firewall is a solution that was developed with an eye towards the evolving needs of today's Intranets," said Joe Furgerson, 3Com Director of Marketing. "With customers' growing use of the IP protocol and the attendant need for higher network security, wide area routers need to be more than just packet pushers, but to also offer rich facilities for controlling traffic and access. 3Com's Intranetworking security is unique in terms of its simplicity of setup and verification and its richness for customers who have complex security needs for different network traffic and application sessions."

NETBuilder Firewall Provides NCSA Certified Security Blanket 

Scalable across the entire 3Com NETBuilder family, this router-based firewall software is optimized to maintain router performance and integrate seamlessly with all network environments, controlling access between the Internet and the corporate Intranet, as well as controlling access within customers' private data networks. Additionally, the NETBuilder IP firewall is designed to facilitate the establishment of network security policies and interoperates with a wide range of host-based application firewalls (bastion host firewalls) for customers who demand the ultimate security solution.

3Com's IP firewall security solution recently became the first major router-based firewall platform to receive certification from the National Computer Security Association (NCSA), a Carlisle, Pa.-based industry consortium and independent testing organization whose mission is to facilitate the exchange of information about computer security issues. "To pass the stringent testing that NCSA puts perspective products through, vendors must offer a robust firewall product which can repel any common and known network attack," said Sam Glesner, NCSA consortia manager. "The 3Com NETBuilder successfully withstood the suite of attacks which is used by the NCSA to certify firewall products." With NCSA certification, 3Com customers can be assured that NETBuilder routers can be configured to help protect against common network threats while allowing business functions to operate effectively in Internet/Intranet environments.

3Com's robust firewall implementation is provided in Version 9.1 of NETBuilder software and is available immediately at no extra cost to 3Com customers. 3Com's firewall implementation makes router security features easy to configure and maintain, offering network managers a selection of English-like commands to allow or deny such activities as TCP/IP traffic, FTP, Telnet and e-mail on each individual network port. The 3Com IP firewall also provides application specific routing and attack logging/audit trail services, features that extend the capability of 3Com NETBuilder routers well past typical packet filtering routers. 3Com's innovative application specific routing allows the NETBuilder firewall to complement existing standalone firewalls by acting as a packet screening filter in front of a standalone firewall in a two-tiered security environment. In this tiered security scenario, the NETBuilder Firewall (the first tier), uses pre-defined filters, based on application type, to only pass specific applications to the standalone firewall (the second tier), thus removing overhead on the standalone firewall.

IP Firewall Complements Intranetworking System and Security Solution

This new solution adds to 3Com's comprehensive system for building corporate Intranets based on 3Com's Transcend Networking framework. This system includes three integrated classes of solutions which consist of: 1) a scalable TCP/IP WAN and dial-up remote access infrastructure that can be cost-effectively deployed at virtually any size site and can dynamically handle unpredictable traffic flows that characterize Intranets; 2) a scalable LAN infrastructure, based on High-Function and Boundary Switching that can be cost-effectively deployed at the core and edge of the LAN and ensure predictable access to Intranetwork servers; and 3) advanced network management infrastructure for both device-level and business applications-level network monitoring and analysis which simplifies and accelerates network troubleshooting, problem resolution and quality of service.

The NETBuilder IP firewall combines with other security solutions on existing 3Com platforms to provide Internet protection at all levels of the network. These other platform include:

-- AccessBuilder and OfficeConnect remote access platforms - which includes user authentication, packet filtering, and caller line identification - to offer a complete level of security for the full spectrum of Intranetworking applications.

-- SuperStack II Hubs and Boundary Switches - include such security features as the disconnection of unauthorized devices, password protection on local consoles and SNMP interfaces and support for Virtual LANs. Additionally, the SuperStack II Hub 10 and SuperStack Port Switch Hub also support Multiple user levels and Need To Know Packet Scrambling which protects sensitive data on the network by checking the destination address on each packet and sending readable packets only to authorized nodes.

Users wishing to upgrade to version 9.1 of the NETBuilder software can do so by contacting 3Com at 1-800-NET-3Com or by contacting their authorized reseller. For more information, visit the 3Com World Wide Web site at http://www.3com.com/nsc/500619s.html to access a technical overview of 3Com's Firewall solution.

3Com Corporation has helped more than 36 million people gain access to critical information through high-speed networks. Designed to serve large enterprises, service providers, small offices and homes, 3Com products provide a scalable architecture to meet the present and future connectivity needs of today's users. With research and development on three continents, 3Com is one of the data networking industry's largest and fastest growing companies. 3Com's innovative marketing, engineering, sales and support simplify communication, optimize network reliability and protect customer investments. For further information, visit 3Com's World Wide Web site at http://www.3Com.com or call 1-800-NET-3COM. -0-

NOTE TO EDITORS: 3Com, AccessBuilder, NETBuilder and Transcend are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation. OfficeConnect is a trademark of 3Com corporation.

CONTACT: 3Com

Rich Black, 408/764-8486

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