3Com Security Solution Identifies and Prevents Slammer Worm from Spreading on Interop's Network; TippingPoint Blocks What Juniper Security Products Miss.

LAS VEGAS -- 3Com Corporation today revealed that its TippingPoint(R) Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) has blocked several severe network attacks that could have brought down the voice network that runs on the InteropNet Event Network (eNet) had they not been caught. On 20 different occasions over the past week, users of the network unknowingly connected to the show's eNet with the Slammer (also known as Sapphire) worm ready to spread from their computers to the network.

The eNet uses Juniper Networks routers, firewalls, VPN appliances and other related security products, but 3Com engineers included the TippingPoint IPS as part of its secure Voice over IP (VoIP) network architecture suspecting that it needed more than Juniper's products to effectively protect the network. 3Com also is providing VoIP connections for hundreds of exhibitors.

"This is a great example of a case study for why enterprises need to think beyond a firewall or anti-virus software when it comes to protecting their network," said Kip McClanahan, president of 3Com's TippingPoint division. "With more companies building converged networks, the need for pervasive security is paramount. Point security products like the ones used to secure the eNet are just a small piece of the security puzzle."

McClanahan added, "In this case, had we not caught the worms that made it past the Juniper security products, the entire voice network would have been at risk."

At Interop, TippingPoint's IPS is plugged into the 3Com VCX VoIP gateway, which sits behind the network firewall. As users access the network, Juniper's security products block some of the malicious traffic from entering the network, but inevitably, some of it still gets past this first layer of defense. TippingPoint proactively identifies a security breach, the IP address it is coming from, and automatically prevents it from spreading. In addition to the 20 major attacks, TippingPoint also blocked an additional 100 threats since the network was built.

About 3Com Corporation

3Com Corporation (Nasdaq: COMS) is a leading provider of secure, converged voice and data networking solutions for enterprises of all sizes. 3Com offers a broad line of innovative products backed by world class sales, service and support, which excel at delivering business value for its customers. Through its TippingPoint division, 3Com is the leading provider of network-based intrusion prevention systems that deliver in-depth application protection, infrastructure protection, and performance protection for corporate enterprises, government agencies, service providers and academic institutions. For further information, please visit www.3com.com, or the press site www.3com.com/pressbox.

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