AirMagnet Completes Cisco Integration, Defends Against Critical New Wireless Attacks; AirMagnet Enterprise 6.0 Allows Cisco APs to Act as Scanners and Gives Early Warning of Day-zero Attacks.

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- AirMagnet, Inc., the leader in wireless LAN (WLAN) security and performance solutions, today announced a major upgrade to its award-winning AirMagnet Enterprise platform designed to fully integrate with the Cisco Wireless LAN Solution Engine (WLSE) and harden wireless networks by providing pre-emptive protection against dangerous new wireless attacks.

Deployed by four of the five largest companies in the U.S. as measured by annual revenue, AirMagnet Enterprise is the most trusted enterprise-wide wireless intrusion detection and prevention (IDS/IPS) solution. Enterprise 6.0 completes AirMagnet's Cisco integration, now allowing the Cisco WLSE system to communicate with AirMagnet for the most complete Cisco integration on the market. AirMagnet's Enterprise software agent enables Cisco's Access Points (APs) to be used as scanners equipped with the full range of AirMagnet security functionality. The AirMagnet software concentrates traffic from the scanners by performing analysis at the edge, reducing the amount of data streamed back to the main office and saving valuable bandwidth. Access Control Lists (ACLs) can also be easily imported from WLSE directly into AirMagnet Enterprise, delivering Enterprise's unmatched scalability and security in mixed hardware environments. By bringing together the industry's most advanced IDS/IPS solution and the leading wireless network and device management platform, AirMagnet Enterprise 6.0 streamlines time-consuming, labor-intensive wireless security tasks.

Enterprise 6.0 also includes a dozen new security and performance alarms. The new alarms identify 802.11e, Vo-Fi (voice-over-Wi-Fi) and new security issues including instant WEP cracking, real-time forensic threat analysis and day-zero attacks.

"AirMagnet Enterprise enforces our security policies, alerts me to malicious activity round the clock, and allows me to block it if I need to," said Ted Gutmann, assistant director of Emma S. Clark Memorial Library on Long Island, New York. "Version 6.0 includes some valuable improvements. Zero-configuration makes installation much easier and day-zero protection gives me the additional peace of mind that even if an attack hasn't been defined, AirMagnet gives me a chance to identify and prevent it."

First Line of Defense Against Day-Zero Attacks

As techniques and tools for attacking 802.11 networks proliferate and become easier to use, hackers can piece together portions of former attacks to create new "day-zero" attacks. "Day-zero" describes previously unknown vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit the same day they are discovered. Wireless IDS acts as the first line of defense against day-zero attacks, because when these attacks hit the wired network, it's too late to prevent them. VOID11 is one such day-zero attack, combining de-authentication with a clear-to-send (CTS) flood. Attackers can easily capture existing exploits and replay them in new combinations not yet identified by IDS/IPS systems. To circumvent these threats, Enterprise 6.0 includes day-zero alarms, which look for unusual clustering or trends to identify new variations on existing attacks or new tools that combine and repeat attacks. AirMagnet Enterprise can pinpoint the attacking device, identify new classes of attack tools before they are publicly known and suggest an appropriate response.

"Industry wide integration, acquisition and innovation continue to advance wireless LAN technology, particularly for enterprises, and AirMagnet's software model allows it to adapt quickly to enterprises' security needs," said William Terrill, senior analyst for the Burton Group. "The new version of AirMagnet Enterprise allows Cisco customers to now secure and monitor their networks in an easier and more cost effective manner."

Key New Features in Enterprise 6.0 Include:

--Zero-Configuration SmartEdge Sensors: The process of configuring and managing sensors can be complex and time-consuming, so AirMagnet has designed a zero-configuration option for sensors that enables sensor deployment with no manual configuration. Users simply have to approve the sensor for it to be integrated into the AirMagnet system. This automation of the sensor configuration process significantly decreases the time and effort needed to get networks up and running, especially for large-scale or multiple location deployments.

--Integrated Reporter: Users can now create customized reports by selecting items of interest from the AirMagnet Enterprise user interface. They can directly view, export and print data that the wireless IPS system collects and quickly focus on specific aspects of security and performance. The integrated reporter allows users to document policies as they view them, literally selecting policies from the console and running instant, context-driven reports.

--Compliance Reports: AirMagnet Enterprise 6.0 includes reports that indicate an organization's compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), Gramm-Leach Bliley (GLB), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and DoD Directive 8100.2. The reports combine regulatory requirements with AirMagnet's wireless network policy alarms to help monitor and enforce rules across the network. Enterprise 6.0's broader set of integrated compliance reporting analyzes data and evaluates the compliance status of a network, while enabling users to verify and document compliance.

"Wireless attacks have become more advanced and harder to spot, and are often not discovered until it's too late to prevent them. Now, more than ever, it's crucial to have a wireless IDS/IPS with the ability to identify and protect wireless networks against any type of attack," said Dean Au, president and CEO of AirMagnet. "This evolution of AirMagnet Enterprise reflects our commitment to safeguarding wireless networks from all attacks, including the unknown. At the same time, we want to make AirMagnet work seamlessly and efficiently with users' current infrastructure, so we're continually tightening our integration with Cisco WLSE."

Pricing and Availability

AirMagnet Enterprise systems start at $8,995. The starting price includes the Enterprise server and console software, integrated reporter, and four SmartEdge Sensors. AirMagnet Enterprise 6.0 is available now. For additional information please call AirMagnet at 408-400-0200 or e-mail [e-mail].

About AirMagnet

Founded in 2001, AirMagnet, Inc. provides the most trusted WLAN management and security software systems in handheld, laptop and enterprise configurations. Used by IT professionals at more than 3,500 companies worldwide -- including 66 of the Fortune 100 -- in manufacturing, financial, retail, service, health care, utility, transportation, education and government sectors, AirMagnet solves Wi-Fi connection problems, tracks down unauthorized access, simplifies site surveys, and locks in unprecedented levels of network performance, security and reliability. Additional information about AirMagnet and its products is available on the Web at www.AirMagnet.com.

(C)2005 AirMagnet, Inc. All rights reserved. AirMagnet and AirWISE are registered trademarks, and the AirMagnet logo is a trademark, of AirMagnet, Inc. All other product names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.