Akonix Introduces 360 Degree Security for Real-Time Communications(TM); Provides the Most Comprehensive Security, Compliance and Management for Corporate Use of IM.

SAN DIEGO -- Akonix Systems, Inc., the premier provider of instant messaging (IM) security solutions, has announced 360 Degree Security for Real-Time Communications, the most comprehensive and thorough approach to providing multi-tiered security for enterprise and corporate use of public and private IM available.

Unlike competing IM protection methods, 360 Degree Security creates an impenetrable shield for business IM users with three integrated levels of security: detection, protection and containment. Each level uses multiple layers of security to ensure that Akonix customers are protected from all threats, known and unknown. Leveraging more than 20 technology patent applications, Akonix's new methodology provides best-of-breed IM security with more depth and breadth than ever available before. Offered as a product upgrade in early April 2006, 360 Degree Security becomes available as an enhancement to Akonix's existing products, at no extra cost.

"As IM has become more widely adopted as a business communications tool, it has quickly become a channel for spreading worms, viruses, spam and other malicious content," said Robert Mahowald, program director, Collaborative Computing at IDC. "Because this content can be spread internally (by unknowing employees) as well as from outside the firewall, the most comprehensive approaches to safeguarding IM puts layers of protection at the client, server and gateway. Akonix's layered security approach helps ensure that organizations are protected against increasingly sophisticated IM-based threats."

360 Degree Security is comprised of seven layers of integrated
security:

Detection:

    1. Global Early Warning Center - made up of passive monitoring
    devices that identify new worms, trojans and other day zero
    threats in the shortest elapsed time from their release into the
    wild and forwards 'signatures' to the Akonix IM Security
    Center(TM)
    2. Akonix IM Security Center - staffed with senior security
    engineers who create and push out new protective filters as
    quickly as the Early Warning System identifies new threats

Protection:

    3. Perimeter security - enabled by Akonix L7 Enforcer, which
    enforces policy and provides blocking and alerting of unauthorized
    IM or peer-to-peer use on corporate networks
    4. Gateway security - L7 Enterprise, the most deployed IM security
    product in the world(1), provides gateway security by filtering
    all IM traffic for content, viruses and worms
    5. URL challenge-response - protects against social engineering
    attacks and 'URL poisoning', the hiding of a live and dangerous
    hyperlink behind what appears to be a legitimate URL. Unlike other
    challenge-response security, which uses static passwords or
    privacy-invading re-directs, the Akonix challenge-response
    requires human intelligence and cannot be defeated by a bot or
    other automated attack

Containment:

    6. Message rate throttling - shuts down IM sessions in the event
    that a single user ID attempts to send more messages per second
    than any human could normally send
    7. Whitelist / blacklist - minimizes false positives and ensures
    that malicious URLs are never delivered to anyone's computer

"By integrating Sophos Anti-Virus protection into 360 Degree Security, Akonix is offering its customers a veritable warrior to defend against IM threats," said Richard Baldry, head of Strategic Alliances at Sophos. "As attacks to business continuity become more sophisticated and sinister in intent, businesses are wise to consider a multi-layered approach to protect their systems from attack."

"Akonix has extended its product leadership dramatically with the revolutionary introduction of 360 Degree Security and its associated IM security functionality," said Don Montgomery, VP of marketing at Akonix. "Akonix invented the category of IM security in 2002, was a Network Magazine product of the year in 2003, was selected #1 among IM security vendors in depth of security by Forrester Research in 2004, was chosen as the leader in depth of security by IDC in 2005, and is now introducing industry-changing technology in 2006 to further its leadership position. Our customers can rely on 360 Degree Security to support them with comprehensive protection and control thanks to Akonix's complete and unwavering focus on helping secure and manage employees' use of public and private instant messaging."

For more information on how to ensure networks are protected against the security risks of unmanaged IM use, see Akonix at the Ziff Davis Security Virtual Tradeshow on March 22 from 9:00 am -6:00pm ET. Register at http://securityshow.eseminarslive.com/eng/index.cfm.

About Akonix

Akonix is the most deployed IM security product in the world, enabling Global 1000 companies to deploy productive, enterprise-wide IM that is secure, compliant and managed.

Over one million global users across hundreds of organizations in the Financial Services, Telecommunications, Energy, Technology, Healthcare and Entertainment industries use Akonix solutions. With more than 20 patent applications, Akonix's award-winning products provide the industry's only automatically-updated protection to block viruses and malware for both enterprise and public IM systems. Akonix has certified partnerships with all leading IM and presence providers including America Online(R), Microsoft, Yahoo!, Reuters, IBM, Parlano, Antepo and Bloomberg.

An IM industry first, the Akonix Security Center (www.imsecuritycenter.com) provides real-time information about worms, viruses and other vulnerabilities that target IM and P2P networks. The company issues monthly and quarterly IM threat watch reports to track key trends and vulnerabilities.

For further information on the company, please visit www.akonix.com.

(1)Instant Messaging Market, 2005-2009, Matt Anderson and Sara Radicati, Radicati Group Inc., July 2005, p.57.