Akonix Security Center Publishes IM Threat Watch for June 2005; Report Highlights Nearly 400% Increase in Attacks in Q2 2005 Compared to Previous Quarter.

SAN DIEGO -- Akonix Systems, the premier provider of solutions for security, control and integration of IM, today announced that the Akonix Security Center team tracked 52 new threats targeting IM and P2P systems this past June. The Akonix Security Center (www.imsecuritycenter.com) issued 23 security policy updates, using the industry's only dynamic IM malware, SPIM and protocol update system. This automatically pushes updates to customers and blocks worms and viruses in real-time at the network perimeter.

The latest Threat Watch indicates that IM and P2P security threats are continuing to grow as hackers become more advanced in attacking IM networks. This month saw an increased spread in IM worm variants and three new IM parent worms -- Aimsend, Harwig and Pinkton. During June, there were 22 variants of the Kelvir worm, three of the Opanki worm and three of the Oskabot worm. The high number of Kelvir worm variants is alarming, but consistent with the increasing trend in new Kelvir worms that was established over the first five months of 2005. Additionally, there was a nearly 400% increase in the number of attacks in the second quarter of 2005 as compared to the first quarter. Given the adaptive nature of these worms, their malicious payload and their skyrocketing frequency, the Akonix Security Center continues to caution organizations against leaving their network perimeter unprotected.

"With almost a 400% increase in attacks quarter over quarter, IM networks are continuing to get hit by new and growing security threats, and June is a continuation of this trend," said Francis Costello, chief technology officer at Akonix Systems. "Virus writers are becoming more advanced in their approach to vulnerable IM clients, distributing not only new viruses, but altering current worms to produce more dangerous variants. Unmanaged IM across the enterprise will continue to be a huge risk for corporations that leave their networks open to the possibility of a severe and damaging attack."

The Akonix Security Center is a collaborative effort between Akonix's internal security group, enterprise customer security teams and industry leading partners in IM infrastructure and security focused on the emerging security threats posed by IM and P2P applications in the corporate environment. Detailed information about the June 2005 IM threats can be found at www.imsecuritycenter.com.

For more information on how Akonix solutions ensure networks are protected against the security risks of unmanaged IM and P2P use, please visit www.akonix.com, call 619-615-9415 or email [e-mail].

About Akonix

Akonix is the leading provider of enterprise-class solutions for ensuring security, compliance and control of enterprise IM use. Akonix's award-winning products leverage patent-pending core technology, an advanced IM application development platform, and certified strategic partnerships to deliver multi-network management, security, integration and compliance capabilities across all major IM systems, including America Online(R) AIM and ICQ, Microsoft MSN, Yahoo! Messenger, Microsoft(R) Live Communications Server, Reuters Messaging, IBM Lotus Instant Messaging (Sametime) and Jabber.

More than 600 customers in Financial Services, Telecommunications, Energy, Technology, Healthcare and Entertainment depend on Akonix to manage, secure and enable IM for over 800,000 enterprise users. Akonix is the preferred IM management solution of some of the world's largest companies, including Cingular Wireless, EMC and ING.

Akonix is widely recognized as the technology and market innovator with awards for its L7 Enterprise IM gateway from Windows & .NET Magazine, Network World, eWeek, SC Magazine, PC Magazine and Red Herring. Akonix is backed by leading venture capital firms General Motors Asset Management (GMAM), Menlo Ventures, Mission Ventures, Palomar Ventures and Windward Ventures.