Aluria Security Center Provides Consumers Easy, Complete Solution for Protection against Spyware, Spam, Viruses and Other PC Threats; New Offering Combines Several Technologies Into a Streamlined, Simple Package.

MAITLAND, Fla. -- Aluria Software, an EarthLink company and a provider of anti-spyware and desktop security solutions, today announced the Aluria Security Center (ASC), a consumer software product that protects PCs against spam, spyware, viruses and other insidious threats. Announced at the start of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the Aluria Security Center provides an easy-to-use, complete solution for basic PC protection, and with Aluria Security Center's OneScan(TM), computer users can rid their machines of spyware and viruses with one click.

"PC owners are overwhelmed by the deluge of information about various security products that are necessary to defend against the ever changing landscape of threats. The Aluria Security Center is a simple, easy-to-use offering that protects PCs and the people that use them," said Matt Cobb, general manager at Aluria Software. "With one package, end users are guarded against virtually all significant online threats."

"Alarmingly, half of all consumer users' PCs lack basic security protections, such as anti-spyware, anti-virus, personal firewall and anti-spam functionality. The Aluria Security Center provides a strong and fundamental defense from these attacks," said Rick Carlson, vice president of sales and marketing at Aluria Software. "The risk is too high to neglect protection. Beyond the performance hindrances created by spyware, viruses, trojans and worms, these methods are now used by criminals to extort personal information, steal identities and trick consumers. If they are not stopped, more and more people will fall victim. The Aluria Security Center's comprehensive protection significantly reduce these risks."

Included in the Aluria Security Center are several technologies that when combined provide easy, complete protection against spyware, viruses and spam for consumer PCs:

--Anti-spyware: Spyware not only severely affects machine performance, it can also allow personal information (including credit card numbers and passwords) to be sent to the black market through criminal electronic networks. The Aluria Security Center proactively detects and blocks spyware.

--Anti-virus: The Aluria Security Center provides comprehensive anti-virus protection, spotting virus signatures in PC files and recommending an appropriate response. Trojans, worms and other viruses are quickly identified, eliminating their ability to destroy files, freeze a machine and hamper productivity.

--ASC OneScan: The Aluria Security Center is the first consumer protection package to scan for viruses and spyware on a PC at the same time. With ASC OneScan, consumers can rid their machines of both concerns in less than half the time of performing two scans back-to-back.

--Anti-spam: Despite government action, spam proliferation continues. The Aluria Security Center includes spam detection software that installs as an add-in to Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express and all other e-mail clients. The add-in creates a new toolbar within the e-mail application--a simple interface for users to monitor suspicious e-mail and block or delete spam messages.

--Personal firewall technologies: The Aluria Security Center installs a personal firewall on individual machines. Especially important for consumers using a dedicated Internet connection, such as a cable or DSL modem, the Aluria Security Center hides a computer's ports, or entry points, from potential hackers. As a result, users receive additional assurance that those wishing to cause harm are kept out, and they are alerted when suspicious activity occurs.

The Aluria Security Center includes the very latest Aluria technology. For example, the anti-spyware functionality includes the Active Defense Shield, a new feature announced earlier this month that for the first time stops spyware before it installs, eliminating the dangerous, messy consequences that often ensue from spyware removal.

Pricing and Availability

The Aluria Security Center is available immediately for purchase from the Aluria website (www.aluriasoftware.com) and costs $59.95.

About Aluria

Aluria Software, an EarthLink (NASDAQ: ELNK) company, offers software installed by millions of users worldwide to protect their computers from spyware and other desktop security threats. The Aluria Security Center protects consumer machines against a deluge of spyware, spam, phishing attacks and network intrusions. Paladin, Aluria's corporate product, monitors, detects, blocks and cleans IT systems of spyware, and the company's anti-spyware software developer kits (SDK) are used by third-party IT solution providers to complement their offerings with advanced spyware detection and removal capabilities. For more information, visit www.aluriasoftware.com or call 888-627-4650.