Britestream Networks and nCipher Partner to Deliver Self-Contained, SSL Security NIC Solution.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Britestream Networks (formerly Layer N Networks), a catalyst for the creation of a ubiquitous private Internet, announced today a technology partnership with nCipher plc (LSE:NCH), a leading provider of cryptographic IT security solutions, that leverages each company's expertise to bring to market easy-to-deploy, predictable, and comprehensive SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) security NIC solutions. Under the terms of the agreement nCipher will market, under the product name nFast(R) Ultra, an SSL NIC (network interface card) based on Britestream's Instream Security Processing architecture. nFast Ultra will enable affordable and easily deployable privacy to internal networks as well as Web-based transactions.

Britestream's patented Instream Security Processing architecture, which incorporates full TCP/IP termination and SSL/TLS processing within a single silicon chip, enables businesses to quickly turn on SSL security whenever and wherever they need it. This unique, self-contained combination of networking and encryption manages the entire security process transparently without relying on any external application or operating system resources. Because the Britestream solution delivers drop-in integration capabilities, the solution simplifies design for OEM customers and can be deployed extremely quickly. This combination of powerful simplicity and un-compromised performance enables security to be more readily deployed not only in existing applications such as servers, load balancers, firewalls, and content switches but in fast-growing emerging applications such as SSL VPNs, XML/Web Services, and secure e-mail gateways.

SSL, and its successor TLS, are established as the default security measure for Web-based transactions. With the rapid growth in demand for secure remote access to e-mail and other corporate applications, as well as a greater awareness of the need to protect internal networks and server-to-server communications, SSL has become a general purpose security tool. As a result, the market is now demanding a truly transparent SSL solution -- one that can be fitted retrospectively to existing applications as well as new installations without adversely affecting performance or requiring expensive software upgrades or worse still, re-engineering.

"Working with nCipher combines our strengths and will enable us to offer highly scalable, more predictable and more secure solutions in an easy-to-deploy PCI card," said Bob Weinschenk, president and CEO of Britestream Networks. "We are also pleased that nCipher will help to expand our reach in the market through the launch of the nCipher nFast Ultra SSL NIC, enabling more customers to use SSL to protect a greater proportion of their online transactions and internal data."

About nCipher

nCipher is redefining cryptographic security to protect points of risk across the enterprise -- from network appliances to Web servers, to custom software applications and back-end databases. nCipher provides hardware and software solutions that enable organizations to implement best practice security by addressing the challenges of cryptographic key management and performance. Many of the world's leading organizations -- from Microsoft and Barclays Bank to PricewaterhouseCoopers and the U.S. Navy -- rely on nCipher to deliver a sound e-security infrastructure. nCipher's products are particularly well suited to organizations with high volumes of security-sensitive transactions, such as banking and financial institutions, government departments, e-retailers and online service providers. nCipher is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:NCH) and is a member of the FTSE TechMARK and FTSE4 Good indices with offices in Cambridge, U.K.; Boston, Hamburg, Singapore and Tokyo. For more information on nCipher, visit www.ncipher.com.

About Britestream

Britestream Networks provides breakthrough solutions for the rapidly growing security market. Britestream's patented Instream Security Processing architecture offers a unique combination of powerful simplicity, un-compromised performance, and fortified security. From existing applications such as servers, load balancers, firewalls, and content switches to fast-growing emerging applications such as SSL VPNs, XML/Web Services, and secure e-mail gateways, Britestream's board and chip solutions remove all barriers and penalties of ubiquitously deploying security. This is Internet security as it is meant to be. Automatic. Easy. Everywhere. For more information, visit: www.britestream.com.