Clearswift Launches Free Online Web Threat Assessment Suite; U.K. Audit Commission Report Highlights Need to Test Web Security.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Following this month's U.K. Audit Commission report showing that downloading Internet porn is the most common form of ICT abuse in the public sector, Clearswift, the world's No. 1 in content security, today launched a free online Web Threat Assessment Suite to allow organizations to check the effectiveness of their Web security.

The Web Threat Assessment Suite (www.clearswift.com/threattest) simulates more than 30 menaces to demonstrate the potential threats which can penetrate an organization's defenses through an employee's Web browser.

"The Audit Commission's 'ICT Fraud and Abuse 2004' study of the public sector found that the percentage of ICT abuse cases involving downloading porn and inappropriate material has increased to 47 percent since 1997," Clearswift VP Operations Ian Bowles said.

"However this kind of activity is not just limited to the public sector; all corporations need to be vigilant -- this report should be seen as a wakeup call to all organizations to assess their Web content security.

"While downloading inappropriate content at work is completely unacceptable, the threat to the organization is doubled because many of these sites are honeypots for malware writers to distribute their wares, masking spyware and viruses as porn downloads. Most companies would not consider operating without content filtering and anti-virus applications to scan every e-mail entering and leaving the company, yet through unsecured Web access, wayward employees may be admitting malware through the front door.

"The Clearswift Web Threat test will enable corporations to understand where their Web vulnerabilities lie and demonstrate the need to install a comprehensive Web content security solution to protect their businesses from Web-based threats," Bowles said.

Clearswift's answer to Web-borne malware threats is MIMEsweeper for Web. MIMEsweeper for Web bidirectionally scans all traffic entering or leaving an organization via the Internet and enables companies to manage and control Internet access, including browsing, downloads, uploads and Web-based e-mail.

MIMEsweeper for Web not only controls inbound and outbound Internet access using powerful URL filtering and real-time content analysis, but it also protects organizations from all other Web security threats such as loss of IPR and Brand equity. It is able to block files by name (e.g. sasser.d or kazaa), type (e.g. .exe, .xls or MP3) and size, and can analyze files maliciously hidden within Web links or zipped attachments. It also works in tandem with anti-virus software -- files downloaded from or to the Internet are "transferred" by MIMEsweeper for Web to the anti-virus tool for virus checking.

Clearswift's MIMEsweeper for Web is a policy-based solution enabling organizations to align e-mail and Web policies at a granular level. By doing this, organizations can also meet legal and regulatory requirements and implement productivity-saving policies.

About Clearswift

Clearswift, The MIMEsweeper(TM) Company, is the world's leading provider of content security software for e-mail and Web. Clearswift secures content and protects against digital attacks by enforcing security policies that increase productivity, reduce IT costs and create a safer business environment.

The Internet is the greatest business tool ever invented, but with it comes a harrowing collection of threats. Protecting against the circulation of inappropriate images and text, spam, breaches of confidentiality and viruses is now mission critical.

Clearswift enables organizations to protect themselves against digital attacks, meet legal and regulatory requirements, implement productivity-saving policies and manage intellectual property passing through their network.

Clearswift's portfolio includes MIMEsweeper, the world's most advanced content security solutions, as well as a range of specialized security solutions for the most security-conscious environments.

Clearswift has 15,000 customers and more than 20 million end users worldwide. It has offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Japan and Australia.