Computer Virus Infections Up 48 Percent; Panda Integrates Safe Surfing Protection.

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 21, 1999--"According to the International Computer Security Association (ICSA) your chances of falling victim to a computer virus run about 1 in 30. In an office of 100 PCs, at least 3 systems will face a virus incident during the course of the next year. Are you feeling lucky?"(1)

Though the use of anti-virus software is also climbing, viral attacks are outpacing companies' defensive measures. "Chalk it up to the connected world we live in," said Larry Bridwell from ICSA in an interview with Techweb.(2)

"ICSA's most recent study collates data gathered from 300 corporations and government institutions, each with a minimum of 500 PCs on site, as well as two or more LANs and two or more remote connections. Virtually all of the participants in the study are running anti-virus software on their networks, but more rigorous updating policies are called for if companies are to safeguard their data," Bridwell said.

Given that four macro viruses are listed in the "World's Top Ten Viruses," and over 32% of infections originate in attached documents sent by e-mail -- while over 11.4% come from the Internet -- surfing the net or exchanging e-mail today carries increasing risks. ICSA has raised awareness in its annual Virus Prevalence Report, and warns that -- with the advent of macro viruses -- careful monitoring of e-mail attachments has become more critical than ever.

"The other factor is that even though most people have virus protection on their machines, they aren't updating (that software) in a timely fashion. It used to be that quarterly (updates) were good enough," Bridwell said.

Current Antivirus Need to Integrate E-Mail, Internet Protection,

and Real-Time, Automatic Intelligent Updates

Panda Antivirus Platinum, "unlike any other product (tested), scans at Internet protocol levels such as POP and HTTP, giving you extra protection," says PC World in its last issue. Europe's leading independent antivirus developer Panda Software has recently launched new technology, which transparently eliminates viruses at the desktop and TCP/IP (Winsock) level, and intelligently updates itself on a daily basis.

This is the first solution to integrate E-mail and Internet protection, thus achieving a superior standard of virus and Trojan horse scanning capabilities. Some of Panda Antivirus Platinum's main features are:

-0-

--   Desktop integration with Windows 98, Active Desktop and Active
     Channels.
--   Real-time e-mail and Internet protection modules for TCP/IP
     detection and inoculation of viruses transmitted via the
     Internet.
--   E-mail attachments and Internet downloads are disinfected
     real-time, regardless of the client used, besides protection
     against malicious ActiveX and Java Applets.
--   Free-lifetime updating of the Virus Signature Database.
--   Incremental, daily Intelligent Updates
--   Detection and elimination of over 20,000 viruses on both hard
     disks and in RAM.
--   Automatic, customizable configuration using Panda's new Wise
     Setup Wizard(TM).
--   Various warnings (e.g., alarms, voiced messages, dialog boxes,
     news updates, etc.).
--   Centralized Scheduled, Immediate, Startup, Permanent, and Mail
     File Scans.
--   Unprecedented technical support service package.

-0-

By developing a technology through which data scanning is performed with the close cooperation of Windows sockets, Panda Antivirus Platinum functions at a lower level of communication than any of its competitors.

"We intercept the entire Windows API, thereby scanning and monitoring all data traffic," points out Mikel Urizarbarrena, CEO of Panda Software. Thus, "we scan incoming and outgoing communication traffic even before the user knows he or she has received an infected file."

Panda Antivirus Platinum protects all the information that flows by means of browsers such as Internet Explorer or Netscape, and additionally immunizes the downloading of files via FTP (CWS_FTP, CUTE FTP, etc.), as well as other e-mail applications like Eudora, Outlook Express, Lotus Notes, etc.

Panda approaches computer protection by combining effective technology and customer service. "Being the only developer that provides users with round-the-clock technical support, or daily updates, is yet further proof of our commitment to getting full-time protection of both desktop PCs and servers as an appropriate goal to severely cripple virus survival in the computing environment," states Urizarbarrena.

About Europe's Leading Independent AV Developer Panda Software

Since 1990, Panda has developed antivirus programs using 100% original technology. It offers solutions for Win 95/98, Win 3.x, Win NT w/s, DOS, OS/2, Novell NetWare, Win NT and MS Exchange Server and Client. Both ICSA and West Coast Labs certify Panda as a leading manufacturer. Panda is currently the world's most-widely certified antivirus developer.

In addition to daily updating of the software via Internet, Panda pioneers the 24h-365d Antivirus Insurance(TM) approach, by which users enjoy round-the-clock technical support, and commits to removal of any new virus within 12/24 hours.

Panda has recently presented Panda Antivirus Platinum, the first antivirus to integrate protection for Internet and e-mail, update itself daily and automatically, and disinfect viruses at the OSI-3 or transport level. Evaluation copies are available at http://www.pandasoftware.com/form.htm. Several million users in four continents choose Panda to protect their PCs and networks.

(1) Source: PC World Antivirus Comparative, Feb. 99

(2) Source: http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB19980913S0001