Cox Communications Deploys Arbor Networks' Peakflow SP To Protect Its Network Against Infrastructure Security Threats.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 24, 2003

Taking a proactive stance against a broad spectrum of threats,

including denial of service and network worms, leading broadband

provider adopts Arbor's network anomaly detection solution

Arbor Networks(TM), a leading provider of network anomaly detection solutions, today announced that Cox Communications has deployed Arbor's Peakflow(TM) SP to protect its network from a range of security threats.

A Fortune 500 company, Cox Communications delivers multi-service broadband communications services to 6.3 million customers nationwide. As the operator of a complex, critical network, Cox faces a broad spectrum of infrastructure security threats. These threats include distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks and network worms, such as the recent Slammer worm.

"We always keep an eye on the cutting edge of security threat management," said Jeff Hartley, manager of security and abuse at Cox Communications. "Effective DDoS protection has been a network security challenge for years. Many of the early solutions fell short because they were reactive. To protect our Cox HSI Backbone, we looked for the best available technology to combat the threat proactively and brought it into our network for a thorough evaluation. While we were testing, we were hit by a significant attack. Without Peakflow, we would have been in reactive mode, relying on manual detection and elimination processes, as many service providers are when attacks hit. But armed with Peakflow, we saw the attack ramping up and were able to resolve it before it could impact our customers."

Peakflow SP is built upon the Peakflow Platform, an architecture for network-wide data collection, analysis and anomaly detection. Peakflow SP creates dynamic models of normal network behavior from the network edge through the core, and then compares traffic in real-time against these baselines, enabling operators to rapidly spot and resolve anomalous behavior. Arbor today also announced the availability of a new release of Peakflow SP, with new features that span mitigation, reporting and real-time response (see Arbor Networks Delivers New Release of Peakflow SP to Protect Service Provider Networks from a Broad Spectrum of Security and Operational Threats, issued today).

Cox's requirements for addressing these threats included that the solution must be easy to deploy and could not erode its network's performance or reliability. Peakflow SP works with the routing equipment service providers already have and does not require changes in routing or otherwise introduce a new bottleneck or point of failure. At the same time, Peakflow SP is anomaly-based, monitoring and alerting on real-time data so that it can detect both known and new, or zero day, threats.

"Real-time traffic flow analysis in the service provider core is essential to protecting customer networks from denial of service attacks, and in slowing the propagation of Internet worms. Peakflow operates alongside existing service provider equipment to provide a level of security that cannot be easily achieved at the edge of customer networks," said Eric Ogren, senior analyst, Security Solutions & Services, the Yankee Group. "Cox Communications is proactively implementing industry leading technology from Arbor Networks to maximize the availability of network services for its customers."

"Today's distributed threats impact not just discrete systems, but the network infrastructure itself," said Thomas A. Arthur, Arbor Networks CEO and president. "Cox's proactive approach to security will translate into not only a more available, efficient network, but also superior service for its customers."

About Arbor Networks

Arbor Networks provides solutions that dynamically measure, visualize and protect networks, eliminating business vulnerabilities - both security and operational - that network operators face everyday. Peakflow, Arbor's network-wide anomaly detection platform, bolsters infrastructure security and streamlines backbone operations, improving profitability and driving revenue for the operators of complex networks. Funded by Battery Ventures, Thomas Weisel Venture Partners, Cisco Systems, Comcast Interactive Capital, SAIC Venture Capital Corporation, Ironside Ventures and EDF Ventures, Arbor is headquartered in Lexington, MA, with a research and development office in Ann Arbor, MI and EMEA headquarters in London. Arbor has been recognized as one of UPSIDE Magazine's Hot 100 Private Companies, Red Herring's Ten to Watch and Network World's Ten Start-Ups to Watch.

www.arbornetworks.com

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