Healthcare Enterprises Nationwide Safeguard Life-Critical Networks Using Secure Converged Solutions from 3Com.

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. -- 3Com VoIP, Wireless, Data and Intrusion Prevention Systems Fulfill Security Strategies in HIPAA Compliance and Other Regulatory Mandates

From New Jersey to California, U.S. healthcare providers are safeguarding their confidential information using converged network solutions from 3Com Corporation. The 3Com(R) secure, converged solutions deliver the latest medical applications while enabling healthcare enterprises to comply with security regulations mandated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

"Our 3Com converged network provides the enterprise-class performance and safeguards we need to satisfy our security strategy," said Michael Dunken, network administrator at Shasta Community Health Center in Redding, Calif. "Thanks to 3Com, we have the network availability to provide 21st-century care and the advanced features to protect ourselves from liability by staying in compliance with HIPPA and Sarbanes-Oxley regulations."

Shasta Community Health Center (SCHC), a 65-room primary care provider with three remote sites, is another of the many healthcare facilities across the country protected by secure 3Com solutions. At its new headquarters, SCHC deployed a converged data/telephony network powered by 3Com NBX(R) V5000 Internet Protocol (IP) telephony solution and 3Com SuperStack(R) 3 Switch 4900 switches. Using the same wiring infrastructure to support data and telephony saved SCHC $25,000 in implementation costs.

For increased security on the converged network, SCHC uses the 3Com Switch 4900's VLAN capabilities to segment data and telephony traffic and then deploys the 3Com Switch 4900's built-in encryption features to further protect data on the LAN. Moreover, using 3Com Network Director, the 3Com browser-based management tool, SCHC IT staff can restrict port usage to a particular department, further preventing unauthorized access to any network segment. The 3Com Switch 4900 also features built-in 802.1X authentication, which forces devices to authenticate to a centralized server prior to gaining access to anything on the network, thus preventing anyone with a laptop from tapping into SCHC's system.

To protect SCHC's telephony traffic, the 3Com IP telephony platform features a powerful encryption tool that prevents eavesdropping by unauthorized users. SCHC's IT staff can also set the default class of service on all new 3Com NBX IP phones to have no rights. Even if a would-be eavesdropper were to plug into the phone system, he/she would have no actual access. Moreover, the intruder would be automatically detected by the 3Com NBX NetSet(TM) tool, which is the 3Com NBX platform's web-based management tool, thus ensuring that SCHC's telephony system remains impenetrable to unauthorized users.

"Today's healthcare industry is in a bind," explained Brian Worrel, network manager for Indianapolis-based Indiana University Medical Group (IUMG) - Primary Care, an 800-employee operation with 24 sites. "To provide the best care, doctors, nurses and administrators require ready access to medical applications and financial records. At the same time, government regulations dictate increasingly stringent controls on access to Electronic Health Protected Information (EHPI) and financials. 3Com has found a way to improve network performance while restricting network access to authorized users only, thus enabling us to extend the availability and security we need to best serve our patients and protect ourselves from liability."

Using the award-winning TippingPoint(TM) Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) from 3Com, IUMG is safeguarding all of its data entering and exiting the network at its Indianapolis teaching hospital and clinics across central Indiana. Ensuring that IUMG complies with HIPAA's risk management and security provisions, the TippingPoint IPS protects the network against Denial of Service (DOS) floods, worms, viruses, infrastructure and Web server attacks. In its first two weeks of operation alone, the TippingPoint solution prevented over 100 malicious attacks to IUMG's networked equipment and medical systems.

Managed, Secure Wireless Connectivity

In Woodbury, N.J, Underwood-Memorial Hospital is using a secure Wireless LAN (WLAN) Mobility System powered by the new, standards-based 3Com Wireless LAN Controller WX4400 and 3Com Wireless Access Points. Doctors and nurses at the 305-bed, 1600-employee facility now extend connectivity securely to the point-of care, including patients' rooms, using computerized rolling carts equipped with 3Com OfficeConnect(R) Wireless 11g USB Adapters.

Built-in security features like AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), WEP (Wireless Equivalent Privacy) and TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) authentication safeguard the WLAN from interference and hackers. For added protection, the Wireless LAN Mobility system also performs Radio Frequency (RF) scans to locate users and identify rouge access points or other infiltrators, further ensuring that Underwood-Memorial complies with government privacy regulations. Moreover, 3Com Identity-Based Networking for WLANs delivers network services based on user identity instead of ports, blocking unauthorized access to financial data as required by Sarbanes-Oxley.

The secure wireless solution supports Underwood-Memorial's new Cerner Millennium clinical system and gives medical staff confidential access to laboratory, radiology, pharmacy and clinical records. In the ER, the 3Com WLAN supports iBEX Pulse Check that facilitates emergency care using multiple-choice menus that provide the most likely diagnosis and treatment scenarios. Underwood-Memorial also uses its WLAN to power McKesson's registration, billing and scheduling system.

"Thanks to the 3Com wireless system's security features, we know that sensitive medical and financial records are protected from unauthorized access as required by law," said Mike Baker, director of information, Underwood-Memorial.

About 3Com Corporation

3Com Corporation (NASDAQ: COMS) is a leading provider of secure, converged voice and data networking solutions for enterprises of all sizes. 3Com offers a broad line of innovative products backed by world class sales, service and support, which excel at delivering business value for its customers. Through its TippingPoint division, 3Com is the leading provider of network-based intrusion prevention systems for corporate enterprises, government agencies, service providers and academic institutions. For further information, please visit www.3com.com, or the press site www.3com.com/pressbox.

Copyright (C) 2005. 3Com Corporation. 3Com, NBX, OfficeConnect, SuperStack and the 3Com logo are registered trademarks and NBX NetSet and TippingPoint are trademarks of 3Com Corporation. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective holders.