New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department Heightens Information Security With Enterasys Networks' Aurorean Virtual Private Networking.

Business/Technology Editors

ROCHESTER, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 28, 2002

Aurorean VPN Solution Enables State Agency to Secure Data,

Provide Real-Time Communications and Reduce Costs

Enterasys Networks Inc.(NYSE: ETS), a leader in enterprise networking solutions, announced that the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department (TRD) has selected its Aurorean Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology to secure confidential tax and motor vehicle information for citizens across the state, thereby increasing efficiency in transaction processing. The Aurorean VPN solution supports a network of more than 400 remote users located across 75 government field offices throughout New Mexico.

New Mexico's General Services Division recently embarked on the MAGnet initiative, a statewide project designed to create a shared, centrally-managed network infrastructure by aggregating broadband circuit services to state agencies. Field offices share the same communication lines with multiple state agencies when transmitting data back to TRD's core office. Privacy of electronic tax forms, motor vehicle registrations and other sensitive information traveling over an aggregated network became an immediate concern.

"At the TRD, we must protect the confidential client information coming from our field offices," said Larry Pacheco, information systems manager for the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department. "Using Enterasys' Aurorean VPN, we can isolate our network traffic from that of other agencies on the circuit, allowing us to maintain data ownership and information security."

The Aurorean VPN allows the TRD to set up secure, remote connections over shared communication lines. Tax and motor vehicle offices scattered throughout the state can access centralized resources and send confidential information via the well-protected remote infrastructure.

In conjunction with the Enterasys Aurorean VPN deployment, the New Mexico TRD has implemented a Thin Client environment and transferred all applications to the backend of the agency's network, adding another layer of information security. With only a web browser loaded onto a Thin Client device, the remote offices can quickly and easily access agency resources through the VPN, providing essential information while ensuring that confidential information remains safely stored in the agency's core data center in Santa Fe.

The VPN/Thin Client environment delivers additional benefits, including real-time transactions and faster application roll outs, resulting in more efficient and reliable processing of transactions. In addition, the new client/server infrastructure will result in substantial savings in mainframe and processing costs.

"The project will allow the TRD to provide increased efficiency that will reduce the time people spend waiting in long lines, while simultaneously enabling us to accommodate for the increasing growth in the state population," said Ed Romero, director of the Administrative Services Division for the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department. "With our new remote network infrastructure, the TRD is a technology innovator within the state of New Mexico and serves as a model for other agencies."

"Enterasys recognizes that transmitting secure data in a cost-effective manner is a top priority for a state agency like the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department," said Mads Lillelund, executive vice president, worldwide sales and marketing at Enterasys Networks. "Our Aurorean Virtual Network products deliver the highest levels of encryption security and user authentication, with policy managed configuration and monitoring, thereby giving the TRD the confidence of knowing that client information and transactions transmitted from their remote offices are protected."

Enterasys Networks' Aurorean products provide enterprise-class remote access, site-to-site and extranet VPN solutions. The product family is comprised of several hardware platforms, remote and central site software and an end-to-end architecture for VPN management. Major customer benefits include:

-- A comprehensive VPN management architecture with centralized control over policy definition and network configuration

-- Intelligent client software and programmable network gateways that maximize network visibility by reporting status and tracking all VPN activities

-- Total network availability from remote user's access point to central site network connection

-- VPN technology innovations to e.g. solve the challenges of building VPN tunnels from behind a Firewall, Proxy Server or NAT Gateway; and to simplify the configuration of small & home office remote VPN gateways.

About the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department

The New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department's mission is to administer and enforce New Mexico's tax and revenue laws, vehicle and driver licensing, and transportation programs in a manner warranting the highest degree of public confidence.

About Enterasys Networks

Enterasys Networks (NYSE: ETS) is a leading worldwide provider of broadline intelligent data networking infrastructures for enterprise-class customers. Enterasys' networking offerings deliver the innovative security, availability and mobility solutions required by Global 2000 organizations coupled with the industry's strongest service and support. For more information on Enterasys and its products, including multilayer switches and routers, wireless LANs, VPN, network management, and intrusion detection systems (IDS), visit www.enterasys.com.

This press release contains projections and other forward-looking statements regarding the future financial performance of the Company or other future events and circumstances, and actual results, events and circumstances could differ materially. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts or guarantees of future performance, and are based on current estimates and numerous assumptions. These estimates and assumptions reflect subjective judgments concerning future events and circumstances and may be incomplete or incorrect, and unanticipated events or circumstances may occur causing these estimates and assumptions to be wrong. Risks that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in the projections or forward-looking statements include business disruption, market perceptions, and economic trends associated with the recent terrorist activities experienced in the United States as well as any continuation or repercussions thereof or responses thereto, as well as risks associated with competitive conditions, pricing and margin pressures as a result of product shifts and changes in market dynamics, greater use of, and expenses associate with, distributors and resellers, limited management resources, the Company's acquisition strategy, extension or deterioration of prevailing economic conditions, volatility in the stock markets and market valuations being placed on communications infrastructure and service companies, technological changes, intellectual property protection and related issues, dependence on suppliers and contract manufacturers, and potential volatility in operating results, among others. For a more detailed discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties related to the company's business, please refer to the most recent filings of Enterasys Networks, Inc. and Cabletron Systems Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Cabletron's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 2, 2001 and their other more recent reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K.