Outpost Firewall Pro Boosts Outbound Data Protection; New Release Adds Customizable Protection for Program Components, Application Behavior.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- Agnitum, a leading developer of security software to protect individual and networked PCs, this week launches the latest update to the widely acclaimed Outpost Firewall Pro. With the release of Outpost Firewall Pro v2.7, Agnitum has once again raised the bar in sensitive user data protection by offering user-customizable program protection settings.

Protecting the integrity of personal information has never been easy. With the seemingly never-ending stream of electronic attacks on personal assets and unstoppable proliferation of viruses and spyware, protecting user data is an ever-more pressing problem. Little help is available from Windows in this respect -- even Windows XP Service Pack 2 failed to eliminate some of the weaknesses and security lapses that continue to dog today's most widely-used operating system. Windows XP remains vulnerable, despite Microsoft's recent steps to strengthen the product with a rejuvenated firewall and updated zone level security.

Commercial firewall software vendors have adopted various mechanisms to protect outgoing data, but most have as yet been unable to demonstrate the ability to manage the masking ability demonstrated by recent malicious code outbreaks such as of the infamous Netsky worm. This worm spreads by surreptitiously launching the victim's default email client and sending copies of itself to all address book contacts found on the system by exploiting Windows' Hidden Process execution vulnerabilities.

By injecting its code into the memory space of a legitimate application, malicious code can still get past most firewalls' outgoing data protection barriers. The firewall sees only the legitimate application, not the malicious code that is attempting to establish the connection, and fails to detect that tampering has occurred.

With the release of Outpost Firewall Pro v2.7, the game has changed. Outpost now protects program components and application behavior, and allows users to control the customization of this protection. The unique Open Process Control, Process Memory Control and Component Control features, combined with the exclusion list that prevents applications from modifying process properties and sharing common Windows components, allow Outpost users comprehensive yet flexible protection against hidden malware communication requests.

Mikhail Penkovsky, VP of Worldwide Sales and Marketing at Agnitum, says: "It's always been our goal to help PC users everywhere, regardless of their level of expertise, to be able to use the Internet without fear and to its fullest extent. No-one should be held hostage by cybercrooks who choose to step on the good people's turf -- something we see all too often these days."

About Outpost Firewall Pro

Outpost Firewall Pro provides a superior arsenal of defense against PC infiltration by denying unauthorized access to remote hackers and protecting against data theft, denial-of-service attacks, privacy violation, Trojan horses, spyware and other malicious code. First published in 2002, Outpost Firewall Pro has won awards around the world for its ease of use and powerful protection.

About Agnitum

Founded in 1999, Agnitum Ltd (http://www.agnitum.com) is a leader in security and privacy software for home and office PCs, with more than a million users around the world. Agnitum is committed to delivering and supporting high quality security software products; the company's key offerings are Outpost Firewall Pro, securing home and SOHO PCs, and Outpost Office Firewall, providing easy-to-use, reliable endpoint protection for corporate networks.

Editor's Note: Review copies of Outpost Firewall Pro are available on request.