RSA(R) Conference 2006 Opens Today.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Bill Gates, Art Coviello and Scott McNealy Kick-off First Day With Keynote Presentations at Information Security's Largest Conference

RSA(R) Conference, the world's leading information security conference and exposition group, opens today at San Jose's McEnery Convention Center. The Conference, taking place Feb. 13-17, is expected to draw more than 14,000 information security professionals -- ranging from IT managers, developers and C-level executives, 275 exhibiting companies and a who's who of leaders and visionaries who will help shape discussions around the industry's hottest topics.

The event kicks-off with a lineup of notable CEOs delivering keynote presentations: including Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect, Microsoft Corp.; Scott McNealy, chairman and CEO, Sun Microsystems, Inc., as well as John Chambers, president and CEO, Cisco Systems, Inc.; John Thompson, chairman and CEO, Symantec, and Art Coviello, CEO and president, RSA Security Inc. In addition to the keynote speakers, the extensive Conference agenda will feature 17 unique educational tracks and 200 business and technical sessions on a wide-range of topics including applied security, compliance, government and policy, hackers and threats, identity management and wireless security.

"The RSA Conference enters its 15th year as the premier destination for the brightest minds in the information security industry," said Sandra Toms LaPedis, general manager and area vice president, RSA Conference. "It is always invigorating to see so many talented people under one roof, discussing information security's latest trends, innovative new products and hot-button issues."

RSA Conference 2006 also features a multitude of networking and special event opportunities for information security professionals to meet with peers, professional associates and industry leaders. The special events include:

BSA Town Hall Meeting

On Wednesday, Feb. 15 from 12 noon-1:00 p.m., the Business Security Alliance (BSA) will host a panel featuring a keynote speech from Robert Mueller, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), along with top law enforcement counterparts from Europe. This discussion "TOP COPS: How Law Enforcement is tackling the Fastest-growing Crime of the 21st Century" will focus on identity theft, and how these top cops are working together to address this international, borderless crime.

Additionally, on Thursday, Feb. 16, 12 noon-1:00 p.m., Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA) will host "What is the Role of Government in Securing the Internet? U.S. and International Perspectives." This panel will address the debate over the broad issue of Internet governance and the role of the nation state in the security and stability of the Internet. This panel will be led by Stewart Baker, assistant secretary of policy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Paul Twomey, CEO of Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

Innovation Station

The Innovation Station program is designed to give emerging information security companies a chance to showcase new products and services at RSA Conference 2006. Based on their submissions, a select number of companies have been chosen to participate in the Innovation Station "Show Down" where they will present their business plans to an illustrious panel of judges, including Asheem Chandna of Greylock Partners, Jim Goetz of Sequoia Capital, Patrick Heim of McKesson Corporation and Robin Vasan of Mayfield. Ultimately, one company will win the title of "Most Innovative Emerging Company" and the opportunity to meet face-to-face with two members of the judging panel, as well as other promotional activities.

Interactive Testing Challenge

RSA Conference 2006 and Security Innovation are partnering to present the "Interactive Testing Challenge" (ITC) on Feb. 13-16. The ITC is the ultimate hands-on test of software security skills, and is designed to help security professionals of varying skill levels assess their knowledge and expertise in Web application security. The final "face-off" taking place on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 1:00 p.m. will be broadcast live at the Conference at the end of the challenge.

For a complete listing of the RSA Conference 2006 agenda and special events, please visit: http://2006.rsaconference.com/us/agenda/.

About the RSA Conference

Now in its 15th year, the RSA Conference brings together decision-makers and influencers from all major markets, including consumer, education, financial, government, computer networking, telecommunications, as well as Wall Street and the media, for the industry's premier information security and cryptography events. RSA Conference 2006 will be held February 13-17 in San Jose, California; April 26-27 in Tokyo, Japan; and October 23-26 in Nice, France. For more information, visit www.rsaconference.com.

RSA, the RSA Conference logo and the RSA Security logo are registered trademarks of RSA Security Inc. All other marks are trademarks of their respective companies.