Symantec Revamps Certification Program; Simplifies Certification Process, Recognizes Vendor-Neutral Certifications.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 2, 2003

Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq:SYMC), the world leader in Internet security, today announced that it has revamped its certification program to better support the needs of its partners. The new program recognizes vendor-neutral industry certifications; shortening the time it takes a partner to become certified while still ensuring that customers receive the highest level of certified security expertise.

"With the growing number of vendor-specific certifications, partners are being asked to prove their core security skills over and over again," said Allyson Seelinger, Symantec's vice president of enterprise and consumer channels. "Recognizing that vendor-neutral security certifications are proof of a partner's overall security knowledge, we revised our program to accept these certifications. Our program now focuses on testing a partner's knowledge of Symantec's strategy and solutions."

To streamline the certification program Symantec reduced the number of Symantec product specific exams into four security segment exams. These exams cover Symantec firewall and VPN technologies, Symantec vulnerability management technologies, Symantec intrusion detection technologies, and Symantec virus protection and content filtering technologies.

A passing grade on the appropriate Symantec security exams, plus one of the approved vendor-neutral certifications enables a partner to earn Symantec certification credentials at one of four different levels:

-- A Symantec Product Specialist (SPS) demonstrates general

security knowledge with one Symantec exam coupled with the

Security+ certification from CompTIA or the System Security

Certified Practitioner (SSCP) certification from (ISC)(2).

-- A Symantec Certified Security Engineer (SCSE) demonstrates

technical security knowledge with one Symantec exam coupled

with the complementary SANS Global Information Assurance

Certifications (GIAC). Accepted GIAC certifications include

the GIAC Firewall Analyst, GIAC Incident Handler, GIAC

Intrusion Analyst and GIAC Windows Security Administrator.

-- A Symantec Technology Architect (STA) demonstrates

consultant-level security knowledge with one Symantec exam

paired with one of the following vendor-neutral

certifications: ISC2's Certified Information Systems Security

Professional (CISSP), ASIS' Certified Protection Professional 

(CPP), ISACA's Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA),

TruSecure's TISCA Certified Security Associate, or CIW's

Security Analyst certification.

-- A Symantec Certified Security Practitioner (SCSP) is a senior

security consultant who has passed two Symantec exams and has

one of the following vendor-neutral certifications: ISC2's

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP),

one of the four Symantec-approved SANS' GIAC, ASIS' Certified

Protection Professional (CPP), ISACA's Certified Information

Systems Auditor (CISA), TruSecure's TISCA Certified Security

Associate, or CIW's Security Analyst certification.

"It's great to see Symantec listening to partner feedback and taking the lead to revise its certification process," said Eric Gravett, CISSP, Senior Security Engineer at CompuNet Engineering. "Incorporating vendor-neutral certifications as part of the program requirements will make it easier for partners to become certified in a timely manner. Consolidating the Symantec content into fewer exams and reducing potential classroom time enables our consultants to spend more time in the field with customers."

Furthering its commitment and support of partners, Symantec is rolling out free instructor-led training to Enterprise Security Partner and Enterprise Solutions Partners. As part of the Symantec Partner Program Enterprise Security Partners are required to have two Symantec Certified Security Engineers (SCSE), certified in two different categories, on staff and Enterprise Solutions Partners must have one SCSE.

Partners who have already achieved Symantec certifications will remain certified under the new program. All certifications are valid for 24 months from the date earned.

For more information about the Symantec Certification Program and a listing of current classes, please visit http://www.symantec.com/education/index.html.

About Symantec

Symantec, the world leader in Internet security technology, provides a broad range of content and network security software and appliance solutions to individuals, enterprises and service providers. The company is a leading provider of client, gateway and server security solutions for virus protection, firewall and virtual private network, vulnerability management, intrusion detection, Internet content and e-mail filtering, remote management technologies and security services to enterprises and service providers around the world. Symantec's Norton brand of consumer security products is a leader in worldwide retail sales and industry awards. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Symantec has worldwide operations in 36 countries. For more information, please visit www.symantec.com.

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