Top Layer Networks Positioned in the Visionary Quadrant of Analyst Firm's Enterprise Firewall Magic Quadrant.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

WESTBORO, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 26, 2004

Top Layer Networks, Inc., a provider of globally proven intrusion prevention solutions, today announced that Gartner, Inc., the leading independent technology research and advisory firm, positioned Top Layer in the Visionary Quadrant of the Gartner report titled, "Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Firewalls, 2H03" (1).

According to the report, to be considered a visionary, a vendor must have both network level firewall capabilities and application level firewall capabilities in an integrated product. In the report, Gartner states it expects that by 2007, 90 per cent of Global 2000 companies will have deployed Deep Packet Inspection Firewalls. Gartner defines visionaries as having a clear vision of market direction and are focused on preparing for that, but they can still improve in terms of optimizing service delivery.

"We are pleased to be recognized by Gartner for Top Layer's work in driving intrusion prevention technologies and innovations that address real enterprise challenges," said Peter Rendall, CEO of Top Layer Networks. "The Attack Mitigator IPS has demonstrated its great ability to provide the level of protection from zero-day exploits, denial-of-service attacks, HTTP worms and other cyber threats that enterprises demand. We're excited to bring our newest product, the Attack Mitigator IPS 5500, to market this quarter to provide customers with a robust intrusion prevention platform that delivers non-stop protection from both network-level and application-level threats."

Evaluation Criteria

Products that qualify for the 2H03 Firewall Magic Quadrant are judged on each vendor's "Ability to Execute" and "Completeness of Vision." The Ability to Execute is categorized by: history of success in the traditional firewall market; financial strength, as well as partnerships and channels. Completeness of Vision, a long-term metric, is based on: recognition and blocking of attacks based on protocol anomalies, signature of attacks, content inspection, behavior and traffic volume; solutions that address enterprises' needs; investment in specialized hardware -- ASICs -- to perform deep packet inspection at wire speeds; central management of multiple devices; ability to load balance or configure; logging and reporting; and quickly rolls out new application defenses based on ability to perform deep packet inspections.

The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted April 2004 by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission. The Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner's analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the "Leaders" quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research tool, and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About the Attack Mitigator IPS

The new Attack Mitigator IPS 5500 is the first family of high-performance in-line security devices that delivers non-stop protection against both network and application-level cyber threats. Top Layer Networks has developed the Attack Mitigator IPS 5500 product family using advanced TopInspect(TM) deep packet inspection technology to provide protection of critical on-line assets while meeting demanding network infrastructure and performance requirements. By offering comprehensive non-stop protection and outstanding performance, organizations can be protected from the most serious threats -- from Code Red, MS Blaster, and SQL Slammer to countless exploits of application vulnerabilities -- without suffering a performance penalty.

About Top Layer Networks, Inc.

Founded in 1997, Top Layer Networks (http://www.TopLayer.com) develops network security solutions that enable enterprises worldwide to protect their infrastructure and critical online assets from cyber threats. The Company's patented, ASIC-based products are engineered to deliver accurate and reliable protection mechanisms while operating as robust in-line network devices. Top Layer Networks is headquartered in Westboro, Massachusetts with sales and support presence in France, Germany, Japan, Korea, and the United Kingdom.

Note 1 - "Gartner Magic Quadrant for 2H03, " Richard Stiennon, vice president, April 20, 2004.

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