WebSTAR Server Suite Recruited by US Army for Greater Web Security; Response to Hacker on NT System Prompts Rapid Conversion Based on W3C Security Analysis.

BERKELEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 14, 1999--

StarNine Technologies, Inc. today announced the U.S. Army's main Web site, http://www.army.mil/, is now being served by StarNine's WebSTAR Server Suite(TM) software on the Mac OS(R).

The Army site had previously been served from a Windows(R) NT-based server when it was hacked in late June by a 19-year old Wisconsin man who was thoroughly investigated by the Army's Criminal Investigation Command and arrested on August 30 for malicious altering. After careful evaluation of WebSTAR on the Mac OS and review of the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) favorable reports on WebSTAR's security, the switch to WebSTAR on the Mac OS has been completed. The W3C's general security analysis can be found at http://www.w3.org/Security/faq/wwwsf1.html.

"WebSTAR has long been known as the easiest Web server to administrate, but it's also the most secure Web server anywhere," said Scott Steward, president of StarNine Technologies. "Besides the Army, the State Department is also using WebSTAR for it's main site, and there are lots of WebSTAR servers running at government and military departments. It's the best choice for anyone who wants security, performance and economy in a server that is easy to use and well-supported."

"Properly securing a Windows NT server is non-trivial," explained Eric Zelenka, product manager for WebSTAR. "It's a process that requires the disabling of remote login support and the regular, ongoing application of security patches as they are released from Microsoft. In contrast, WebSTAR running on the Mac OS, is inherently secure and ships that way out of the box."

"The Army uses different products, on different platforms, depending on the requisite business functions and processes," explained Stephen Bates, webmaster for the US Army. "What we didn't need was a Rube Goldberg solution. For the Army public Web site (http://www.army.mil), WebSTAR running on the Mac platform was the right solution, at the right time, and for the right reasons."

Overview of WebSTAR Server Suite 4.0

Designed for ease of use, WebSTAR Server Suite 4.0 features high performance Web, FTP, Mail and Proxy servers integrated in one application with secure IP-based remote administration. The WebSTAR Web server features Virtual Host support for serving of multiple Web sites, integrated SSLv2 and SSLv3 support for encrypted and authenticated e-commerce transactions, Server-Side-Includes for dynamic content, Lasso-based FileMaker Pro and ODBC data source publishing, and support for Plug-Ins, CGIs, Java Servlets and WebObjects.

WebSTAR FTP provides easy-to-use file sharing and content management capabilities, user-level access controls, support for MacBinary II and III, limiting of folder content sizes on a per user-basis, resuming of FTP file transfers, "log-on," "log-out," and folder messages.

The WebSTAR Mail server is a powerful, complete SMTP/POP/IMAP email server, with LDAP for shared local directories, plus support for multiple domain and user accounts, remote Web-based email access, advanced relay blocking and allow/deny security, server-based email storage and remote content synchronization.

The WebSTAR Proxy server increases network security and accelerates Internet access by locally caching frequently visited sites, thus also reducing network bandwidth demands. In addition, WebSTAR Proxy supports upstream Proxy servers and has a security architecture for controlling access to and from specific hosts and Web sites.

Pricing and Availability

WebSTAR Server Suite 4.0 is available for $599 directly from StarNine Sales at 800/525-2580 or [e-mail]. Upgrades from version 2.x are $299 and upgrades from version 3.x just $199. Education institutions are eligible for a 20% discount. Further information is available from the StarNine Web site at http://www.starnine.com/, by calling 800/525-2580, or by sending email to [e-mail].

About StarNine

Located in Berkeley, StarNine is a leader in the development of Internet server software, content creation tools and email connectivity products. Awarded numerous honors for its WebSTAR Web server software, StarNine also publishes ListSTAR list server software, StarNine Mail and MailLink Internet email gateways.

StarNine's new WebSTAR Server Suite 4.0 is a complete business infrastructure in one easy to use application. StarNine Technologies, Inc. is a privately held corporation, wholly owned by Platinum Equity Holdings (www.peh.com). Further information on StarNine may be obtained by calling 800/525-2580, accessing StarNine's Web site at www.starnine.com, or sending email to [e-mail].

Note to Editors: StarNine and WebSTAR are registered trademarks of StarNine or its subsidiaries. ListSTAR is a trademark of StarNine or its subsidiaries. Apple, Macintosh and Mac OS are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. All other brands and products referenced herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.