The World's First Fully Integrated, Centrally Managed Solution Providing End-to-End Corporate Network Security

Espoo, Finland, March 22, 1999 -- Data Fellows , a leading developer of data security solutions, today announced the release of F-Secure Workstation Suite 4.0. The product provides a reliable and easy-to-manage solution for the data security concerns of modern corporations.

F-Secure Workstation Suite 4.0 is the only product to combine world-class anti-virus protection with strong encryption for network traffic and files stored on the hard disk in an integrated fashion. Competing offerings lack centralized policy-based management features and they’re not available worldwide with strong encryption.

F-Secure Workstation Suite 4.0 integrates Data Fellows' award-winning F-Secure Anti-Virus, F-Secure VPN+ and F-Secure FileCrypto applications. End-to-end network security is delivered with advanced virus protection and strong encryption.

The centralized management capabilities of the F-Secure Workstation Suite make it possible to control all the security applications of a distributed organization from one central management workstation. The security policies can be defined and modified automatically both globally, locally and for an individual workstation without end user intervention. Updating virus signature databases and upgrading applications can also be automated.

F-Secure Workstation Suite 4.0 operates in the Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT environments.

The solution supports the industry-standard SNMP network management protocol, integrates with Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) and includes optional support for leading enterprise management products, such as CA Unicenter, IBM Tivoli and HP OpenView. The product ships will F-Secure Administrator, a Pure Java based graphical console for managing the security policies for the whole enterprise network.

Centralized, Policy-Based Management

Data Fellows defines enterprise security as a multi-front battle requiring a centrally managed army of distributed solutions. At the center of this strategy is the F-Secure Framework, Data Fellows’ three-tier security and management architecture.

"F-Secure Workstation Suite’s centralized management functionality enables network administrators to execute and maintain all corporate security policies from the management console," says Mr. Risto Siilasmaa, Chief Executive Officer of Data Fellows . "It merges world-class protection against malicious code with unobtrusive file and network encryption.”

The F-Secure Framework concept is supported by three key components: F-Secure Administrator which is the Java-based management console, F-Secure Management Server which is the repository for policies, software updates, status information and alerts, and F-Secure Management Agents which enforce the policies on the network’s workstations, servers and gateway machines.

The installation of F-Secure Workstation Suite 4.0 requires no work at the actual workstation, and no configuration from the end-user after the installation. The entire corporate system can be managed centrally, making the management of vital security issues effective but completely transparent to the end user.

Powerful Anti-Virus Technology

The solution’s malicious code detection and removal is based on the award-winning F-Secure Anti-Virus product line, the world’s first anti-virus solution to use multiple scanning engines simultaneously through its revolutionary CounterSign™ architecture. Its detection rates are unparalleled, and automated updates to the whole network further enhance its reliability.

The millions of current F-Secure Anti-Virus users around the world will be able to automatically upgrade to the new technology, allowing centralized policy based management of a multi-tier anti-virus solution. Data Fellows plans to support the classic version of F-Secure Anti-Virus with virus signature updates until the end of the year, but expects the vast majority of the customers to upgrade to the F-Secure Framework enabled version long before that. Customers with valid support plans will receive the upgrade CD-ROM at no extra cost.

Real-Time File and Network Encryption

F-Secure Workstation Suite 4.0 is the only workstation product to integrate strong, real-time encryption directly into the Windows file system. F-Secure FileCrypto ensures that files are never stored in readable form, not even temporary (TMP) files, eliminating the risks posed by accidental power-offs.

F-Secure Workstation Suite 4.0 features the company’s well-known F-Secure VPN+ product which provides the world's fastest commercially available software-based IPSec implementation. Encryption protection is provided from the network adapter to the services. The three encryption components for clients, servers and gateways can be combined to build all major types of virtual private networks. These include connections between organizations and their partners, home offices, or employees on the road. The encryption process is fully transparent to end users since the encryption is done directly at the IP level.

The product uses an encryption key length of 128 bits or more. The administrator can choose from supported algorithms, including RSA, 3DES and Blowfish. All the most widely used authentication methods are supported.

Availability

The product will be available from Data Fellows and its resellers around the world in April. Prices will start from $99 per seat for a 100-user license. All F-Secure Workstation Suite 3.0 users may upgrade to version 4.0 for free.