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Ascend Racks Up Another Industry Award for Its Secure Access Firewall
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Network Computing's "Editor's Choice" Goes to Secure Access Firewall
ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 1998--Ascend Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASND - news) today
announced that its Secure Access Firewall has received best product recognition from Network Computing just three months
after taking top honors from PC Magazine. Network Computing named Ascend's integrated security solution as its ''Editor's
Choice'' for Enterprise Security in its January 15 edition after testing the firewall with Ascend's Pipeline 75 remote access
router in a lab setting that mirrors the typical small office/home office (SOHO) environment.
''Pipeline 75 shines as a versatile ISDN router,'' according to Network Computing Online, announcing the winners on the
World Wide Web. ''Add Secure Access Firewall, Ascend's security package, and Pipeline 75 is transformed into a secure
ISDN router.''
Using its Syracuse University lab, Network Computing tested 11 devices costing less than $3,000 that offer ISDN
connectivity with bandwidth on demand, multiprotocol routing and bridging, and firewall functionality. Ascend's low-cost
Pipeline 75 with Secure Access Firewall rated an ''A-'' in the magazine's Interactive Report Card.
Ascend's Secure Access Firewall rated notably higher than all other security solutions, including products from ADC
Kentrox, ADTRAN, Chase Research, D-Link Systems D-Link, OpenROUTE Networks, RAD Data Communications, Ramp
Network, 3Com Corp., and ZyXEL Communications. (See techweb.cmp.com
In October, Ascend's Secure Access Firewall also was a clear winner over the Cisco PIX and Livingston FireWall IRX in
PC Magazine's ''Editor's Choice'' awards.
''It's gratifying to see these industry publications continue to single out the Secure Access Firewall for its delivery of
sophisticated firewall features,'' said Doug LaBorde, product manager for Ascend's Enterprise Access Business Unit. ''It
demonstrates to companies how choices can be made in providing the right network protection to a corporate site, remote
office, and telecommuter's home office.''
To test security, the Network Computing lab generated spoofing attacks using an ISS (Internet Security Systems) Firewall
Scanner. Ascend's firewall demonstrated robust security that adapted to network traffic, opening and closing ports as
needed, monitored traffic passing over the firewall, and maintained a list of authorized connections. ''More important,
however,'' according to the magazine, ''it logged the connection attempts made by ISS to our syslog, including source IP
address.''
With the firewall active, many of the devices took performance hits. But that was not the case with the Pipeline 75 with
Secure Access Firewall.
''When the packets stopped flying,'' Mike Fratto wrote for Network Computing Online, ''Ascend's Pipeline 75 with Secure
Access Firewall took top honors mainly because of its tight security, ease of management and configuration, and excellent
reporting features.''
Network Computing also described the Pipeline 75's management applications -- Java Configurator for Pipeline and Secure
Access Manager -- as ''an administrator's dream.'' In less than an hour, its testers had configured the devices and were
making connections.
About Secure Access Firewall
Ascend's Secure Access Firewall is certified by the National Computer Security Association, which provides independent
assurance to customers that products have been thoroughly tested to protect against a comprehensive suite of known attacks.
Firewalls are the preferred method for protecting private resources from attack via the public Internet.
Secure Access Firewall uses an intelligent, next-generation technology that dynamically adapts to network traffic, providing
a finer granularity of security than is available through static packet filtering. For example, during file transfer protocol
(FTP) transactions, Secure Access Firewall opens only those specific access ports required, then automatically closes the
ports at the end of the session. Static packet filtering, on the other hand, opens all access ports for every data transfer,
providing an opportunity for hackers to probe the network for the duration of that session.
About Ascend Communications
Ascend Communications, Inc. develops, manufactures, services and sells wide area networking solutions for
telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers, and corporate customers worldwide. For more information about
Ascend and its products, please visit the Ascend web site at www.ascend.com, or send e-mail to info@ascend.com.
Ascend is headquartered at One Ascend Plaza, 1701 Harbor Bay Parkway, Alameda, CA 94502-3002. Phone:
800/ASCEND4; Fax: 510/747-2300.
Contact:
Ascend Communications Inc.
Eric Warren, 510/747-6683
ewarren@ascend.com
or
Gallagher PR
Jeannette Bitz, 510/747-2058
jbitz@ascend.com |
