NetContinuum Transforms Enterprise Security Market With Introduction of All-in-One Web Security Gateway

Most Powerful Security ASIC Ever Built Enables NetContinuum to Deliver Comprehensive Web Security in a Single Easy-to-Deploy Appliance

Santa Clara, California – NetContinuum, Inc., the leading provider of enterprise-class web security appliances, today announced its flagship NC-1000 Web Security Gateway product line. The NC-1000 is a next-generation security appliance that provides immediate protection from web-based threats and dramatically reduces the time and cost of securing web applications. Powered by the largest security ASIC ever built, the NC-1000 combines all critical web security functionality into a single, high performance gateway to secure web resources with zero impact to existing network infrastructure.

“Web security gateways are rapidly becoming the hot bed of activity in the enterprise security market,” said Pete Lindstrom, Research Director at Spire Security. “This new class of web security products does for port 80 security what firewalls and VPNs did for network security. NetContinuum’s appliance model and innovative ASIC-based approach should be well received by enterprise customers.”

Deployed behind the corporate firewall, the NetContinuum NC-1000 fully terminates and proxies all TCP sessions. This proven security architecture enables instant SSL encryption, intrusion prevention at all layers, tamper-proof logging of all web transactions, and application-layer virtual private network (VPN) access to web resources – all at full wire speed. The NetContinuum gateway also enables “full website cloaking” that makes sites invisible to hackers scanning for vulnerabilities.

“This kind of product is clearly the wave of the future in web security,” said Leira Bristol, CISSP and System Security Administrator for Ross Stores, Inc., a leading US retailer with more than 500 stores nationwide. “Ensuring maximum security for our partners, suppliers and employees while keeping costs down has always been a top priority.”

Companies today are increasingly using the web to drive down business costs, but face growing expense and complexity when it comes to securing these new web resources. Since traditional network firewalls and intrusion detection systems cannot see application-layer content, web attacks pass undetected through this first line of defense, exposing enterprises to significant risks and financial losses. Trying to solve the web security problem with multiple point products distributed throughout the network makes it virtually impossible to enforce consistent web security. Combining full web security functionality into a single device, however, has been impractical until now because it requires far more compute power than software-only products and commodity hardware can handle.

By consolidating all critical web security functions into an ASIC-based appliance with unprecedented computing power, NetContinuum makes centralized web security management a reality. Having a single web security control point allows companies to deploy new secure web projects with ease, secure existing web sites without touching backend applications, reduce exposure to costly web attacks, and simplify overall web security management.

“NetContinuum was established to tackle what will almost certainly be one of the defining issues of this decade – web security” said Gene Banman, CEO of NetContinuum. “Our goal is to raise the bar by delivering easy-to-deploy appliances that remove the complexity of managing enterprise web security. NetContinuum has the vision, technology and expertise that will finally make web security a practical reality for companies of all sizes.”

Comprehensive Web Security
By consolidating previously distributed web security services into a single, high-performance appliance, the NetContinuum NC-1000 offers a far easier way to secure web resources. This centralized approach changes the way enterprises manage web security by enabling:

– Instant SSL Encryption – The NC-1000 lets enterprises encrypt entire websites via SSL with ease. No changes to backend applications or servers are required. The web security gateway fully terminates incoming TCP sessions and automatically transforms unencrypted URLs into encrypted ones, handling up to 1 million simultaneous TCP sessions and a record-breaking 6,000 SSL transactions per second. This makes it an optimal solution for keeping web communications private from both internal as well as external threats.
– Full Website Cloaking – The NC-1000 delivers innovative “website cloaking” capabilities that make enterprise web resources invisible to hackers. Most successful web attackers begin by probing websites for weaknesses. Readily available tools on the Internet make it easy for potential intruders to scan any website, determining exactly how applications were built, what kind of servers they are running on, and which URLs contain vulnerabilities. With the NetContinuum gateway deployed in front of a company’s websites, this critical information is completely inaccessible, making it far less likely that hackers will attempt an attack in the first place.
– Prevent Web Attacks at all Layers – Intruders who do attempt to launch attacks against a NetContinuum-protected site are met with robust intrusion prevention capabilities. Unlike other intrusion prevention products, the NC-1000 blocks both network layer attacks such as Denial of Service and SYN floods, as well as application layer attacks like cookie poisoning and URL manipulation.
– Generate a Guaranteed Audit Trail of all Web Transactions – The NC-1000 generates a single, centralized web transaction log for all web and application servers. This log is then digitally signed, encrypted and time-stamped, creating a tamper-proof audit trail of legitimate business transactions and hacker activity alike.
– Create Application – layer VPNs to Precise Web Resources: Traditional VPNs simply create a secure path to the “front door” of the network with no way of limiting access to legitimate applications once inside. The NC-1000, by contrast, lets companies build precise application-layer VPNs that create a secure connection directly to authorized applications, websites and URLs. It supports both password and certificate authentication, works with all major digital certificate standards and includes its own fully integrated, easy-to-use certificate authority.
– Ensure Peak Uptime and Performance of Web Applications – The NC-1000 is designed to deploy easily into any enterprise network, complementing existing traffic management devices such as load balancers, caching devices and switches. Because it also includes fully integrated, enterprise-class load balancing and caching capabilities, customers deploying new web application sites can also save money by consolidating multiple data center devices with the NC-1000.

Powerful ASIC Technology
Executing comprehensive web application security services at full wire speed requires massive computing power. At the heart of the NC-1000 is the record-breaking Continuum Security Processor, a powerful ASIC that accelerates all critical web security functions on a single chip. Using more than 64 million transistors, the Continuum Security Processor integrates 48 multi-threaded parallel processors, massive memory buffers, distinct function blocks, and a 280 Gigabit-per-second non-blocking switching fabric, to enable on-chip TCP termination, SSL encryption and attack prevention. The chip is fully programmable to support upper layer protocols, application-specific features and new emerging security threats.

Pricing and Availability
The NetContinuum NC-1000 web security gateway is available today. Pricing begins at $28,000. For additional information on NetContinuum products, please contact NetContinuum sales at 408-240-1600 or visit www.netcontinuum.com.

About NetContinuum, Inc.
NetContinuum is the leading provider of enterprise-class security appliances designed to protect web services and applications. Privately held, NetContinuum is funded by blue-chip venture capital firms and investors, including Menlo Ventures, NIF Ventures/Daiwa Securities, Siemens Venture Capital, Adams Street Partners, MKS Investors and the Invus Group. For more information, please visit www.netcontinuum.com or call 408-240-1600.