NetScreen Enhances Solution for Mobile Network Operators
Represents First Security System to Support GTP Wireless Tunneling Protocol Release 1999
Guildford, U.K., Jan. 15, 2003 — NetScreen Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: NSCN) today announced enhancements to the NetScreen-500 GPRS security system, enabling mobile network operators to strengthen security of their networks and the services provided to end customers.
The popularity of GSM-based mobile services, including General Packet Radio Services (GPRS), continues to increase around the world. GPRS allows higher-speed data communications than could previously be achieved using basic GSM services, enabling operators to offer new consumer and business services such as Internet browsing, sending and receiving e-mail messages and accessing corporate data – all of which need to be secured.
NetScreen, which introduced its first system to secure GPRS networks in March 2002, has enhanced the NetScreen-500 GPRS to support the newest standards for securely transmitting information via GPRS, broaden the system’s security functionality and add support of additional networking protocols, easing deployment into complex environments.
The enhancements include support for the newest GPRS Tunneling Protocol, GTP Release 1999, which is used to facilitate data roaming for wireless carrier networks. The NetScreen-500 GPRS is the industry’s first security platform to support GTP Release 1997 and Release 1999, providing service providers a migration path to support GTP 1999 or enhance the security of their existing GPRS environments that already use GTP 1999.
For business users relying on GPRS services for connecting to corporate resources, NetScreen added new Access Point Name (APN) filtering features. APN filtering provides mechanisms to ensure that only authorized users can gain access to specific mobile networks as well as corporate resources that may be connected via those mobile networks.
The enhanced NetScreen-500 GPRS security system also includes support for dynamic routing protocols to ease network integration of the device and new high-availability capabilities to provide increased resiliency and uptime.
“Mobile networks are susceptible to many of the same security threats as traditional networks as well unique ones given the requirement to interconnect to other operator networks for roaming services,” said David Flynn, vice president of marketing at NetScreen. “With the NetScreen-500 GPRS, not only are we increasing deployment flexibility for mobile operators, we’re providing increased security functionality, allowing enterprise customers to more confidently leverage mobile network services for critical business applications.”
The NetScreen-500 GPRS security system with the enhanced NetScreen ScreenOS, version 4.0, is now available. For more information about the NetScreen-500 GPRS, visit: www.netscreen.com.
About NetScreen Technologies
NetScreen Technologies, Inc., is a leading developer of integrated network security solutions that offer the security, performance and total cost of ownership required by enterprises and carriers. NetScreen’s innovative solutions provide key security technologies, such as virtual private network, denial of service protection, firewall and intrusion prevention, in a line of easy-to-manage security appliances and systems. NetScreen is located at 350 Oakmead Parkway, Sunnyvale, CA, 94085, U.S.A and in Europe at Victoria House, Cross Lanes, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 1UJ, U.K. More information on NetScreen’s products in Europe can be found at http://www.netscreen.com or by calling +44 0 8700 75 00 00.