nCipher Enables Neoteris To Deliver First Application Security Appliance For Ssl-Based Secure Access That Meets U.S. And Canadian Government Standards

Cambridge UK — 08 April, 2003 — nCipher plc (LSE:NCH), a leading provider of cryptographic IT security solutions, today announced that Neoteris, the leading instant secure application access vendor, has embedded nCipher’s cryptographic hardware security technology to deliver the first purpose-built application security appliances that comply with the latest U.S. federal government security standards. Unveiled at FOSE 2003 this week in Washington, D.C., the Neoteris Accessâ„? Series FIPS product lines extend the benefits of SSL-based secure access to provide secure cryptographic key storage and dedicated transaction acceleration in an nCipher tamper-resistant module that has been certified to the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 security benchmark.

The Neoteris Access Series of Instant Virtual Extranet (IVE) appliances allow authorized users to gain secure remote access to network resources from any standard Web browser avoiding the need to use specific machines or to work from designated locations. With no need to install, configure, or maintain a client, users have greater mobility and organizations have the opportunity to reduce operational costs. The Neoteris Access appliances also eliminate the need to secure or harden servers, or make changes to existing LAN infrastructure. With the new Access Series that employ nCipher’s FIPS validated security modules, Neoteris extends the benefits of SSL-based secure access to the U.S. federal market. The company’s award-winning IVE products now meet the specific needs and procurement practices of federal agencies, as well as those adopted by healthcare and financial institutions that adhere to U.S. Government best practices.

nCipher’s cryptographic hardware security modules are the first to achieve FIPS 140-2 certification, the latest version of the U.S. Government’s stringent security standards administered by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST), and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) of the Government of Canada. They offer secure storage and management of the sensitive cryptographic SSL keys and provide dedicated transaction acceleration that delivers up to 1600 SSL transactions per second, in a tamper-resistant hardware environment.

“By integrating nCipher’s FIPS-validated technology, we have designed the industry’s first SSL-based access appliance meeting growing demand for ubiquitous secure access to network resources for those affiliated with the federal government and other industry sectors that rely on commercially sensitive information. Enabling employees, contractors and agencies to connect and share information in a secure session, without high cost or network complexity, is a truly compelling value proposition” says Jason Matlof, Neoteris vice president of Marketing and Business Development. “nCipher is the leading provider of certified cryptographic modules and has shown that it both understands the security needs of our end-user customers and is able to support the product integration process with an OEM partner such as Neoteris.”

“FIPS 140-2 is one of the most stringent standards in the IT security market and has become a best practice benchmark for government as well as commercial applications,” says David Canavan, vice president business development, nCipher. “nCipher has more FIPS 140-certified products than any other company in our market and is now the first to receive FIPS 140-2 validation for a hardware security module, giving our customers such as Neoteris the highest possible levels of data security.”

About nCipher
nCipher is redefining cryptographic security to protect points of risk across the enterprise-from network appliances to Web servers, to custom software applications and back-end databases. nCipher provides hardware and software solutions that enable organizations to implement best practice security by addressing the challenges of cryptographic key management and performance. Many of the world’s leading organizations – from Microsoft and Barclays Bank to PricewaterhouseCoopers and the U.S. Navy – rely on nCipher to deliver a sound e-security infrastructure. nCipher’s products are particularly well suited to organizations with high volumes of security-sensitive transactions, such as banking and financial institutions, government departments, e-retailers and online service providers. nCipher is listed on the London Stock Exchange as a TechMARK 100 company (LSE:NCH) with offices in Cambridge, UK; Boston, Seattle, Paris, Hamburg, Singapore and Tokyo. For more information on nCipher, visit www.ncipher.com.