TippingPoint Releases Open Source Code for First Intrusion Preven tion Test Tool, Tomahawk

["Compton, Rich" <RCompton () chartercom com>]

FYI guys...

TippingPoint Releases Open Source Code for First Intrusion Prevention
Test Tool, Tomahawk 
 

AUSTIN, Texas - November 1, 2004 - TippingPoint Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:
TPTI), the leader in intrusion prevention, today announced the availability
and open source release of Tomahawk,TM the first test tool designed
specifically to evaluate the unique capabilities of network-based intrusion
prevention systems (IPS).

 

"TippingPoint is contributing Tomahawk to the public to make IPS testing
easier and more affordable for end users," said TippingPoint's Chief
Technology Officer Marc Willebeek-LeMair. "By enabling users to evaluate
security, performance, and usability in real world environments, we believe
it will accelerate the adoption of intrusion prevention and confirm its
necessity in today's threat environment. We believe the benefit of open
sourcing the tool to facilitate IPS testing outweighs the potential benefits
of commercializing the tool."  

 

An IPS is as much a networking device as it is a security device. Customers
should be confident that the IPS they buy will not adversely impact their
network and will perform security functions accurately. Although intrusion
prevention systems are gaining mainstream acceptance and recognized as a
best practice technology, tools for evaluating these systems are still
primitive. Designed for testing other security products, current tools are
expensive, limited in functionality, and unable to simulate the heavy load
of real networks under attack. 

 

TippingPoint developed Tomahawk to test the first network-based IPS in 2002,
and has been perfecting the tool ever since. Tomahawk evaluates network
performance (throughput and latency) with security accuracy while simulating
real world environments. With Tomahawk, end users can test very high
throughput with realistic traffic mixes, and ensure that malicious traffic
is blocked while legitimate traffic reaches its destination. 

 

Through the open source community, Tomahawk can receive extended testing and
development, end users can set up their own IPS test beds free of charge,
and IPS will reach a broader audience for testing. TippingPoint's goal in
open sourcing Tomahawk is to cultivate education on IPS capabilities and
improve IPS testing through test tool transparency.  

 

Tomahawk is freely available, and can be downloaded at the following site:
http://tomahawk.sourceforge.net. To access more information including a free
white paper on IPS testing, click here:
http://www.tomahawktesttool.org/resources.html.

 

TippingPoint's UnityOne provides Application Protection, Performance
Protection and Infrastructure Protection at gigabit speeds through total
packet inspection. Application Protection capabilities provide fast,
accurate, reliable protection from internal and external cyber attacks.
Through its Infrastructure Protection capabilities, UnityOne protects VoIP
infrastructure, routers, switches, DNS and other critical infrastructure
from targeted attacks and traffic anomalies. UnityOne Performance Protection
capabilities enable customers to throttle non-mission critical applications
that hijack valuable bandwidth and IT resources, thereby aligning network
resources and business-critical application performance.   

 
About TippingPoint 
 

TippingPoint is the leading provider of network-based intrusion prevention
systems that deliver in-depth Application Protection, Infrastructure
Protection, and Performance Protection for corporate enterprises, government
agencies, service providers and academic institutions. Our innovative
approach offers customers unmatched network-based security with unrivaled
economics, ultra-high performance, scalability and reliability. TippingPoint
is based in Austin, Texas, and can be contacted through its Web site at
www.tippingpoint.com or by telephone at 1-88UNITYONE. 

 

TippingPoint Technologies, the TippingPoint logo, UnityOne, the UnityOne
logo and Digital Vaccine are registered trademarks of TippingPoint.

 

Forward-looking Statements

 

This press release contains various forward-looking statements and
information that are based on TippingPoint's belief, as well as assumptions
made by and information currently available to TippingPoint.  When used in
this press release, words such as "anticipate," "think," "project,"
"expect," "plan," "goal," "forecast," "intend," "could," "believe," "may,"
and similar expressions and statements regarding TippingPoint's plans and
objectives for future operations, are intended to identify forward-looking
statements.  Although TippingPoint believes that such expectations reflected
in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, TippingPoint cannot give
assurances that such expectations will prove to be correct.  These
forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and
assumptions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize,
or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary
materially from those anticipated, estimated or projected. The key factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following:
TippingPoint's limited operating history in the network security industry;
the level of demand for TippingPoint's products; reliance on distribution
channels through which TippingPoint products are sold; the volume and timing
of orders for TippingPoint's products; product and price competition; the
availability of component parts of TippingPoint's products; reliance on
third party manufacturers to produce TippingPoint products; long sales and
implementation cycles for TippingPoint products; TippingPoint's ability to
retain and attract key personnel; TippingPoint's ability to develop or
introduce new products or product enhancements; reliance on certain licensed
third party technology to produce TippingPoint products; TippingPoint's
ability to protect its intellectual property and to avoid costly litigation
relating to its intellectual property; TippingPoint's ability to predict its
manufacturing requirements accurately; risks relating to TippingPoint's
expansion internationally; downturns in the network security and related
markets; undetected product errors or defects; public perception of
TippingPoint's products in the event of a security breach of one of its
customer's networks; and litigation relating to the failure of one of
TippingPoint's products.  These and other risks and assumptions are
described in TippingPoint's reports that are available from the United
States Securities and Exchange Commission.  TippingPoint has no obligation
to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

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