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Akonix Responds to Complex Botnets and Criminal IM Activity with Aggressive Policy Updates

Releases November IM Threat Report

San Diego, CA - December 07, 2007

San Diego, CA - November 28, 2007 - Akonix Systems, Inc., a provider of policy and risk management products for real-time communications, today announced its IM Security Center researchers tracked nine new malicious code attacks over instant messaging (IM) networks this month. Akonix security analysts also issued seven new policy updates to protect customers against new malware. The number of attacks in November is less than the 2007 monthly average, as low-impact viruses are being replaced by a smaller number of sophisticated ones, demonstrating a higher level of criminal intent and increasing the overall negative impact.

New IM worms identified include MSNPhoto, MSNWorm and Sdbot. Sdbot was the most common with three variants, followed by MSNPhoto and MSNWorm with one each. In addition, there were 12 new attacks on P2P networks, such as Kazaa and eDonkey this month.

November also marked the beginning of legal proceedings against computer security consultant John Schiefer, who spread illegal botnets mainly over AOL Instant Messenger1 in order to hijack PayPal accounts. The first prosecution of its kind in the US, this crime is punishable by $1.75 million in fines and nearly 60 years in prison. Another advanced IM botnet surfaced in November and proliferated over a popular IM network, further showcasing increasing criminal intent and malware's advanced sophistication.

Using the industry's only dynamic IM malware, spim and protocol update system, Akonix Security Update Services automatically push updates to customers to block spyware, worms and viruses. Akonix customers were secure on day zero from each new threat, with the in-depth protection and containment features of Akonix's 360° Security for Real-Time Communications(tm).

The Akonix IM Security Center is a collaborative effort between Akonix and industry-leading partners in IM infrastructure and security. It focuses on emerging security threats posed by IM and P2P applications in the corporate environment, and is the foundation of 360° Security. Detailed information about the November 2007 IM Threat Report and historical threat data going back to 2000 can be found
at www.imsecuritycenter.com.

For more information on how 360° Security from Akonix secures networks against the risks of unmanaged IM and P2P use, please visit www.akonix.com/360, call 619 615 9415 or email sales@akonix.com. Companies interested in putting Akonix products to work protecting their networks can receive a free
30-day evaluation of A6000 and A1000 IM security appliances at eval.akonix.com.

1 http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/cac/news/pr2007/143.html

Executive quote

"We shouldn't let the number of November attacks put us in a comfortable spot, as IM is now more vulnerable than ever to these sophisticated threats," said Don Montgomery, VP of marketing at Akonix. "A company only needs one complex trojan to sneak onto the network and do its damage, potentially causing loss of financial, HR and intellectual property. It's not about quantity but quality, and we are seeing the same philosophy translated in the IM security world. The recent prosecution incident is a perfect example of how an individual affects hundreds of thousands of IM users."

About the company

About Akonix
Akonix is the most deployed IM security and compliance product in the world, enabling companies of all sizes to install productive, enterprise-wide IM that is secure, compliant and managed.

Over 1.9 million people around the world rely on Akonix's products to protect their networks and meet compliance requirements. With more than 20 patent applications, Akonix's 360° Security provides the industry's only automatically-updated protection to block viruses and malware for both enterprise and public IM systems. Akonix is a Gold Certified Partner in the Microsoft Partner Program, an IBM Business Partner, an Intel Software Partner and an HP Business Partner. The company is licensed and certified by America Online(r), Microsoft and Yahoo! to inspect and archive IM traffic. Furthermore, Akonix has developed business alliances and integrated its technology with leading enterprise IM platforms, including Reuters, Microsoft, IBM, Jabber, Inc., and Bloomberg, and message archiving products from EMC, HP, Symantec, Iron Mountain, ZANTAZ, Intradyn, C2C, Fortiva, Quest Software, and others.

An IM industry first, the Akonix IM Security Center (www.imsecuritycenter.com) provides real-time information about worms, viruses and other vulnerabilities that target IM and P2P networks. The company issues monthly and quarterly IM threat watch reports to track key trends and vulnerabilities.

For further information on the company, please visit www.akonix.com.

Contact details

Amy White / Aida Causevic

LEWIS PR for Akonix

Tel: 619 677 2700

akonix@lewispr.com

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