Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 9, 2003

Enables IT Staff to More Efficiently and Effectively

Manage Network Security

Visionael Corporation today announced that San Francisco State University has selected Visionael Security Audit(TM), a comprehensive vulnerability management solution, to help protect its networks, which support nearly 30,000 students and more than 3,000 faculty and staff, including the student, campus and faculty and staff networks.

As an institution of higher education, San Francisco State University has numerous security challenges, such as managing the increased network traffic and increased vulnerabilities during the start of new semesters. Additionally, due to the distributed campus network and multitude of students using personal computers, vulnerability points are dynamic and difficult to pinpoint.

Since deploying Visionael Security Audit, San Francisco State University has been able to avoid massive hacker attacks and better manage and pinpoint high-risk vulnerabilities. Additionally, network uptime is on the rise and staff productivity has increased.

"Our goal was to find a security solution that provided actionable data and instant knowledge of security issues and fixes," said Jack Tse, chief operations officer and director of network operations at San Francisco State University. "We also needed a product that allowed for flexible permissions within different groups while maintaining a "low-touch" usage. Visionael Security Audit is making our lives easier by giving us this information in the format and timeframe that we need it."

Added Tse: "The benefits of using Visionael Security Audit were apparent immediately upon implementation. We are more efficient and our expertise in dealing with vulnerabilities has increased beyond my expectations."

"Security Audit continues to provide significant return on investment to our customers," said Marc Jones, president and chief executive officer of Visionael. "We are seeing better protected networks and satisfied customers which continues to prove that Security Audit is making a difference in the business of protecting today's networks."

Building upon its expertise in network management, Visionael designed a strategic approach to vulnerability management that includes complete lifecycle management, allowing organizations to use Visionael Security Audit as a business and technical tool to enhance its security strategy. Device discovery, vulnerability assessment, report generation, vulnerability validation and ticket resolution process all play a critical role in managing vulnerabilities. Visionael Security Audit is designed with this process in mind to enable organizations to protect assets as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Visionael Security Audit is a comprehensive solution that can mitigate attacks, speed time-to-resolution and simplify the entire, complex vulnerability management process while eliminating false positives and assuring that the applied fix is effective. Some of the unique features include the Intelligent Attack Module, Business Impact Prioritization, flexible management and reporting and integrated remediation tracking.

Security Audit software is currently available through Visionael's network of authorized resellers and VARs or by calling Visionael directly at 650-470-8920. Prices start at $25,000 USD. Potential customers interested in downloading and evaluating the Visionael Security Audit solution may visit www.visionael.com to experience the value of next-generation vulnerability management.

SFSU Boilerplate

Founded in 1899, San Francisco State University is one of the nation's most highly diverse, public, urban universities. Offering more than 200 undergraduate and graduate degrees in about 83 departments, faculty members are leaders in their fields and students receive real-world experience and training. With more than 200,000 alumni, graduates excel in such areas as business, education, science and the creative arts. San Francisco State University is part of the 23-campus California State University system, the largest, the most diverse and one of the most affordable university systems in the country. With 414,000 students and 44,000 faculty members and staff, the CSU is a leader in high-quality, accessible and student-focused higher education.

About Visionael

Headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., Visionael is the trusted source for network infrastructure management; enabling IT professionals to more effectively manage and secure their networks. Visionael solutions empower outsourcers, large enterprises and service providers to discover, document, design, provision, operate and secure mission-critical networks. Visionael has more than 50 large customers worldwide, including Sprint, Verizon, EDS, IBM Global Services, Kaiser Permanente, Fidelity Investments, The Pentagon, and The White House Agency. For more about Visionael, please visit www.visionael.com or call 650-470-8920.

Visionael(R), the Visionael logo and Security Audit are trademarks of Visionael Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.