News

Alliance to Facilitate Development of Superior VPN Solutions Based on SSH IPSEC/IKE Toolkits and Hifns High-Performance Security Processors

SSH Communications Security (HEX:SSH1V), a world-leading developer of Internet security technologies, and world-leading network security and flow classification specialist Hifn TM (Nasdaq: HIFN), today expanded their long-term strategic partnership to provide interoperability between the products from each company: SSHs IPSEC ExpressTM and IPSEC Appliance toolkits, and Hifns family of network security processors.

In addition to offering a broader range of integration between their industry-leading security products, the companies will cooperate on a new SSH support program offering easy transition options for Hifns IPSECure customers who wish to take advantage of the partnerships integrated OEM solutions. The partnership will enable OEM customers to bring high-performance network and broadband equipment to market more quickly and cost effectively than other solutions currently available today.

SSHs IPSec (Internet Protocol Security) toolkits enable faster time-to-market for vendors of network products and operating systems to add scalable, easily supportable, strong security across the Internet and other IP networks, without limiting their flexibility to enable new types of business opportunities, such as secure local and global communications for e-commerce and e- banking. SSH is the leading supplier of toolkits for implementation of VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) based on the IETFs (Internet Engineering Task Force) IPSec protocol the primary open standard for creation of secure and interoperable VPN products. Hifn delivers high-performance compression and encryption processors and software to most manufacturers of VPN products, including Cisco, Lucent, Nortel, and many others.

"SSH and Hifn initiated the alliance last year in order to meet the needs of our chip customers and secure as many facets of the Internet as possible better than any other vendor," said Chris Kenber, president and CEO of Hifn. "Hifn has created the worlds widest range of security processors, providing industry-leading performance from broadband end-user devices through high- throughput infrastructure equipment. Through the new strategic agreement to expand interoperability between the product lines from our two companies, we can offer OEM customers the most comprehensive network security solutions to-date, including support options for our IPSECure customers."

Enhanced Interoperability between SSH IPSEC Toolkits and Hifn Network Processor Chips SSH will now include software support options for a wider range of Hifns hardware solutions for accelerating critical network security functions. SSHs IPSec software technology, combined with Hifns packet processing chip products for multiple performance ranges, will provide customers with powerful network security for the widest range of product applications. For the DSL and cable modem industry, Hifn provides the 7951 security processor for the widely deployed PCI-Bus systems, as well as the related 7901 and 7902. For routers, IP service switches, VPN gateways, firewalls, and other networking equipment needing to operate at the highest performance rate in the industry (data rates range from full-duplex OC3 OC12), while recognizing and operating on data packets, Hifn provides the 7851 and other chips such as the 6500 Public Key Processor and its latest HIPP products (Hifns Intelligent Packet Processors).

"Demand for increased traffic and faster time-to-market are driving the rapid growth of IPSec-based network security solutions," said George Adams, CEO of SSH USA. "SSH and Hifn are expanding their relationship to provide the most comprehensive integrated security solutions that allow customers to build high- powered VPNs combined with leading-edge IPSec security and hardware-optimized performance, allowing sensitive information to be communicated over open networks not only securely but at high- speeds."

About Hifn

Hifn, of Los Gatos, Calif. makes integrated circuits and software for network infrastructure developers. Hifns integrated data flow technology enables intelligent secure networks with compression, encryption and application recognition. This is central to the growth of the Internet, helping to make electronic mail, Web browsing, Internet shopping and multimedia communications better, faster and more secure. Most of the major network equipment manufacturers use Hifns patented technology to improve packet processing. Hifn was founded in 1996 and is traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the HIFN symbol. For more information, contact: Hifn, 750 University Avenue, Los Gatos, CA 95032. Phone: 408-399-3500. Fax: 408-399-3501. Web: www.hifn.com.

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