Symantec’s New Vulnerability Assessment Finds Critical Issue

[Apoptosis]

Symantec’s New Vulnerability Assessment Finds Critical Vulnerabilities on More Than Half of Scanned Sites

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Nov. 7, 2011 – Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced free vulnerability assessments for Extended Validation Secure Sockets Layer (EV SSL), Premium and Secure Site Pro certificate customers. The new Symantec service enables quick identification and remediation of the most exploitable weaknesses on public-facing Web pages, Web-based applications, server software and network ports. With this new offering, Symantec goes beyond SSL to help instill confidence in websites, protect valuable brands, and safeguard customers’ sensitive information.

In less than three weeks since the October launch of Symantec’s new vulnerability assessments, the company has scanned nearly 2000 web sites for critical vulnerabilities that could allow malicious hackers to insert malware or to directly access confidential customer data. Of these sites, more than half had critical vulnerabilities which customers were able to quickly remediate. Symantec identified hundreds of exposures, largely due to outdated software, and has already helped over half of the impacted customers to completely eliminate all identified vulnerabilities.

Over the past year, Symantec has extended its offerings beyond traditional SSL to better protect customer websites. The latest example is the free vulnerability assessments service to help customers reduce the cost and complexity of vulnerability management with automated scans, actionable reports, and a cloud-based architecture that requires no software installation or maintenance. In combination with the daily malware scan launched last year, Symantec now provides customers with end-to-end website protection.

Customer feedback from the vulnerability assessment pilot conducted in August 2011 reinforces the value and ease of use of the service.1 “I cannot fix what I do not know is broken,” said a manufacturer participating in the pilot. “It is very difficult to ensure web hosting security without a clear report defining its vulnerabilities. Vulnerability assessments from Symantec are an easy and cost effective method to alert my company of any potential hazards as they relate to security intrusion.”

“Hackers and cybercriminals are constantly refining their attacks and targets; our customers are asking us for agile tools to stay ahead of them,” said Fran Rosch, Vice President Identity and Authentication Services, Symantec. “Steps such as offering free vulnerability assessments with EV SSL, Premium and Secure Site Pro certificates show our commitment to protecting customers and the online community as a whole.”

Inspiring and preserving customer confidence is central to Symantec’s business philosophy and drives its market leadership. The October 2011 Netcraft SSL Survey found that Symantec continues to be the market leader among all SSL Certificate Authorities worldwide, with more than 40 percent share of all installed SSL certificates. Symantec also remains the top issuer of EV SSL Certificates, signing more than 67 percent of these certificates worldwide.

Availability

Symantec vulnerability assessments are available now to all EV SSL, Premium and Secure Site Pro Certificate customers. For more information, please visit: http://www.verisign.com/ssl/ssl-informa ... ssment-faq.