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Austin, TX – January 29, 2009 – Mirage Networks, developer of patented, full-cycle Network Access Control (NAC) technology, today announced that Mirage NAC detects and isolates what has been reported as the biggest worm in history, commonly known as Downadup. The worm, also called Conficker, adds infected endpoints to a botnet and is reported to have already infected an estimated 10 million PCs worldwide.

The intent of the worm is unknown, but some security experts say they expect to see a dangerous second-stage payload dropped soon, which could reveal the real purpose of the malware. Although Microsoft released a patch for the flaw in October, the worm continues to spread at a record pace and can still infect patched machines through USB drives or file shares. The worm also blocks systems from accessing antivirus sites to download updates.

“The worm’s behavior thus far leads us to believe that it is either a distraction to mask more nefarious malware, or it’s lying dormant until some trigger causes it to unleash its potential,” said Grant Hartline, chief technical officer for Mirage Networks. “The worm has circumvented firewalls, anti-virus software, and other traditional security measures. And while some NAC solutions can help ensure systems are patched prior to gaining network access, that clearly isn’t enough in this case.”

Mirage’s NAC solution not only ensures endpoints have required operating system patches installed, but detects the worm using patented threat detection techniques. Even patched systems that are infected through USB drives or any other means are detected and isolated, protecting all other systems on the network from further propagation.

“Regardless of the worm authors’ intent, this is definitely something you do not want on your network,” said Hartline. “When systems are up to date on anti-virus, have OS patches in place specifically to address the flaw, and are still being infected, it’s an eye-opener. This is a perfect example of why we remain focused on interior network security.”

The Mirage NAC solution enables maximum network performance by controlling network access, isolating non-compliant and threatening endpoints, and providing self-remediation capabilities. Mirage’s network-based solution is the easiest NAC solution to deploy, as it requires no agent software, deploys virtually inline, and works in any network environment.

Mirage solutions are made available through Authorized ChannelFirst Partners and can also be delivered as a managed service.

About Mirage Networks

Mirage Networks, Inc. is the leading provider of Network Access Control (NAC) solutions. Mirage’s patented technology gives organizations control of all network devices, increases network uptime, ensures policy compliance, and reduces operational costs. Mirage’s NAC appliances work in all network environments, deploy virtually inline, and require neither signatures nor agents to enforce policy and terminate zero-day threats. Mirage Networks is a consistent winner of industry awards and recognition. Learn more about Mirage Networks at www.miragenetworks.com, or visit the Mirage CTO blog at www.mirageblog.com.

Contacts
Mirage Networks
Kate Fetty, 512-874-7834
kfetty@miragenetworks.com