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AUSTIN, Texas—April 17, 2007—A new worm variant being delivered via email attachment has been stopped by Mirage Networks®, Inc.’s zero-day technology, the company announced today. The “Storm” worm was programmed to arrive in email inboxes under the subject heading “trojan alert” or “worm alert” bearing an encrypted zip file attachment that installs malicious software on the victim’s system, pressing the system into a botnet and attempting to spread via email. The worm also uses a peer-to-peer network to reach out to new systems, making the infection particularly difficult to quash.

Mirage Networks technology uses a set of behavioral rules to monitor network traffic and pinpoint systems behaving in threatening ways. In this instance, the mass- mailing component of the worm’s profile alerts Mirage Endpoint Control to the worm, and the affected system is quarantined to protect the rest of the network.

“This new worm variant is a perfect example of the limitations of anti-virus software,” said Grant Hartline, chief technical officer of Mirage Networks. “Because a zip file carries the malicious payload, simply barring .exe files in email is insufficient. The worm also requires interaction from the victim after network admission, meaning pre-admission scans will not stop it. Our unique capabilities are able to detect and quarantine this worm with no need for signature updates.”

Mirage Networks’ behavioral rules detect when devices are spreading threats or violating company policies, even when patches are either unavailable or not yet installed. Mirage surgically isolates the device in question, avoiding cross infection while enabling remediation, before allowing the device renewed access to network resources. In so doing, it stops damage from threats introduced onto the network by mobile computing, remote connections, and zero-day malware—complementing perimeter security solutions and giving organizations a more complete, in-depth security defense infrastructure.

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