Check Point pre-emptively protects against new pharming attack targeting BIND servers

Check Point SmartDefense subscribers immune to BIND DNS server threat

[UKPRwire, Wed Sep 19 2007] Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), the worldwide leader in securing the Internet, today announced that its SmartDefense Service uniquely protects against the latest pharming attack targeting BIND (Berkeley Internet Name Domain) servers, the most popular domain name server (DNS) used on the Internet.

This new attack can avoid certain security measures and direct traffic to fictitious Web sites to defraud users and businesses.

This DNS manipulation attack exploits a critical vulnerability found in Versions 8 and 9 of BIND DNS servers and allows a hacker to direct all Web site requests from users to illegitimate Web sites. As a result, personal information such as usernames, passwords and credit card numbers are at risk of falling into criminal hands.

Check Point provides customers with the best network and application-level security protection for dynamic Internet threats. The Application Intelligence found in Check Point SmartDefense Service protects against cache poisoning and defends customers against this current threat as well as similar future attacks.

"This is a particularly nefarious exploit because of BIND's popularity and because it is very difficult for a computer user or network administrator to detect," said Oded Gonda, vice president of network security products at Check Point. "SmartDefense subscribers were proactively protected against this attack thanks to the unique Application Intelligence DNS protection technology implemented in Check Point security solutions."

For more information on how to protect against this latest attack, visit www.checkpoint.com.

About Check Point SmartDefense Service
The Check Point SmartDefense Service reinforces Check Point's preemptive security by providing configuration advice, and real-time and ongoing updates, for security defenses and policies. The SmartDefense Service is available with VPN-1® Pro, VPN-1 Express, InterSpect, Connectra, and Integrity (via the SmartDefense Program Advisor Service).

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