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Report Indicates Internet Security Vulnerabilities Are on the Rise

Report Reveals 65 Percent Increase in Vulnerabilities Compared to Third Quarter 2001.

ATLANTA, Ga., PRNewswire-FirstCall -- Internet Security Systems, today released the Internet Risk Impact Summary Report (IRIS) for the third quarter of 2002, which reveals a 65 percent increase the vulnerabilities reported in computer systems and programs compared to the third quarter of 2001.

The report breaks down the number of security events by day and shows on average, 21 percent of security events occurred during the weekend, typically when network administration centers generally operate with a reduced staff. The report also reveals that new vulnerabilities have grown at a rate of 8.57 percent from the first quarter to the third quarter, while the growth of new hybrid threats has increased 29.46 percent.

Internet Security Systems' IRIS is the only quarterly report to provide cyber-attack trends based on the industry's largest number of monitored security devices, actual attacks detected and researched vulnerabilities.

"The specific mix of threats seen in this reporting period continues to evolve, although the risk has remained consistent, we are looking at a trend that focuses on the compound risk factors that have culminated from a lack of vigilance for hybrid threats," said Chris Rouland, director of Internet Security Systems' X-Force(TM) security research and knowledge services organization. "One area we are watching closely is the aggressive nature of recent worms, which are both persistent and increasingly sophisticated in their ability to evade traditional network perimeter and anti-virus defenses."

The complete third quarter IRIS Report is available for free download on Internet Security Systems' Web site at https://gtoc.iss.net.

Copyright 2002. Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.