February 6, 2002 -- Covad Communications (OTCBB:COVD), a national broadband services provider utilizing DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) technology, introduced TeleDefend Firewall and TeleDefend VPN/Firewall, a fully managed firewall and VPN service designed specifically for small and medium sized businesses. Both products are supported by Covad's Security Operations Center (SOC) which monitors the customers' location 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The SOC may enable businesses to implement a simple, affordable managed security solution to help protect their vital information, reducing information technology (IT) staffing costs.

According to a 2001 study conducted by the Computer Security Institute and the Federal Bureau of Investigations, 85 percent of all companies surveyed experienced a network breach last year and 64 percent of these businesses reported financial losses as a direct result. With TeleDefend Firewall and TeleDefend VPN/Firewall, Covad has taken into consideration both the significant need for security along with the typical limited resources that a smaller business has to devote to security issues.

With no up-front costs for ordering or installation, a TeleDefend Self-install Kit arrives in as few as five business days from the date of ordering. It is pre-configured and ready for immediate self-installation. Similar to the award-winning DSL JumpStart Self-Install Kit, the TeleDefend Self-Install Kit provides the customer with a simple three-step installation process. Once the customer successfully installs the kit, Covad's specially trained IT professionals at the SOC configure the system and start monitoring the customers' Internet security.

The SOC specialists provide reports on all attempted attacks to the customers' network. This includes various types of potential attacks, including port scans, address sweeps, and IP spook attacks. The system is designed to reduce attacks such as denial of service, which can be deadly for a business, and attacks by hackers who may be trying to get into proprietary or confidential information. The SOC also provides support during installation and handles all future configuration tuning.

TeleDefend Firewall and TeleDefend VPN/Firewall utilize a custom NetScreen device, based on the NetScreen 5XP platform. Designed specifically to filter all traffic to and from a company's network, the NetScreen device provides a higher level of performance and security than software or router solutions. Additionally, the security system is routinely upgraded with new security updates as available, providing leading edge technology without any proactive monitoring by the customer. The NetScreen device has an unlimited user capability, meaning there is no limit to the number of seats or computers it can support within a local area network.

TeleDefend Firewall starts at $150 per month; TeleDefend VPN/Firewall starts at $175 per month.

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