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Symantec Protects Patient and Research Data for Kettering Medical Center Network


WEBWIRE



CUPERTINO, Calif. - Jan 25, 2006 Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC) today announced that the Kettering Medical Center Network (KMCN) is using Symantec Managed Security Services, intrusion prevention, policy compliance, and client security solutions to ensure its network and critical patient and research data are protected and secure.

Designed and deployed at KMCN through ongoing Symantec consulting and education services, the combination of security technologies and 24/7 threat intelligence helps reduce security management burdens for KMCN’s administrators while enabling compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a regulatory standard for safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of patient medical records.

A group of five hospitals and 51 medical facilities in the Dayton, Ohio area, KMCN is at the forefront of leveraging technology to improve patient services, using an extensive network of handhelds, laptops, and other systems to facilitate patient care. Because of the sensitivity and criticality of up-to-date patient information, all of the hospital’s connected devices must be continuously secure and available to facilitate caregivers’ treatment of patients. A Symantec AntiVirus Enterprise Edition customer since 1997, KMCN engaged Symantec consultants for a network security assessment as part of an overall enhancement of Kettering’s information security program. Key priorities for the program include enhanced patient data protection, HIPPA compliance, and proactive identification and mitigation of network threats and vulnerabilities.

“Nobody understands the value of prevention like a hospital,” says Bob Burritt, director of technology, Kettering Medical Center Network. “We put a premium on spotting and stopping small problems before they become big ones. For a hospital network such as KMCN, the number one prevention issue is security.”

Following the security assessment, KMCN deployed Symantec Network Security 7100 Series intrusion prevention appliances to protect its enterprise networks. “Third party tests showed that the 7100 blocked 100 percent of attack traffic, while passing 100 percent of legitimate traffic,” notes Burritt. “We wanted best-of-breed intrusion prevention and we know that we got it with Symantec.”

Adding further protection, the hospital’s intrusion prevention appliances are continuously monitored and managed by Symantec Managed Security Services (MSS) personnel, operating from the Symantec Network Operations Center (SOC) in Alexandria, VA. Symantec analysts aggregate and analyze log data from KMCN’s heterogeneous firewalls and intrusion prevention systems. SOC analysts provide KMCN with alerts on blocked attacks and recommendations for changes or updates to cope with the changing threat landscape on a 24/7 basis.

“Combining products and support with threat intelligence and proactive advisory services makes Symantec a key strategic partner for our team,” adds Burritt. “Symantec’s awareness and management of global security data gives us the information we need, while allowing us to focus our resources where they are needed most -- helping caregivers administer treatment and improve the patient experience.”

Symantec’s DeepSight Analyzer service helps KMCN’s security staff manage global threats by comparing hospital network incidents against the Symantec Event Database, the largest vulnerability database of its kind. Cumulative intelligence from thousands of global events gives KMCN an additional advantage in separating routine traffic from possible threats.

“Given the confidential information that any health organization possesses, we could be severely damaged or quickly put out of business by a security breach,” Burritt says. “In addition, if our network is down because of a security incident, or for any other reason, we calculate that our organization would lose a million dollars per day.”

Symantec AntiVirus Enterprise Edition, Symantec Client Security, and Symantec AntiVirus for Handhelds protect KMCN’s servers, desktops, laptops, and handheld data devices from malicious threats. Symantec Enterprise Security Manager gives KMCN a fast, cost-effective way to define, measure, and report on the compliance of its information systems with internal security policies and HIPAA regulations.

“Given the skill of today’s hackers and the intense nature of automated threats, I’d say that 100 percent payback for our Symantec security solution was recouped in a matter of weeks,” concludes Burritt. “Without it, our organization would likely be out of business.”

About Symantec
Symantec is the world leader in providing solutions to help individuals and enterprises assure the security, availability, and integrity of their information. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Symantec has operations in more than 40 countries. More information is available at www.symantec.com.

NOTE TO EDITORS: If you would like additional information on Symantec Corporation and its products, please visit the Symantec News Room at www.symantec.com/news. All prices noted are in US dollars and are valid only in the United States.

Symantec, the Symantec logo, DeepSight, VERITAS, and the VERITAS logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Symantec Corporation or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the individual companies and are respectfully acknowledged.



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