Qualys Opens Operation in UK and Launches Unique Online Network Vulnerability Assessment Service

— December 6, 2000 — Qualys Incorporation, a leader in online network security services, is today announcing the launch of its UK operation. Qualys is also announcing the introduction of its flagship solution, QualysGuard, into the UK marketplace. QualysGuard is the first online, on-demand network vulnerability assessment service.

Qualys is opening its UK operation following the company’s success in Europe and the US and the huge growth in the online network security market in general. According to SecurityFocus.com, the vulnerabilities discovered across the main operating systems will more than double in the next year, increasing from 300 in 2000 to over 600 in 2001. Also according to the 2000 CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey, 70% of companies reported serious attacks and 42% (an increase of 120% on last year) acknowledge financial loss, totaling over $265 million. Online network vulnerability assessment services represent one of the largest IT opportunities.

Qualys has appointed Adil Pastakia to the position of Managing Director of Northern Europe and Middle East Operations. He will head up the UK operation and is responsible for providing key business development and setting up Qualys’ channel strategy. This includes the development of a variety of indirect channels including: security consultants; system integrators; and managed service providers (MSPs). Adil joins Qualys from GRIC Communications Inc. where he was a Regional Sales Director.

Qualys’ flagship solution, QualysGuard, is the first online service to provide businesses with continuous, automated network security audits to detect and assess Internet vulnerabilities. It follows the ASP business model and is provided on a subscription basis, allowing companies to undertake an unlimited number of audits at a fixed cost for the first time, and without the hassle of deploying or upgrading any hardware or software.

QualysGuard was originally developed by leading internet security technologist, Philippe Langlois, and takes an intruder’s perspective -looking from the outside in. QualysGuard is unique in that:

• All the technology is proprietary to Qualys, including the scanning technology. The scanners are intelligent and non-intrusive
• It is incredibly fast, taking only a few minutes per IP address
• It receives up to 50 vulnerability updates each week, which go live daily, through extensive research undertaken at QualysLab, combined with updates received through an agreement with SecurityFocus.com
• It boasts excellent network perimeter discovery - a business need only make a few clicks via a secure browser in order to map its entire network infrastructure in a matter of minutes
• It boasts an extensive knowledge-base for fixes to vulnerabilities discovered
• It is managed through a secure browser and vulnerability and diagnosis reports are securely accessible through any such browser

Adil Pastakia, Managing Director of Qualys Limited, commented: “It is very exciting to be able to introduce this strong and unique offering to the UK market at the time of such evident market need. In light of the recent spate of attacks, we are witnessing network vulnerability move as an agenda from the Telecoms Room to the Boardroom as companies vie to comply with the likes of the Turnbull Report. QualysGuard is an excellent offering to provide board directors and IT managers alike with peace of mind for increased security, at a reduced cost”.

Adil joins Qualys with over 15 years experience in developing the UK and European market presence for technology companies. He joins Qualys from GRIC Communications where he was responsible for the strategy to sell GRIC’s complete portfolio of products into Northern Europe, Middle East, Russia & CIS territories. Adil was responsible for the build out of a sales and operations team and for opening an Office in the UK and Jordan. Adil and his team increased sales by 4000% in 18 months. Prior to GRIC, Adil was a Senior Sales Manager with N.E.T. Europe Ltd.

About QualysGuard

QualysGuard is a subscription-based, automated service that assesses on an ongoing basis the security of Internet entry points to corporate networks. Subscribers use the service to gain an enterprise-wide view of network security exposures, recommended fixes, and access to the most up-to-date resources, customised for their particular needs.

About Qualys

With more than 2,000 subscribers ranging from small businesses to multinational corporations, Qualys has become the leader in on demand vulnerability management and policy compliance. The company allows security managers to strengthen the security of their networks effectively, conduct automated security audits and ensure compliance with internal policies and external regulations. Qualys’ on demand technology offers customers significant economic advantages, requiring no capital outlay or infrastructure to deploy and manage. Its distributed scanning capabilities and unprecedented scalability make it ideal for large, distributed organisations. Hundreds of large companies have deployed Qualys on a global scale, including AXA, DuPont, Hershey Foods, ICI Ltd, Novartis, Sodexho, Standard Chartered Bank and many others. Qualys is headquartered in Redwood City, California, with European offices in France, Germany and the U.K., and Asian representatives in Japan, Singapore, Australia, Korea and the Republic of China. For more information, please visit www.qualys.com.

Qualys, the Qualys logo and QualysGuard are proprietary trademarks of Qualys, Inc. All other products or names may be trademarks of their respective companies.

Media Contact:
Tami Casey
Qualys
media@qualys.com