Netscape & Fortessa

[Anonymous]

Netscape to Offer Fortezza Cryptographic Capability for
Its Software Products

Underscores Company's Commitment to US Government Market


Mountain View, Calif., Oct. 10 -- Netscape Communications
Corporation announced today its intent to support the
Fortezza security card, a security technology based on US
government standard cryptography, as a low-cost upgrade
capability for its Netscape Navigator(TM) client software
and other Netscape products. The new capability will
enhance Netscape's offerings for the US government market
and enable the company to provide increased support for
security services for World Wide Web-based tools and
technology.

Developed by the National Security Agency, Fortezza PC
card technology provides strong authentication and
encryption services using US government standard
cryptography, implemented in an industry-standard PCMCIA
security token.  Fortezza PC cards are being used in the
Defense Message System (DMS), a new Department of Defense
electronic messaging system; Intelink, the new US
Government Intelligence Community search system based on
Web technology, and in a number of other government
systems.

"Fortezza is an important technology for major internal
US government networks and for organizations needing
Web-based technology with strong security," said Marc
Andreessen, vice president of technology at Netscape. 
"Support of Fortezza technology will strengthen our
position as a leading supplier of Web-based software
products to the federal government.  We can use the
experience gained with Fortezza and the Secure Sockets
Layer open protocol to implement support for additional
cryptographic devices important to both the federal
government and commercial markets."

Netscape expects to work with information security
specialist Litronic Industries and others regarding the
development, integration and support of the Fortezza
cryptographic interface.  Litronic provides technical
expertise for the implementation of Fortezza libraries
and drivers on a wide variety of platforms. 
California-based Litronic Industries designs,
manufactures and markets information security products
used to secure applications and data transmissions
through the use of encryption technology.

Support for Fortezza has been added to Netscape's Secure
Sockets Layer (SSL) open protocol.  SSL provides a
straightforward method for adding strong security to
existing applications and network infrastructures.  SSL
is application protocol independent and provides
encryption, which creates a secured channel to prevent
others from tapping into the network; authentication,
which uses certificates and digital signatures to verify
the identity of parties in information exchanges and
transactions; and message integrity, which ensures that
messages cannot be altered en route.  Netscape will
upgrade Netscape Navigator and other Netscape products to
support the use of Fortezza with SSL as an enhanced
alternative to software-based cryptographic mechanisms.

"The US government is rapidly moving to World Wide Web
and related open systems technology as an alternative to
proprietary networks and applications," said Paul A.
Strassmann, former director of defense information and
principal deputy assistant secretary of defense, and
currently distinguished visiting professor of information
warfare at the National Defense University.  "Many
federal agencies are adopting Fortezza technology as a
means to secure network transactions over unclassified
and classified networks.  We are pleased to see Netscape
provide support for Fortezza cryptographic cards in a
commercial product based on open systems standards."

Contact:  Kristina Lessing of Netscape, 415-528-2661, or
kristina at netscape.com