Company’s Secure Web Gateway and PenTest Manager Earn Trustwave Double Industry Recognition at SC Awards Europe

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2012 -- Trustwave, a leading provider of cloud-based compliance and information security solutions, has achieved double success at the European SC Magazine Awards, the IT security industry's leading awards programme. The awards for Best Anti-Malware Solution for Trustwave's Secure Web Gateway and the Innovation Award for Trustwave PenTest Manager were presented at an industry awards dinner at the London Hilton on April 24 during the InfoSecurity Europe 2012 exhibition.

Trustwave won the industry accolades against stiff competition, as this year's awards received a record number of entries. In addition to winning the Innovation and the Best Anti-Malware Solution awards, the company was also nominated in a number of other categories, including:

- Best Integrated Security Solution for Trustwave SIEM
- Best Network Security for Trustwave's Web application firewall
- Best Global Security Company.

"I congratulate Trustwave on their achievement in winning two SC Awards, which reflects on their commitment to technological innovation and serving the information security community," said SC Magazine Editor Paul Fisher.

The SC Magazine Award winners are selected by a panel of leading security officers from large, medium and small enterprises from all major vertical markets – representing the wide distribution of SC Magazine readers.

"Trustwave is dedicated to delivering innovative technologies that make businesses' complex security and compliance challenges easier," said Trustwave Chief Marketing Officer Leo Cole. "The award for Best Anti-Malware Solution further validates the benefits of Trustwave's acquisition of M86 Security, highlighting the cutting-edge anti-malware technology that Trustwave now has in its portfolio."

For more information about the SC Awards Europe visit:
2012 SC Magazine Awards Europe website: http://www.scawardseurope.com/.

About SC Magazine
SC Magazine provides IT security professionals with in-depth and unbiased information through timely news, comprehensive analysis, cutting-edge features, contributions from thought leaders and the best, most extensive collection of product reviews in the business. By offering a consolidated view of IT security through independent product tests and well-researched editorial content that provides the contextual backdrop for how these IT security tools will address larger demands put on businesses today, SC Magazine enables IT security pros to make the right security decisions for their companies. The brand's portfolio includes the SC World Conference and Expo, SC Congress Canada, SC Magazine Awards, SC Directory, SC Magazine Newswire and SC Magazine IT Security Executives Forums.

About Trustwave
Trustwave is a leading provider of compliance, Web, application, network and data security solutions delivered through the cloud, managed security services, software and appliances. For organisations faced with today's challenging data security and compliance environment, Trustwave provides a unique approach with comprehensive solutions that include its TrustKeeper® portal and other proprietary security solutions. Trustwave has helped hundreds of thousands of organisations – ranging from Fortune 500 businesses and large financial institutions to small and medium-sized retailers – manage compliance and secure their network infrastructures, data communications and critical information assets. Trustwave is headquartered in Chicago with offices worldwide. For more information, visit https://www.trustwave.com.

Media contact:
Citra Prasetyo
Asia-Pacific Connections for Trustwave
citra@apconnections.com
+65 6334 9045

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Worldcom Public Relations Group Releases First e-Book

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/24/2012 -- Worldcom Public Relations Group, the world's leading partnership of independently owned public relations counselling firms, announced the release of its first e-Book, highlighting agency principals' insights in PR 2012: Emerging Tactics and Trends From Around the Globe. In a world where information intermediaries are fading away and the news cycle has been replaced by an always-on, real-time torrent of information, the e-Book reinforces how the role of public relations and its practitioners are evolving.

More than 20 worldwide experts contributed to the content on key topics including Digitising Brand Reputation, Corporate Social Responsibility, Courage in Managing Metrics, Micropolitan Marketing and Tapping Consumer Markets in Other Countries.

"Public Relations looks a lot different in 2012 than it did in 2010," said Matt Kucharski, Chair of Worldcom Public Relations Group and Senior Vice President of Padilla Speer Beardsley. "Smart agencies and CMOs will prosper amidst the seeming chaos if they embrace change not as a threat, but as the greatest opportunity to expand the mix and importance of the traditional and digital marketing and public relations strategies available."

From Massachusetts to Manila, and from Louisiana to Lisbon, the Partner agencies of the Worldcom Public Relations Group created the e-Book as another example of global thought leadership pioneering front lines of the public relations revolution.

About Worldcom Public Relations Group
Established in 1988, Worldcom Public Relations Group is the world's leading Partnership of independently owned public relations counselling firms, with more offices in more cities and countries than any other communications partnership. There are 107 partner agencies worldwide, in 91 markets, in 46 countries, across six continents representing more than 2,100 employees. With revenues exceeding US$260 million, Partners collectively serve national, international and multinational clients seamlessly, whilst retaining the flexibility and client-service focus inherent in independent local agencies. Through Worldcom, clients have on-demand access to in-depth communications expertise from professionals who understand the language, culture and customs of the geographic arenas in which they do business.

Contact:
Cindy Payne
Asia-Pacific Connections Pte Ltd
cindy@apconnections.com
+65 6334 9045

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/30/2012 -- Trustwave, a leading provider of cloud-based compliance and information security solutions, today announced it has been named a "Leader" in the March 2012 "Forrester Wave™: Managed Security Services: North America, Q1 2012". Trustwave was one of the top vendors "that matter most" that Forrester invited to participate in this evaluation to assess the state of the managed security services provider (MSSP) market.

"Trustwave has one of the industry's most comprehensive security portfolios and one of the broadest suites of managed security services available on the market today," said Leo Cole, Chief Marketing Officer, Trustwave. "We believe that recognition as a Leader in the Forrester Wave for Managed Security Services validates the innovation and work we have done to reduce the complexity of protecting data and help organisations focus on what they do best: running their business – whilst we run their security."

"Unlike many managed security service providers who deliver just foundational security, we provide our customers with higher-value, unified-managed security solutions spanning compliance, application, network and data-security solutions – enhanced by Trustwave SpiderLabs' threat intelligence," added Cole. "We continually improve our managed security offering. We're excited about our acquisition of M86 Security, as we will add their Secure Web Gateway to our broad portfolio of managed security services in 2012."

Forrester analysts evaluated nine managed security services providers who have a substantial client base in North America against 60 criteria to help organisations select the right managed security services provider for their requirements. Some of the vendor evaluation criteria for being included in the report were: a complete suite of managed security services; a strong presence in North America; significant interest from Forrester customers; and substantial annual managed security services revenues, amongst other requirements.

To download a complimentary copy of the Forrester Wave™: Managed Security Services: North America, Q1 2012, visit: https://www.trustwave.com/managed-security-services-leader/.

About Trustwave
Trustwave is a leading provider of compliance, application, network and data security solutions delivered through the cloud, managed security services, software and appliances. For organisations faced with today's challenging data security and compliance environment, Trustwave provides a unique approach with comprehensive solutions that include its TrustKeeper® portal and other proprietary security solutions. Trustwave has helped hundreds of thousands of organisations – ranging from Fortune 500 businesses and large financial institutions to small and medium-sized retailers – manage compliance and secure their network infrastructures, data communications and critical information assets. Trustwave is headquartered in Chicago with offices worldwide. For more information, visit https://www.trustwave.com.

Media contact:
Citra Prasetyo
Asia-Pacific Connections for Trustwave
citra@apconnections.com
+65 6334 9045

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Company’s 600 per cent growth in APAC fuels search for a new head of APAC operations in Singapore

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/18/2012 -- Message Systems, the industry leader in messaging technology solutions, announced today that it has boosted its rate of growth and is accelerating into 2012 with expanded offices, dozens of new clients and surging revenue. In 2011, the company achieved 80 per cent revenue growth over 2010 figures, adding 25 new brands to its customer list, whilst also expanding relationships with 59 existing ones. Revenue growth in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region grew by more than 600 per cent with the addition of several new major APAC-based accounts – including China-based social network Kaixin001 (Happy Network) and Cheetahmail China, one of the world's largest email-services providers.

To keep pace with this growth, Message Systems expanded nearly every department within the company, including engineering, professional services, marketing, sales and support. Headcount grew by nearly 70 per cent over the past 12 months, with well over 100 full-time employees now working in seven Message Systems offices around the world. The company's burgeoning presence in APAC has warranted the hire of several new account managers and a high-profile search for a new head of APAC operations to be based in Message Systems' APAC headquarters office in Singapore.

"2011 was a watershed year for Message Systems in multiple respects," said David Harvey, Senior Vice President of International Sales and Business Development at Message Systems. "A year ago, we set out to achieve specific growth objectives through our focus on customer success and staying at the cutting edge of messaging technology. Our objectives in the APAC region were to continue expanding in key markets – especially Japan, China, India and Australia – and to build on the foundation we had already established in Singapore. We exceeded those goals on all fronts. 2012 will be a pivotal year for the company, and we are confident we are putting in place the people and resources we need to continue along our steep growth curve, especially in fast-growth APAC markets."

In addition, Message Systems continued to build out its line of advanced-messaging products throughout the year. In April, the company introduced new versions of Mobile Momentum, the mobile-enabled single platform solution for multi-channel messaging, and Message Scope, a powerful introspection tool for improved customer care and messaging security. Also debuting was an enhanced version of Adaptive Delivery, a technology feature within the Momentum messaging engine that automatically monitors and tunes message-delivery parameters in real time as they occur. By enabling email senders to proactively address and solve real deliverability challenges, Adaptive Delivery can significantly boost the ROI of messaging campaigns. Additionally, early in 2012 the Momentum 3.4.0 Release was announced, which includes beta support for the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP). For the first time ever, companies using Message Systems solutions can initiate and maintain message-based interactions across email, SMS/MMS text and IM chat using a single platform.

"International expansion is central to our overall business plan, so the success we realised in the APAC region in 2011 is particularly gratifying," said George Schlossnagle, Message Systems President and CEO. "Moving into 2012, we will continue to provide market-leading solutions for the world's most innovative brands, and maintain our growth momentum through ongoing investments in both people and technology."

Recent customer wins included many global brands in social media, online services and retail – including LivingSocial, LinkedIn, PayPal, Angie's List, Salary.com, Groupon, Kayak, Etsy and SurveyMonkey. Other customer wins included Fortune 500 brands such as J.P. Morgan Chase and US Airways.

2011 also saw Message Systems host its first-ever user conference, Interact 2011. More than 100 attendees gathered in San Diego, California in October for three days of educational workshops, information sessions and fun activities. Conference attendees included companies such as Facebook, Agora Publishing, Epsilon and Infusionsoft. Additionally, the conference featured a presentation by representatives from Symantec, a global partner that has been particularly helpful in Message Systems' expansion into the APAC region.

About Message Systems
The industry leader in messaging technology, Message Systems, offers a family of software solutions and services that addresses the digital-communications needs of today's most innovative companies. Telecommunications carriers, ISPs, marketing-services providers, cloud-computing firms and social- media companies rely on Message Systems' software to power the message-based communications driving their critical business initiatives. Message Systems' solutions get billions of unique messages to the right place at the right time every day through the full range of channels: email, SMS/MMS text messaging and IM chat. Founded in 1997, the company is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland. For more information, go to http://www.messagesystems.com.

Media contact:
Citra Prasetyo
Asia-Pacific Connections for Message Systems
citra@apconnections.com
+65 6334 9045

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Acquisition strengthens Trustwave’s cloud and managed security services, Products and advanced anti-malware technology prevent targetted, Web-based security threats, Trustwave enters multi-billion dollar Web security market

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/11/2012 -- Trustwave, a leading provider of cloud-based compliance and information security solutions, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire M86 Security, a global leader in Web security solutions and advanced anti-malware technology. The acquisition is expected to close within the next few weeks, and financial terms were not disclosed.

"By acquiring M86 Security, Trustwave is adding Web security to one of the industry's most comprehensive security product portfolios – including our compliance, application, network and data security solutions," said Robert J. McCullen, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Trustwave. "Customers and partners will benefit from our simplified approach to delivering advanced anti-malware technology through the cloud and our managed services."

According to IDC, the worldwide Web security market is forecast to grow from US$1.7 billion in 2010 to US$3.0 billion in 2015, representing a 12.1 per cent compound annual growth rate.[1]

With the acquisition, Trustwave aims to protect its customers from the more than 90 per cent of all malware that is delivered through the Web. Even "good" websites, including social networks and news sites, can serve up malware designed to compromise users' computers and steal data: a staggering 80-85 per cent of all infected websites are legitimate ones. Additionally, the majority of email threats now come from links to malicious websites, rather than through attachments. Combatting these threats requires the right products, anti-malware technology and threat intelligence – all areas that will be augmented by Trustwave's acquisition of M86 Security.

With the acquisition of M86 Securty, Trustwave is gaining:

- Web and email security products – With the acquisition, Trustwave gains M86 Secure Web Gateway, M86 WebMarshal and M86 Web Filtering and Reporting Suite products. Trustwave also enhances its position in email security with the addition of M86 MailMarshal. In 2011, Gartner, Inc. positioned M86 Security as Visionary in both the Magic Quadrant for Secure Web Gateways and the Magic Quadrant for Secure Email Gateways.

- Advanced malware detection technology – Trustwave also gains advanced anti-malware technologies, including a new cloud-based technology that M86 Security is developing to protect organisations from targetted attacks in emails. Trustwave plans to add these technologies to its existing products, including its cloud-based TrustKeeper portal.

- Broader threat intelligence and security research – M86 Security Labs will become part of Trustwave SpiderLabs, the advanced security team within Trustwave focused on penetration testing, incident response, application security and security research. The M86 Security Labs team is a global team of specialised security experts and researchers who provide proactive updates to M86 Security products, enabling customers to detect and defend against new and emerging exploits and malware threats.

- New Managed Secure Web Gateway based on Trustwave Managed Security Services – Trustwave will add the M86 Secure Web Gateway to the broad portfolio of Trustwave Managed Security Services. The company also plans to integrate M86 Security products into Trustwave's cloud-based TrustKeeper portal.

- Customers and channel partners – Trustwave gains M86 Security's more than 25,000 customers with 26 million users in more than 96 countries. M86 Security's strong channel and service provider partners also complement Trustwave's existing robust partner network, and Trustwave plans to adopt and expand M86 Security's award-winning partner programme, Partner Focus. The acquisition also bolsters Trustwave's international presence particularly in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific regions.

"Trustwave has a tremendously successful track record of not only finding, acquiring and integrating security companies, but also continuing to innovate their products and technologies," said John Vigouroux, Chief Executive Officer, M86 Security. "Customers and partners have a lot to look forward to as the combination of Trustwave and M86 Security gives them access to a broader, unified security portfolio powered by the industry's most advanced threat technology intelligence."

M86 Security is a privately held company headquartered in Irvine, Calif. with approximately 300 employees worldwide.

[1] IDC Worldwide Web Security 2011-2015 Forecast and 2010 Vendor Shares: From Surfing Police to Strategic Security Platform, by Phil Hocmuth (Doc # 229725)

About Trustwave
Trustwave is a leading provider of compliance, application, network and data security solutions delivered through the cloud, managed security services, software and appliances. For organisations faced with today's challenging data security and compliance environment, Trustwave provides a unique approach with comprehensive solutions that include its TrustKeeper® portal and other proprietary security solutions.

Trustwave has helped hundreds of thousands of organisations – ranging from Fortune 500 businesses and large financial institutions to small and medium-sized retailers – manage compliance and secure their network infrastructures, data communications and critical information assets. Trustwave is headquartered in Chicago with offices worldwide. For more information, visit https://www.trustwave.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Company moves malware prevention and threat intelligence capabilities into the cloud for strategic integration into all of its core Web and email solutions

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/01/2012 -- M86 Security, the global authority in malware prevention and content security, today announced its strategy to deploy its core malware and threat-research capabilities for Web and email into the cloud – beginning with the launch of the company's new cloud-based Targetted Attacks Service in the M86 MailMarshal Secure Email Gateway (SEG). The new blended-threats technology protects organisations from targetted attacks that use malicious embedded URL links in emails as the initial infection method. Harnessing the same award-winning malware-detection technology used in the M86 Secure Web Gateway (SWG), M86 Security's Targetted Attacks Service scans emails for embedded URL links to potentially malicious websites as they are accessed.

This new cloud technology will provide M86 MailMarshal Secure Email Gateway (SEG) customers with real-time protection against targetted attacks that occur through a combination of email and Web use. It will also represent an initial step in fulfilling the company's new strategy, which includes distributing its proprietary anti-malware and content-security technologies across core Web and email security solutions, as well as offering cloud-based offerings that will protect nearly every device.

"Targetted attacks are a growing, significant problem for organisations and for the industry overall," notes Michael Osterman, President, Osterman Research. "Though many solutions can block mass attacks, targetted attacks are difficult to detect and prevent because they are specifically designed to circumvent traditional reactive-security measures. M86 Security is the vendor with technology sophisticated enough to prevent this variety of attacks proactively and should be on the short list."

M86 Security's new cloud-based Targetted Attacks Service scans email links as they are accessed by the user, even if the message is continually forwarded to other recipients and regardless of the device used to access the email. M86 MailMarshal SEG version 7 substitutes URL links in an email message in order to redirect them through the Targetted Attacks Service when a user clicks on the link. With this approach, Web pages will be proactively scanned for malicious code as the user is trying to access them, differentiating it from other solutions that only scan physical email attachments at the gateway with signature-based AV scanners.

"M86's core strength in malware prevention and content security has us poised for a move to the cloud that is unprecedented," said John Vigouroux, Chief Executive Officer, M86 Security. "The latest M86 MailMarshal SEG release with the integrated Targetted Attacks Service marks the first step of our execution against our strategy by deploying these technologies to the cloud for use in all of our core security solutions. It's a compelling move that will provide our customers with the highest level of defence against today's complex targetted attacks."

Organisations recognise that malware is a significant and costly problem as users require open access to the Web, including social media.

However, cybercriminals also target victims by embedding malware links and attachments in emails, making content security a critical component for an email solution. M86 Security's content-security technology is capable of understanding a file structure, unpacking files and uncovering any deeply embedded malware. It also enables organisations to filter, monitor and track company assets to comply with regulations, prevent data loss and ensure customer and staff privacy. Combining the company's robust anti-malware technology with its content-security capabilities in M86 MailMarshal SEG makes the solution extremely effective against targetted attacks and other Web and email driven threats.

Version 7 of M86 MailMarshal SEG will be available through authorised channel partners and distributors in April 2012.

About M86 Security
M86 Security is the global authority in malware prevention and content security. The company's appliance, software, and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions for Web and email security protect more than 25,000 customers and 26 million users worldwide. M86 products use patented real-time code analysis and behaviour-based malware detection technologies, as well as threat intelligence from M86 Security Labs, to protect networks against new and advanced threats, secure confidential information, and ensure regulatory compliance. The company is based in Irvine, California with international headquarters in London and development centres in California, Israel, and New Zealand. For more information about M86 Security, please visit: http://www.m86security.com.

Follow M86 Security on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/M86Security
Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/M86Sec
M86 Security Labs Blog at: http://labs.m86security.com

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Review of Second Half of 2011 Details Rising Cyber Threats Including Sophisticated Targetted Attacks Using Stolen Digital Certificates, Fraudulent Social Media Scams and the Dominance of the Blackhole Exploit Kit

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/09/2012 -- M86 Security, the global expert in real-time Web and email threat protection, today released its latest bi-annual M86 Security Labs Report, which details a significant growth in cybercrime via sophisticated targetted attacks and social-media scams, as well as a rise in malicious email attachments, despite a four-year low in spam volumes last year.

Investigating the Web and email-threat trends in the second half of 2011 for its bi-annual report, M86 Security Labs analysed spam and malware activity, including the current use of exploit kits, fraudulent digital certificates and social-networking schemes, and tracked global Internet-security trends. The M86 Security Labs noted that whilst spam levels have declined, the proportion of malicious spam has increased from 1 per cent to 5 per cent in the last half of the year.

"We already know that cybercriminals have become adept at circumventing mainstream security solutions, and as we find more fraud perpetrated through social-networking sites and mobile devices, it is imperative for organisations to educate their users and complement their reactive protection with proactive, real-time technologies to enhance their security posture," said Bradley Anstis, Vice President of Technical Strategy, M86 Security. "Many of the trends we forecast in our 2011 predictions report, such as the increased use of stolen digital certificates in targetted attacks, have occurred. Our goal is to help organisations preempt these complex attacks before malware has a chance to infiltrate networks and cause very real damage."

Key findings by the M86 Security Labs for the second half of 2011:
- Critical national infrastructure is targetted
As targetted attacks become more sophisticated, cybercriminals are pursuing a wider range of organisations, including commercial, national critical infrastructure and military targets. Confirmed attacks in 2011 include RSA, Lockheed Martin and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Dutch company DigiNotar, for example, detected an intrusion that resulted in the fraudulent issuance of hundreds of digital certificates for a number of domains, including Google, Yahoo, Facebook, the CIA, the British MI6 and the Israeli Mossad.

- Stolen digital certificates are increasingly used in successful targetted attacks
Stealing or faking digital certificates has become an important component of a targetted attack. Digital certificates are used to confirm and assure a user that the downloaded application truly is from the trusted vendor. With the stolen certificates, cybercriminals can distribute malware and sign it with a legitimate company certification; thus, tricking users to confidently download the application.

- The Blackhole exploit kit dominates the exploit kits market
In late 2011, Blackhole established itself as the most successful exploit kit. Its authors increased its update frequency and added new ways to evade detection, such as checking the software version on the client machine before attempting to exploit it.

- The volume of malicious spam escalated in 2011
Though overall spam volume decreased as of December 2011, the proportion of malicious spam rose in the second half of the year from less than 1 per cent to 5 per cent – with a spike in malicious attachments occurring in August and September. As noted previously, there was a shift from malicious attachments to the use of embedded links to infected content later in the year.

- Social media is a haven for fraudulent posts and scams
It is now mainstream practice for spammers to use bogus social-media notifications to dupe users into clicking on infected links. Perhaps even more troubling is the success with which cybercriminals capitalise on user trust and familiarity to make Facebook, for example, a conduit for spam and malware propagation. Many of these campaigns are spread virally by enticing users to share posts for "rewards" or "gift cards" with their friends.

The complete version of the latest M86 Security Labs Report, can be downloaded directly at: http://m86.it/2HSecReport

About M86 Security Labs
M86 Security Labs is a group of security analysts specialising in Email and Web threats, from spam to malware. They continuously monitor and respond to Internet security threats. The Security Labs' primary purpose is to provide a value-added service to M86 customers as part of product maintenance and support. This service includes frequent updates to M86's unique, proprietary anti-spam technology, SpamCensor, as well as Web threat and vulnerability updates to the M86 Secure Web Gateway products. The updates allow M86 customers to proactively detect and block new and emerging exploits, threats and malware.

Data and analysis from M86 Security Labs is continuously updated and always accessible online at http://www.m86security.com/labs and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/m86labs

About M86 Security
M86 Security is the global expert in real-time threat protection and the industry's leading Secure Web Gateway provider. The company's appliance, software, and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions for Web and email security protect more than 25,000 customers and 26 million users worldwide. M86 products use patented, real-time code analysis and behaviour-based malware detection technologies, as well as threat intelligence from M86 Security Labs, to protect networks against new and advanced threats, secure confidential information, and ensure regulatory compliance. The company is based in Irvine, California with international headquarters in London and development centres in California, Israel, and New Zealand. For more information about M86 Security, please visit: www.m86security.com.

Follow M86 Security on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/M86Security
Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/M86Sec
M86 Security Labs Blog at: http://labs.m86security.com

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

WORLDCOM Public Relations Group to Launch Awards Programme to Spotlight Excellence Within the Travel/Tourism Industry -- Globally

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/01/2012 -- The world's leading Partnership of independently owned public relations counseling firms, WORLDCOM Public Relations Group, announced today that it is launching a Destination Awards programme. Developed by Worldcom's Travel and Tourism Practice Group, the professional awards will honour public relations and marketing programmes that demonstrate the highest standards within the international travel and tourism industry.

Winning organisations will be selected from the following six distinct categories: events with budgets of less than US$100,000; events with budgets of more than US$100,000; programmes of less than US$200,000; programmes of more than US$200,000; crisis management; and originality in public relations. Those that wish to vie for an award, can submit their entries on the Destination Awards website, where they will be voted upon by the larger community. Community members will have the opportunity to vote anonymously for finalists of their choice within each category. Judges from the Worldcom Travel and Tourism Practice Group, as well as selected professionals from the international travel and tourism industry, will choose the winners of the Destination Awards from the list of finalists, as determined by the community's votes.

"Worldcom's Destination Awards will put a spotlight on great international marketing and PR programmes within this industry," said Norman Stowe of the Pace Group, Vancouver, Canada and Chairperson of Worldcom's Travel and Tourism Practice Group. "As leaders in the field of public relations, Worldcom is witness to remarkable programmes all over the globe and we feel compelled to give innovative and creative organisations the accolades they deserve," adds Stowe.

The Destination Awards will accept entries starting today and voting can begin anytime thereafter. The deadline for submissions will be on 30 April 2012. Following the judging process, The Worldcom Travel and Tourism Practice Group will announce the six category prize winners on 15 May 2012.

About Worldcom Public Relations Group
Established in 1988, Worldcom Public Relations Group is the world's leading Partnership of independently owned public relations counselling firms, with 107 Partner agencies worldwide, in 91 markets, in 46 countries, across six continents. With more than 2,100 employees, and revenue of more than US$260 million, Partners collectively serve national, international and multinational clients seamlessly, whilst retaining the flexibility and client-service focus inherent in independent local agencies. Through Worldcom, clients have on-demand access to in-depth communications expertise from professionals who understand the language, culture and customs of the geographic arenas in which they do business.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/16/2012 -- Independent communications firms worldwide are starting off the year in better business shape than 2011, according to recent results announced today from a Worldcom Public Relations Group (Worldcom) survey. As the world's leading Partnership of independently owned public relations firms, Worldcom reported most Partner agencies polled forecast hiring new staff and have already experienced an increase in business and budgets as they begin the new year.

"Professional service firms worldwide are leading the pack when it comes to new hires and business growth for 2012," said Matt Kucharski, Chair of Worldcom and Senior Vice President of Padilla Speer Beardsley. "We are seeing the same trend reflected by our Worldcom Partners across all regions."

Worldcom surveyed CEOs from national and international Partner agencies servicing clients ranging from small to mid-sized businesses to Fortune 50 companies.

The survey indicates a high percentage of new business growth in the technology, consumer, healthcare, and professional and financial service sectors – with steady growth in travel and leisure, transportation, energy, and government markets also anticipated.

The Worldcom survey tapped more than 100 firms from three regions: Asia Pacific, Europe Middle East Africa and North and South America on 2011-2012 business trends. Survey responses include:

- More than 76 per cent of firms surveyed have recently hired new staff to support new business or intend to hire in Q1 of 2012.

- 67 per cent of firms have started off 2012 in better financial/business shape than 2011.

- More than 64 per cent of firms saw a notable surge in new business activity at the end of 2011.

"What our Worldcom Partners are reporting globally indicates markets are growing across a broad range of industries and businesses," said Dorothy Pirovano, Chair of Worldcom's Americas Region and CEO of Public Communications Inc., Chicago. "We are finding clients to be much more optimistic moving into 2012 than they were a year ago, and whilst there is still some caution, there seems to be far more confidence."

According to the survey, businesses across all sectors exhibited greater confidence in market opportunities and the value of public relations, retaining more agencies on an annual contract rather than a project-by-project basis. The survey was fielded in December 2011.

About Worldcom Public Relations Group
Established in 1988, Worldcom Public Relations Group is the world's leading Partnership of independently owned public relations counselling firms, with 107 Partner agencies worldwide, in 91 markets, in 46 countries, across six continents. With more than 2,100 employees, and revenue of more than US$260 million, Partners collectively serve national, international and multinational clients seamlessly, whilst retaining the flexibility and client-service focus inherent in independent local agencies. Through Worldcom, clients have on-demand access to in-depth communications expertise from professionals who understand the language, culture and customs of the geographic arenas in which they do business.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Partners from WORLDCOM PR Group’s Consumer Practice Group Point to Five Important Emerging Trends to Watch In 2012

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/11/2012 -- Social media has dramatically altered the way that agencies and their clients approach consumer engagement campaigns, and in most cases, changed the way in which businesses connect with their target audiences. WORLDCOM Public Relations Group (Worldcom), the world's leading Partnership of independently owned public relations counselling firms, recently asked its Consumer Practice Group Partners to share insights on the evolving role of social media as a consumer-engagement tool, as well as trends that will potentially change the way in which social media is incorporated into consumer-outreach campaigns in 2012.

"Consumer PR, like all forms of public relations and marketing, is fundamentally changing as a direct result of social media and other disruptive online-communications channels," said Will Ostedt, Chair of the Worldcom Consumer Practice Group and Vice President at The Pollack PR Marketing Group in Los Angeles. "Consumers are expecting to receive and acknowledge communication that is only relevant to them – anything else is ignored or disregarded. The future of consumer PR is to find ways to make messages relevant to consumers and to reach them using the right channels."

The discussion revealed five emerging trends that Partners from the European Middle East Africa (EMEA), Asia Pacific and America's regions all agree will dramatically affect their approach to consumer engagement campaigns on behalf of their clients.

Location, Location, Location: Worldcom's Consumer Practice Group is seeing a shift to more localised social-media programmes that are better able to target consumers and key into their unique values and cultural circumstances. These programmes are not only aimed at engaging consumers and encouraging them to share their "brand love" with others, but also encouraging them to share their dollars with their local retailer.

Filtering the Noise: Consumers are learning how to maximise social-media tools to fit their personal needs, first and foremost, by eliminating noise. A fundamental need to filter information, combined with emerging filtrations systems – such as Google+, in which the information one sees is increasingly determined by past behaviour and/or personal desire – means organisations will have to continually find new ways to permeate permission-based news streams in order to be seen and heard. More importantly, organisations will need to make themselves and their content relevant to a more defined audience.

Depth over Breadth: The onset of social media has sent most consumers scrambling to widen their social networks, in an effort to secure the most friends and followers – with complete disregard of boundaries, privacy and relevancy to their interests and belief systems. Beginning in 2011, a noticeable shift occurred where the depth of consumer networks became more important than their breadth. As consumers increasingly look to better meet their thirst for information that is relevant to their interests and lifestyle, the Worldcom Consumer Practice Group sees consumers limiting their engagement to the people and brands that best connect with their personal lifestyle in the confines of niche social networks, customised specifically for their interests.

Mobile is the New PC: The dramatic and disruptive rise of smart phones, tablets, eReaders and computerised mobile devices over the past two years has fundamentally changed how consumers interact. The result of this disruption is that the modern consumer is always connected, interacting in real time and vetting the relevance of bite-sized information on an ongoing basis. The Worldcom Consumer Practice Group identifies that due to this dramatically upward trend of mobile computing, brands and products will also need to be connected at all times and deliver real-time response and interaction with their consumers.

Twitter Surge: The launch of Apples' iOS 5 in 2011 was met with much fanfare as the new operating system's "bells and whistles" delighted current Apple mobile users and served as the impetus for others to make the switch to devices running iOS5. But, buried in all of the "Cloud" talk, is the fact that iOS5 provides consumers with direct Twitter integration. Having the social network woven into the fabric of mobile OS's should lead to a broadened acceptance of Twitter as a part of everyday functionality, and increase users' activity on the service.

"As social media continues to evolve in 2012, communication pros have the best opportunity and the most relevant skill set to guide organisations to build meaningful consumer engagement versus being purely content pushers," added Dawn Doty, Co-chair of the Worldcom Consumer Practice Group and Vice President/Partner with Denver-based Linhart Public Relations. "As the new year begins, we encourage all communication pros to continue to muscle into the discussions that matter within their organisations to maximise the channels that now allow this authentic consumer engagement."

About the Worldcom Consumer Practice Group
The Worldcom Public Relations Consumer Practice Group is a multinational Partnership of PR firms who cumulatively have the broadest experiences and expertise across the spectrum of consumer products and services. Partner agencies create a powerful professional entity, affording clients a local, national, and international industry perspective, resulting in a competitive advantage for clients.

About Worldcom Public Relations Group
Established in 1988, Worldcom Public Relations Group is the world's leading Partnership of independently owned public relations counselling firms, with 107 Partner agencies worldwide, in 91 markets, in 46 countries, across six continents. With more than 2,100 employees, and revenue of more than US$260 million, Partners collectively serve national, international and multinational clients seamlessly, whilst retaining the flexibility and client-service focus inherent in independent local agencies. Through Worldcom, clients have on-demand access to in-depth communications expertise from professionals who understand the language, culture and customs of the geographic arenas in which they do business.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/14/2011 -- Global consulting, design and construction services company, Golder Associates, announced today its merger with Singapore's GeoEng Consultants – creating the platform for the largest employee-owned geology, geotechnical investigation and geotechnical design practice in Asia.

GeoEng Consultants is a specialist civil and geotechnical consulting company with more than 25 years experience in the Asian region, providing technical support to many well-known geotechnical specialist contractors.

Led by Dr Indrayogan Yogarajah and Dr Ng Tiong Guan, GeoEng has been involved in a number of large-scale projects, including Singapore's Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway and Mass Rapid Transport railway.

Golder, which employs more than 7,000 people across 160 offices around the world, provides consulting, design and construction services in the specialist areas of earth, environment and energy.

Golder Associates President and CEO, Brian H. Conlin, said the move to join forces with GeoEng would provide substantial benefits to clients across the Asia-Pacific region.

"This partnership will boost Golder's capabilities in Asia by expanding itsgeotechnical engineering capabilities in the planning and design of sub-structures and underground construction works; particularly in basementexcavation, foundation, soil improvement, slope stabilisation, underpinning and tunnelling projects," Mr Conlin said.

"The combined strength of the two organisations will enable a greater depth of experience, expertise and resources – assisting our growth plans and those of our clients in the world's fastest-growing region."

The move generates a number of beneficial synergies for clients, with both firms being leading providers of specialised professional consulting services to the land development, infrastructure and transportation industries.

"Combining our geology, geotechnical investigation and geotechnical design practices will make Golder the largest practice of this type in Asia – allowing us to manage larger and more complex projects in tunnelling and other fields," Mr Conlin said.

"With offices located in Singapore's San Centre and Natural Cool Lifestyle Hub, we can offer clients a greater depth of local resources and the ability to utilise delivery of our services worldwide, wherever they happen to be operating," Mr Conlin continued.

Welcoming the merger, GeoEng's Dr Yogarajah said, "GeoEng is delighted to join forces with Golder – giving clients access to a global network of resources and expertise. We remain committed to working in the local market and providing the same high level of service for which we are known."

Golder's Mr Conlin said the move reaffirmed Golder's commitment to the Asia-Pacific region, where it anticipated continued growth in line with the region's rapid development.

"The Asian region is the world's most dynamic economic area, and we are determined to ensure our clients and staff benefit from the mutual opportunities generated by this partnership."

About Golder Associates
Golder Associates is respected across the globe for providing consulting, design and construction services in the specialist areas of earth and environment, and the related areas of energy. Employee-owned since its formation in 1960, Golder now employs more than 7,000 people who operate from more than 160 offices located throughout Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, North America and South America. For more information, refer to http://www.golder.com/

About GeoEng Consultants
Singapore-based GeoEng Consultants is a specialist civil and geotechnical consulting company with more than 25 years experience in the Asian region, providing technicalsupport to many well-known geotechnical specialist contractors. Led by Dr Indrayogan Yogarajah and Dr Ng Tiong Guan, GeoEng has been involved in a number of large-scale projects, including Singapore's Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway and Mass Rapid Transport railway.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

New Report from M86 Security Looks at the Top Web and Email Threats Organisations Will Be Facing in the New Year

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/17/2011 -- Organisations and Internet users can expect an escalation in targetted attacks, growing social-media threats and an increase in mobile malware, according to the M86 Security Labs Threat Predictions Report released today, which lists the top 10 cyber concerns for 2012.

Presented annually by M86 Security, the global expert in real-time Web and email-threat protection, the report is based on the culmination of comprehensive research conducted by M86 Security Labs over the past year. It studies threats and attacks from 2011 and predicts noteworthy cyber-security trends to help organisations prepare for the year ahead.

"In 2011, we saw targetted attacks grow considerably more complex and damaging, impacting high-profile organisations which thrust the issue into the public mainstream," says Bradley Anstis, Vice President of Technical Strategy, M86 Security. "One of the most troubling trends is the rapid progression of mobile malware. Due to the ubiquity of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, cybercriminals see them as highly profitable targets and are driven to develop new ways to compromise user data, and potentially breach privacy by tracking individuals' locations."

Out of the top 10 security predictions for 2012, three dominate the threat landscape:

Targetted Attacks Will Become More Complex and Public

Cybercriminals have elevated targetted attacks to a new level in 2011, refining their methods and going after well-known commercial and government organisations. Sony and RSA are just two examples of prominent companies that sustained significant, costly targetted attacks that compromised user data and impacted business continuity. M86 Security Labs expects more of the same next year, as cybercriminals exploit stolen digital certificates and use zero-day and multi-stage attacks to infiltrate organisations and access personal, corporate, and in some cases, classified government information.

Cybercriminals Will Continue to Capitalise on the Popularity of Social Networking

In its 2010 annual report, M86 Security Labs predicted an increase in malicious spam that mimics social-networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google +. This certainly rang true in 2011, as these campaigns ramped up their efforts to dupe unsuspecting users.

Another common social-networking scam, called "likejacking," tricks users into liking a malicious page that seems trustworthy, and is, in turn, shared with that user's friends. Shortened URLs and fake surveys are other methods increasingly used in social-engineering scams to encourage users to perform seemingly legitimate actions, but instead download malware or steal data.

Mobile Malware Will Emerge as a Real Threat

In 2011, malware developed for mobile platforms grew at an alarming rate. The Android platform became highly targetted as cybercriminals tried to intercept security controls deployed to protect users from banking Trojans. Plus, growing numbers of users now network their personal mobile devices with their office computers, driving cybercriminals to escalate efforts to use these devices as bots. In fact, as users sync employer files, emails and other data to their unmanaged personal devices, organisations will need to prepare for the ensuing security and compliance issues.

Other threat trends anticipated in 2012 include the proliferation of malware in social media as users connect to these sites via mobile devices, and the ability for criminals to track individual user locations using mobile GPS coordinates. This is of particular concern when it comes to child safety.

"Mobile malware solutions are in their infancies, so their capabilities to protect users and networks are very limited," explains Anstis. "To help defend from an influx of mobile malware, organisations will need to extend their security policies to mobile devices. It will be critical to ensure that all personal devices that access an organisation's wifi and networks are covered."

Further predictions outlined in the report include: an increase in cyber attacks that correlate with major sporting events such as the Olympics; attacks on cloud services; a rebound in spam for malware distribution; and the continued refinement and use of third-party exploit kits.

To view the full M86 Security report, including a full list of security predictions for 2012, click here.

About M86 Security Labs
M86 Security Labs is a group of security analysts specialising in email and Web threats, from spam to malware. They continuously monitor and respond to Internet security threats. The Security Labs' primary purpose is to provide a value-added service to M86 customers as part of product maintenance and support. This service includes frequent updates to M86's unique, proprietary anti-spam technology, SpamCensor, as well as Web threat and vulnerability updates to the M86 Secure Web Gateway products. The updates allow M86 customers to proactively detect and block new and emerging exploits, threats and malware. Data and analysis from M86 Security Labs are continuously updated and always accessible online at m86security.com/labs

About M86 Security
M86 Security is the global expert in real-time threat protection and the industry's leading Secure Web Gateway provider. The company's appliance, software, and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions for Web and email security protect more than 25,000 customers and 26 million users worldwide. M86 products use patented real-time code analysis and behaviour-based malware detection technologies, as well as threat intelligence from M86 Security Labs, to protect networks against new and advanced threats, secure confidential information, and ensure regulatory compliance. The company is based in Irvine, California with international headquarters in London and development centres in California, Israel, and New Zealand.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Adds New Firms to its Partnership of Independent Public Relations Counselling Firms

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/20/2011 -- WORLDCOM Public Relations Group (Worldcom), the world's leading partnership of independently owned public relations counselling firms, today announced its regional board slate for the remainder of 2011 and 2012. In addition, the global partnership announced the addition of two new partner firms to its roster of independent agencies. Established in 1988, Worldcom, a partnership comprised of 107 firms, in 91 markets, across six continents, operates through a Group Board and three regional boards – one each in the Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific (AP). Worldcom partner agencies occupy leadership positions in the world's major public relations professional organisations and business communities, globally.

"We are proud to have leaders of the top independent agencies around the world serving on the boards of each of our regions," said Matt Kucharski, Chair of Worldcom Public Relations Group. "Individually, they are amongst the best in the field, and collectively, they are a part of a global partnership that supports the communication and marketing needs of local, regional and international corporations, offering companies a global reach."

The Americas Region has elected the following new board members:

Regional Chair: Dorothy Pirovano, CEO of Public Communications, Inc.

Chair Elect: Todd Lynch, VP, Director Public Relations, St. John & Partners

Marketing Chair: Lauren Peters, President of PetersGroup Public Relations

Partner Retention Chair: Lisa Simon, President of Simon Public Relations

Practice Groups Chair: Tim Oliver, President of Morgan & Myers

Other board members elected for the 2011-2012 term by the Americas Region include: Angelica Consiglio (Planin, Sao Paulo, Brazil) Latin America/Partner Recruitment; Virginia Sheridan (M. Silver Associates, New York, NY) Immediate Past Chair; Elizabeth Sosnow (BlissPR, New York, NY) Online/Interactive; Sharon Linhart (Linhart PR, Denver, CO) Meetings; Francie Israeli (John Adams Associates Inc., Washington, DC) Peer Review; Sandy Hermanoff (Hermanoff Public Relations, Farmington Hills, MI) Professional Development; Aileen Katcher (Katcher Vaughn & Bailey Public Relations, Nashville, TN) Treasurer; and Stefan Pollack (The Pollack PR Marketing Group, Los Angeles, CA) Chair At Large.

The EMEA Region has elected the following new board member:

Chair Elect: Imma Folch, General Manager of LF Channel

Treasurer: Crispin Manners, Director, Word of Mouth Communications of Kaizo

The AP Region has elected the following new board members:

Regional Chair: Cindy Payne, Managing Director of Asia-Pacific Connections

Immediate Past Chair: Doug Wright, Chairman of WrightsPR

Membership Co-Chair: Tom Van Blarcom, Managing Director of TQPR Thailand

Treasurer: Gina Lee, Managing Director of Communications Plus

Secretary: Michelle Lam, Senior Account Executive of A-World Consulting

The newest worldwide partners include Realidades, based in Lima, Peru, which focuses on working together with the Peruvian government to promote social programmes and other government-driven projects and The Garrity Group, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which specialises in issue management, crisis communication, media relations, government relations and social media.

About Worldcom Public Relations Group
Established in 1988, The Worldcom Public Relations Group, is today the world's leading partnership of independently owned public relations counselling firms, with 107 partner agencies worldwide, in 91 markets, in 46 countries, across six continents. With more than 2,100 employees, and revenue of more than US$260 million, partners collectively serve national, international and multinational clients seamlessly, whilst retaining the flexibility and client-service focus inherent in independent local agencies. Through Worldcom, clients have on-demand access to in-depth communications expertise from professionals who understand the language, culture and customs of the geographic arenas in which they do business.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Interoperability Enables Joint Customers to Include Real-time Web Security Data and Logs to the RSA enVision Platform

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/11/2011 -- M86 Security, the global expert in real-time Web and email threat protection, today announced that it has joined the Secured by RSA® Certified Partner Programme to establish interoperability between its M86 Secure Web Gateway (SWG) solution and the RSA enVision® Platform from RSA, the Security Division of EMC (NYSE: EMC). By achieving this interoperability certification, M86 Security has joined a technical partnership with RSA that will help increase Web security and consolidate SIEM management for joint customers of the companies.

Interoperability between the M86 SWG and the RSA enVision® platform gives organisations a comprehensive view of their security, enabling them to include real-time Web security information and logs to their SIEM reports for additional threat protection, compliance and operational status.

"Companies are becoming more aware of their security and compliance management requirements due to the increasingly threatening combination of social media and malware infections," said Stu Vaeth, Director, Technology Alliances, RSA, the Security Division of EMC. "RSA's interoperability partnership with M86 Security provides an opportunity for RSA enVision customers to get in-depth visibility of the security and productivity incidents detected by the M86 SWG and help equip them with zero-day protection against Web-based cyberattacks."

The M86 SWG provides the most accurate malware detection available – enabling safe, productive access to Web 2.0. Its multi-layered anti-malware engine uses intelligent, real-time technologies to prevent known, unknown, new and targetted attacks, whilst centralised reporting and policy controls further minimise data loss and compliance risks. Now, it also includes the capability to format syslog information, which allows the M86 SWG security information to be sent to RSA for centralised SIEM management. The M86 SWG is the only secure Web Gateway solution in the market that can provide organisations with real-time protection against zero-day malware attacks and pass this on-the-fly log information to the RSA SIEM platform.

According to Werner Thalmeier, M86 Security Vice President of Product Management, "This interoperability partnership is important to M86 as it helps our customers to further maximise the value of their Web security investment. By working with RSA, we can enable organisations to consolidate all of their log data, including Web security information, in one centralised place for better visibility and a deeper understanding of security and compliance."

The M86 SWG is available through authorised M86 channel partners, and SIEM integration with the RSA enVision solution is a built-in feature of the M86 SWG at no additional cost.

For more information, please visit: http://www.m86security.com

About RSA envision®
RSA enVision technology is a security information and event management (SIEM) platform, engineered to enable security professionals to collect and analyse log and event data to identify high-priority security incidents as they occur. With RSA enVision technology, your security-operations team has a solution for addressing network-security and compliance-management challenges. Analytical software turns unstructured raw data into valuable business information, giving administrators actionable insights to help simplify compliance, optimise incident management, and secure virtual and physical networks.

About M86 Security
M86 Security is the global expert in real-time threat protection and the industry's leading Secure Web Gateway provider. The company's hardware, virtual appliance, software, and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions for Web and email security protect more than 25,000 customers and 26 million users worldwide. M86 products use patented real-time code analysis and behaviour-based malware detection technologies, as well as threat intelligence from M86 Security Labs, to protect networks against new and advanced threats, secure confidential information, and ensure regulatory compliance. The company is based in Irvine, California with international headquarters in London and development centres in California, Israel, and New Zealand.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

New M86 WebMarshal 6.9 Integrates with VuSafe – A Free Service to Provide Schools with Safe Learning Environment when Leveraging Educational YouTube Videos

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/05/2011 -- M86 Security, the global expert in real-time Web and email threat protection, today announced the release of M86 WebMarshal version 6.9 featuring the integration of its proven M86 VuSafe service. M86 VuSafe is an easy-to-use, secure, video library aimed at enabling educational establishments to find, tag, organise and share online videos from YouTube whilst preventing access to inappropriate videos and removing advertisements, viewer comments and external links. The combination of M86 WebMarshal with VuSafe allows teaching staff and students alike to make the most of useful online videos available on the Internet without compromising security or student safety.

M86 WebMarshal is a powerful software-based secure Web gateway solution that enables IT administrators to secure and manage Internet access, prevent data loss and comply with Acceptable Use Policies and regulatory requirements. It provides granular control over how users access Social Networking sites, including the ability to prevent users posting offensive or inappropriate content to sites like Facebook or Twitter. The latest M86 WebMarshal 6.9 release includes a brand new default policy to make managing access to Social Networking sites even simpler. Additionally, customers in the Education sector will also be able to share approved online videos with their students via M86 VuSafe.

"Student safety and regulatory compliance are of utmost concern for school authorities and at the same time, educators need the freedom to tap the wealth of valuable information found on the Internet," said Jason Pearce, M86 Security Director Sales Engineering, Asia Pacific. "With increasing budget constraints, the integration of Vusafe with M86 WebMarshal allows our customers to maximise their security investment. Our M86 VuSafe offering is free of charge to all educational organisations."

As an easy-to-use, secure video library, M86 VuSafe enables teachers to find, organise and share YouTube videos without exposing students to inappropriate videos, advertisements, viewer comments or outside links. It provides a fully secure online learning environment that helps teachers augment traditional educational materials with videos.

M86 Vusafe's intuitive design and built-in policies allow teachers to easily manage content libraries for their own classroom or to share/borrow from other educators. Robust administration and search features also mean repositories can be created, categorised and accessed in numerous ways i.e. by student age, grade level, subject, teacher, key words, etc. Additionally, unlike solutions that only allow content from a single source such as YouTube, M86 VuSafe supports virtually any streaming media content.

M86 WebMarshal 6.9 is available immediately from authorised M86 Security channel partners, Download a free 30-day evaluation software or for more information on M86 Vusafe, please visit the M86 VuSafe homepage at www.m86vusafe.com.

About M86 Security
M86 Security is the global expert in real-time threat protection and the industry's leading Secure Web Gateway provider. The company's hardware, virtual appliance, software, and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions for Web and email security protect more than 25,000 customers and 26 million users worldwide. M86 products use patented real-time code analysis and behaviour-based malware detection technologies, as well as threat intelligence from M86 Security Labs, to protect networks against new and advanced threats, secure confidential information, and ensure regulatory compliance. The company is based in Orange, California with international headquarters in London and development centres in California, Israel, and New Zealand. For more information about M86 Security, please visit:http://www.m86security.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Visit us at Stand C13, Hall 103 to find out more about our full range of solutions for the power and telecommunications industries

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/01/2011 -- Dow Electrical & Telecommunications, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow"), will participate in Wire Southeast Asia Exhibition in Bangkok, Thailand, 13-15 September 2011. The organisation will have experts on hand to talk about how the organisation helps keep the lights on and keep people connected – in Southeast Asia and around the world. A global leader in materials and technology for the power and telecommunications industries, Dow Electrical & Telecommunications will display information about its portfolio of proven products for reliable, long-life MV, HV/EHV power cables, as well as new innovations in next-generation insulation compounds and bio-based solutions for building wire and personal electronics.

A technical seminar for the invited Dow business partners and customers will be held at the show on Monday, 13 September at 1530 hours, Room MR218/219 in the BITEC (Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre). The seminar will include the following presentations:

• Value of DOW ENDURANCE™ Water Tree Retardant Insulation: Longevity, Reliability, Low Life-cycle Cost

• Life-cycle Analysis for Bio-based PVC Plasticiser

• Performance Requirements, Material and Technology for HV/EHV Cable

Visit Dow Electrical & Telecommunications at Wire Bangkok and Experience the Power of Dow Inside.

About Dow Electrical & Telecommunications
Dow Electrical & Telecommunications, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow"), is a leading global provider of products, technology, solutions and expertise that sets standards for reliability, longevity, efficiency, ease of installation and protection that the power and telecommunications industries can count on in the transmission, distribution and consumption of power, voice and data. Understanding that collaboration is essential to success, Dow Electrical & Telecommunications works together with cable makers, other industry suppliers, utilities, municipalities, testing institutes and other organisations around the world to develop solutions and create mutual value that will sustain these industries for years to come. For more information, visit www.dow.com/electrical.

About Dow
Dow combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems, such as the need for clean water, renewable-energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high-growth sectors, such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2010, Dow had annual sales of US$53.7 billion and employed approximately 50,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 35 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Evaluation based on Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/22/2011 -- M86 Security, the global expert in real-time Web and email threat protection, today announced it has been positioned by Gartner, Inc. in the Visionaries quadrant of the research firm's annually published report on Secure Email Gateways. Vendors in the Magic Quadrant are evaluated based on their ability to execute and completeness of vision.

According to Gartner, "Global spam volumes declined significantly in late 2010 and early 2011, primarily from the Rustock botnet takedown. Although this doesn't signal the end of botnets or high-volume spam, we expect to see a shift in more advanced spam campaigns to a more targetted approach. Reduction in bulk spam volumes has increased the necessary emphasis of solutions on more targetted spam and phishing attacks. We anticipate the decline in pure volume will be followed by increases in more limited-volume targetted attacks".

"We are pleased to be positioned as a Visionary in Gartner's Secure Email Gateways report," said William Kilmer, Chief Marketing Officer, M86 Security. "Our email security solutions play a critical role in protecting organisations from email-based threats, such as some of the recent targetted attacks including spear-phishing, blended threats, Trojans, botnets, and other malicious code. One of our key differentiators has been in offering customers advanced-threat protection that uses behavioural analysis to identify and block malware that has been specifically designed to avoid detection and penetrate the email gateway – an important feature, given the recent rise in this type of targetted attack."

M86 MailMarshal Secure Email Gateway (SEG) is an email management and security gateway. It enables organisations with large or complex email environments to simplify and reduce the ongoing effort and costs of securing and managing an SMTP email gateway. Its breadth of functionality and flexibility means that it can be used either as a complete standalone SMTP gateway or to meet niche requirements within an existing infrastructure. For high-profile and high-risk organisations, such as those in the financial, health or public sectors, M86 MailMarshal SEG ensures email availability, compliance and security, whilst enforcing corporate policies, increasing productivity, protecting against data leakage and managing content.

M86 MailMarshal SEG provides centralised management and reporting across an organisation's entire SMTP gateway, even those with multiple sites spread around the world. It also has a strong security focus, using numerous techniques to identify and block malware – including support for multiple anti-virus engines and patented protection against targetted attacks and blended threats, in addition to having award-winning anti-spam technology. M86 MailMarshal SEG can be deployed as a standalone solution, or as a centrally managed distributed array designed to support even the largest networks.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Detailed Review of First Half of 2011 Threat Trends Underscores Rise in Sophisticated Malware Spread through Combined Embedded Files, HTML Attachments, Blended Threats URLs and Social-networking Scams

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/20/2011 -- M86 Security, the global expert in real-time Web and email-threat protection, today released its latest bi-annual M86 Security Labs Report – which details an increase in targetted and combined email-based threats, a new twist in phishing attacks, and an escalation in social-engineering scams through popular social-networking sites.

In analysing cyber-threat trends for the first half of 2011, M86 Security Labs noted that whilst spam levels are on the decline, cybercriminals continue to enhance their attack techniques, developing new ways – such as combined, embedded files or HTML attachments that go undetected by phishing protection – to entice potential victims and increase their success rates.

"Whether the attacks occur via email or the Web, one thing remains a constant: an increased emphasis on targetted, evasive malware that outpaces most security detection methods," said Bradley Anstis, Vice President of Technical Strategy, M86 Security. "M86 Security Labs researches and documents these attacks to create a greater awareness of the very real cyber threats organisations face. By understanding the latest attack methods, enterprises and their security administrators can better prevent malware from infiltrating networks and systems."

Key findings by the M86 Security Labs for the first half of 2011:

• Targeted Email-based Attacks Still a Problem
Though Web-based attacks are more prominent today, attacks against RSA, the security division of EMC, and Oak Ridge National Labs show that email-based targetted attacks, delivered via malicious attachments and blended threats, are still significant. Whilst incidents of malicious attachments in email decreased in the second half of 2010, they increased from less than one per cent to nearly three per cent in the first half of 2011.

Conversely, spam volumes have dropped in 2011. According to the M86 Security Labs Spam Volume Index, which tracks changes in the volume of spam received by representative domains, spam levels have decreased by one third of what they were from previous levels reported in the M86 Security Labs 2H2010 report.

• Increasingly Sophisticated Phishing Attacks
Cybercriminals have found new ways to avoid detection to improve the success rates of phishing attacks. One of these methods, noted in the M86 Security Labs report, involves attaching HTML versions of banking websites to emails, rather than linking potential victims to bogus banking sites. Because users access these HTML files locally from their systems, the threats will not be flagged by browsers with built-in phishing protection.

• Combined Attacks on the Rise
In the first half of 2011, M86 Security Labs saw an increase in targetted attacks that used Microsoft Excel files with embedded Flash (.swf) files to exploit vulnerabilities. This method, used in the targetted attack against RSA, is hard to detect by anti-virus and other security solutions because both components must be separated for analysis.

• Social-networking Scams Reach New Levels
As noted in previous M86 Security Labs reports, sites such as Facebook and Twitter have become regular targets for scams. Now, in addition to coercing users to divulge personal information via surveys that earn scammers' commissions, scams expose users to malware. For example, thousands of Facebook users have fallen victim to a malware campaign disguised as a link to a sex tape of former IMF chairman, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, following the allegations that he sexually assaulted a hotel maid in New York. The malware campaign remained active for more than 72 hours.

To download the latest M86 Security Labs Report, please visit: http://www.m86security.com/labs/.

About M86 Security Labs
M86 Security Labs is a group of security analysts specialising in email and Web threats, from spam to malware. They continuously monitor and respond to Internet security threats.

The Security Labs' primary purpose is to provide a value-added service to M86 Security customers as part of product maintenance and support. This service includes frequent updates to M86's unique, proprietary anti-spam technology, SpamCensor, as well as Web threat and vulnerability updates to the M86 Secure Web Gateway products. The updates allow M86 customers to proactively detect and block new and emerging exploits, threats and malware. Data and analysis from M86 Security Labs is continuously updated and always accessible online at http://www.m86security.com/labs/ and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/m86labs.

About M86 Security
M86 Security is the global expert in real-time threat protection and the industry's leading Secure Web Gateway provider. The company's hardware, virtual appliance, software, and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions for Web and email security protect more than 25,000 customers and 26 million users worldwide. M86 products use patented real-time code analysis and behaviour-based malware detection technologies, as well as threat intelligence from M86 Security Labs, to protect networks against new and advanced threats, secure confidential information, and ensure regulatory compliance. The company is based in Orange, California with international headquarters in London and development centres in California, Israel, and New Zealand. For more information about M86 Security, please visit: http://www.m86security.com.

Follow M86 Security on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/M86Security
Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/M86Sec
M86 Security Labs Blog at: http://labs.m86security.com

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

M86 Secure Web Gateway Provides Real-Time Protection from Today's Most Complex Cybercrime Malware

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/28/2011 -- M86 Security, the global expert in real-time Web and email threat protection, today announced that Dell OEM Solutions will provide their PowerEdge™ servers as a platform for M86 Security's award-winning Secure Web Gateway (SWG) solution.

"With cybercrime costing companies worldwide between US$100 billion to US$1 trillion per year, Dell OEM is pleased to work with an industry leader like M86 as they provide robust and proven Web security technology solutions to make corporate networks more secure," said Ron Pugh, Americas Sales Director, Dell OEM Solutions.

The M86 Secure Web Gateway (SWG) maximises Web security without compromising productivity or reporting. The M86 SWG provides the most accurate malware detection available to protect against known or unknown malware – providing maximum security with minimal false positives and productivity interruptions. The M86 SWG also provides in-depth reporting, social-media controls and DLP to simplify compliance. It integrates into existing environments, at the lowest TCO, through the widest range of deployment options.

"The M86 relationship with Dell OEM was driven by our wish to provide customers with the only certified secure Web gateway solution that can protect enterprises from Zero-Day threats in real time," said Paul Myer, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development, M86 Security." The recent increase of Web-based attacks shows that enterprises of all sizes are vulnerable to cybercrime and M86 is focused on helping organisations protect against them."

Customers can order the M86 SWG immediately with first shipments scheduled for late Q3, 2011.

About M86 Security
M86 Security is the global expert in real-time threat protection and the industry's leading Secure Web Gateway provider. The company's appliance, software, and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions for Web and email security protect more than 25,000 customers and 26 million users worldwide. M86 products use patented real-time code analysis and behaviour-based malware detection technologies as well as threat intelligence from M86 Security Labs to protect networks against new and advanced threats, secure confidential information, and ensure regulatory compliance. The company is based in Orange, California with international headquarters in London and development centers in California, Israel, and New Zealand. For more information about M86 Security, please visit: http://www.m86security.com.

Follow M86 Security on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/M86Security
Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/M86Sec
M86 Security Labs Blog at: http://labs.m86security.com

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm