London, UK, 8 August 2001 - GFI, leading email and network security software provider, has launched LANguard Network Scanner, a security scanner to audit network security. In its bid to promote network security, GFI is offering this version as freeware.

LANguard Network Scanner can be used to make a network security inventory. It detects unnecessary shares, open ports and registries that are not secured, and check whether the operating system (OS) is 'advertising' too much information. It also does OS detection, password strength testing and much more. It scans an entire network based on an IP range, and compiles all the information in a HTML report.

New approach to security scanning
There are various commercial security scanning tools on the market today; most use a database of known security holes, for which they scan the network. Yet, because of the number of security issues discovered daily, these database-based products are almost immediately out of date.

With LANguard Network Scanner, GFI avoids this pitfall because the product innovatively allows the user to scan the network from a hacker's perspective. This way, GFI's security scanner identifies all machines, their NETBIOS info, open ports, shares and more, giving exactly the same information that a hacker would have. With this information, LANguard Network Scanner users can proactively secure their networks by shutting down unnecessary ports, shares, and so on.

"Security breaches are on the rise. The Computer Security Institute survey issued last year, for example, reported that 90% of organizations experienced computer security breaches in the previous 12 months. GFI's goal is to help combat this," said Nick Galea, GFI CEO. "LANguard Network Scanner, which we are currently offering as freeware, will help companies implement basic security."

For more information about LANguard Network Scanner and to download your copy, visit http://www.gfi.com/languard/lanscan.htm.

About LANguard Network Security Products
GFI's LANguard suite of network security products includes:

• LANguard Content Filtering & Anti-Virus for ISA Server - provides content checking and anti-virus of HTTP and FTP downloads and browsing, checking inbound traffic for viruses, malicious scripts and objectionable material;
• LANguard Security Event Log Monitor - provides intrusion detection through centralized NT/2000 security event log monitoring.
• Three freeware products, LANguard Network Scanner, LANguard Port Scanner and LANguard File Integrity Checker.

For more info, please visit: http://www.gfi.com/languard/index.html.