Fortress Technologies Secures Wireless Systems For 574-Member Syracuse Police Department

Department Selects Airfortress To Secure Wireless Network Inside The Station And In More Than 110 Police Vehicles

TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 8, 2003 -- Fortress Technologies, the leader in security for wireless networks, today announced that the Syracuse Police Department in Syracuse, New York, has deployed Fortress Technologies' AirFortress to secure its wireless networks and mission-critical public safety applications.

Already fully implemented within the Syracuse Police Department headquarters, the department is now launching the second phase of its wireless security initiative, which will extend the wireless network to the streets of Syracuse. The police department will soon have more than 110 Panasonic Toughbook laptop-equipped police vehicles and the ability to securely transmit and receive information, reports, photos and critical crime-fighting data using secured municipal hot spots located throughout the city.

Given the sensitive nature of police work, Syracuse P.D. required a robust, scalable and secure system to ensure the privacy of its wireless network. Syracuse P.D. selected AirFortress, in part, due to its reputation in government agencies and its FIPS 140 validation, which indicated full compliance with government security standards. Today, 486 sworn officers and 88 civilian employees can securely access the records and information needed - - both at police headquarters and, soon, on the streets -- to help keep Syracuse citizens safe.

"We saw early on that wireless networks would help us operate more efficiently and effectively as a department, but we were also aware that those networks would need to be unquestionably and undeniably secure," said Patrick Phelps, IT specialist, Syracuse Police Department. "The more research we did, the more it became clear that Fortress Technologies' AirFortress product was the most trusted among government and military agencies. It came highly recommended and we've been very happy with the level of security, the service and the success of our wireless project."

Using AirFortress, on top of the Department's Cisco wireless infrastructure, Syracuse P.D. already has created an easier-to-use and more cost-effective wireless network inside its headquarters. There, officers and investigators can conduct interviews, file reports, research cases and transmit files from anywhere -- all while maintaining the highest levels of wireless network security, user privacy, access control, encryption and device and user authentication. Now, Syracuse citizens will benefit from the police department's ability to access the same level of information and data while on patrol. Additionally, in the future, all county residents may share in that benefit as wireless networks are being implemented by other neighbouring cities and agencies as part of their enhanced homeland security efforts.

"Security is a strategic investment required by any large organization. However, for departments and municipal agencies such as Syracuse P.D., security is a matter of public safety and the health and well being of their citizens," said Willard Thomas, vice president of sales and business development, Fortress Technologies. "The level of Syracuse P.D.'s due diligence and its ultimate decision to implement AirFortress to secure its headquarters and mobile wireless systems demonstrates its commitment to protecting critical data and devices and to ensuring the privacy of all residents in Syracuse."

Fortress Technologies' AirFortress suite provides a complete solution for today's wireless LANs, combining privacy, authentication and access control in a single offering. AirFortress, designed to eliminate the opportunity for hackers to intercept important network data, view internal network addresses or interrupt availability through denial-of-service attacks, can operate on any wireless network and be deployed with any Access Point regardless of manufacturer. This easy-to-use approach allows organizations to achieve complete wireless security without having to replace or reconfigure existing infrastructure.

Fortress Technologies has achieved market-leader status through deployments with the Defense Commissary Agency, U.S. Army, Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Air Force and numerous commercial/enterprise customers.

About the Syracuse Police Department

The Syracuse Police Department is a metropolitan police department, comprised of 486 sworn officers and 88 civilian employees. The department serves a population of 164,000 city residents in 26 square miles.

About Fortress Technologies

Fortress Technologies offers the most flexible and market-proven security products that address the inherent risks and vulnerabilities of 802.11 and other wireless networks. The company's flagship AirFortress product offers a trusted and easy-to-use security solution that ensures the business integrity demanded by global 1000 companies, government agencies and health care organizations. AirFortress was the first product to meet the U.S. government's rigorous standards for wireless network security, certified by the National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST) and the Department of Defense, among others. Privately-held Fortress Technologies is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, with partners and resellers worldwide.

For more information, visit http://www.fortresstech.com or call 813-288-7388.

SOURCE Fortress Technologies

Web Site: http://www.fortresstech.com