Hong Kong, China - July 16, 2002 (PRN):Newel Systems Ltd. (www.naturalip.com) a leading Internet Security provider today announced the release of three new firewall products that are to be powered by Astaro Security Linux from the German security software company Astaro AG.

The announcement comes at a time of growing concern regarding Internet Security in the Asia Pacific region, particularly after a report by Riptech Inc., a U.S. based security service provider, which found that Hong Kong (together with Israel) held the onerous position of being the world's main hotbed for cyber attacks on a per-Internet-user basis.

Newel Systems will combine their expertise in network security and appliances with Astaro to create a turnkey security solution for the SME marketplace. Contrary to low cost embedded firewalls that are extremely limited both in functionality and in performance, NATuralWall's architecture consists of adequate integrated power to grow with the ever-increasing demands placed on Internet security. The combination of Newel's next generation appliance platform with Astaro Security Linux creates a scalable solution for covering low-end requirements as well as high-end corporate enterprise demands.

Astaro's concept with Astaro Security Linux is to offer a "Swiss Army Knife" including all the features and functionality required for total Internet security. ASL comes with a pre-hardened version of Linux and includes support for VPN's, Email Virus Protection, Content Filtering, Security Proxies, and High Availability. The management of ASL is through WebAdmin, Astaro's intuitive browser based administration tool and the fully integrated Up2Date Service assures that ASL always has the latest patches and fixes for any security risks.

Graham Daley, CEO of Newel Systems, said "Astaro has proven to be the ideal technology partner for Newel whilst Astaro Security Linux provides the best price/performance/-feature ratio that we could find on today's market".

"We are very pleased to work with Newel, who we perceive as a key emerging player in the security appliance arena in the Asia Pacific markets. Newel brings with them significant expertise and experience in networking and security in addition to their well conceived appliances", said Jan Hichert, Astaro's CEO.

About Newel (www.naturalip.com):

Newel Systems' mission is to supply Internet Security solutions that provide compelling advantages over other systems currently available. The NATuralWall Internet Security Appliances, powered by Astaro Security Linux, are high quality, easy to use and cost effective. Newel is also developing its own patent pending system that will allow peer-to-peer and streaming media applications to be used easily through firewalls. Located in Hong Kong and staffed by experts with several years of experience in both Linux and Internet Security, Newel provides a level of technical support that is second to none.

About Astaro (www.astaro.com):

Astaro specializes in affordable Internet security solutions for protection against hackers, viruses and other risks of connecting to the Internet. Using Open Source Software as a base, Astaro is supporting the platform that has established new technical and economic standards. Astaro is committed to providing easy-to-manage, cost effective solutions for their clients critical security issues. With offices in Europe and the United States, Astaro Security Linux is distributed by a worldwide network of partners who offer local support for the installation and maintenance of our world-class security solution. Today, Astaro Security Linux is one of the most popular Firewalls on the market and is deployed in more than 60 countries and by more than 5,000 companies worldwide.

For further information, contact:

Newel Systems Ltd
Graham Daley, CEO
Suite 127, Tech Centre
72 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon
Hong Kong
Tel. +852-2319-1511
Fax. +852-2319-1911
Email: gdaley@neweltech.com
http://www.naturalip.com

Astaro AG
Ernst Kelting, VP Sales & Marketing
Jahnstrasse 1
76133 Karlsruhe
Germany
Tel. +49-721-49 00 690
Fax. +49-721-49 00 69 55
Email: ekelting@astaro.com
http://www.astaro.com

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