Level 3 Communications Launches New Security Solutions Portfolio

-- Keeps Customers' Critical Information and Communications Secure with New Standard of Multi-layered Protection

-- Complemented by Level 3's Global Network, CDN Capability and DNS Servers, which Offer Unique Visibility over the World's Security Threat Landscape

BROOMFIELD, Colorado, Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE: LVLT) today announced the availability of a new global security solutions portfolio that enables customers to grow their businesses, while safeguarding their information and communications with multi-layered protection. The new portfolio of layered security services is combined with Level 3's advanced network services and professional service team to provide customers a complete integrated approach to security. This integrated approach is designed to ensure continuity of business operations, reduce administrative complexity, and protect brand integrity, intellectual property and revenue.   

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According to Frost & Sullivan, the global market for managed security solutions is projected to increase from $7.9 billion in 2012 to $15.6 billion in 2016, growing at a compound annual rate of 18.6 percent.    

"The increased complexity of managing today's internal and external threats, coupled with more stringent compliance requirements, has led enterprises to outsource security management," stated Martha Vazquez, network security analyst at Frost & Sullivan. "Level 3's vast experience operating a global IP network uniquely positions it as a provider of security solutions. By leveraging its proven service management and threat analysis capabilities, Level 3 is able to give customers the peace of mind they seek from their service provider, protecting vital network resources and ensuring the continuity of business operations."

"Earth to the Cloud" Protection
"Level 3 is introducing a new standard of security, with a multi-layered portfolio of protection for customers that we believe is unparalleled in the industry," said Anthony Christie, Level 3's chief marketing officer. "Our protection covers our customers from the earth to the cloud, integrating seamlessly across our broad range of advanced network services. It combines a number of layers of increasingly sophisticated protection from the ground up, beginning with the way our network was designed and constructed in the ground, with diverse routes and other structural protection. Additionally, our integrated CDN and network infrastructure, firewalls and capabilities are combined with redundant layers of advanced, proprietary protocols and algorithms that extend to the cloud."

"Level 3 is known for its culture of security innovation that is explicitly dedicated to ensuring the protection of its customers' information and systems, and the launch of this new portfolio underscores our commitment," said Dale Drew, Level 3's senior vice president and chief security officer. "We have introduced a number of new security standards and solutions, ranging from botnet scanning to digital identity of threats. Every day, we carry massive amounts of customer information securely across our global network platform."

Unique Visibility of Security Threat Landscape
The new security portfolio is complemented by Level 3's global Internet protocol (IP) network, domain naming system (DNS) caching servers and content delivery network (CDN), which give Level 3's security experts a unique worldwide situational awareness of network threats, thereby enabling the company to identify, analyze and respond to threats faster and with greater precision.

Level 3's security organization is also highly centralized on a global scale, integrating network and services security teams to enable a more holistic view of the threat environment that allows the correlation of threat events and improved overall response time. The combination of this new security portfolio with Level 3's international team of network professionals and advanced network services is designed to provide customers with an integrated solution for world-class network protection.

"We believe we have access to more security threat data than anyone in the industry, enabling us to identify and address threats before they attack a customer's network," Dale explained. "Managing cyber security in today's network environment requires broad visibility and the analysis of very large volumes of information. We are delighted to offer our customers a comprehensive portfolio of security solutions that is designed to minimize network risks, reduce administrative complexity and protect their data and brand."

Comprehensive Security Portfolio Capabilities
Level 3's new global security portfolio comprises a comprehensive suite of security solutions, capabilities and benefits that includes

• Level 3 Secure Access Services, Managed Security Services, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) mitigation and Security Consulting Services.
• Vulnerability scanning, DDoS blocking and cleansing, proactive alerts, incident reporting, site-to-site remote user access, content filtering, anti-virus, anti-spam, and firewall and intrusion prevention.
• Customer ability to receive network access and protection from a single provider, simplifying the operational complexity inherent to internal network security management.
• 24x7x365 access to dedicated, skilled security professionals coordinated from four redundant security operation centers (SOCs).

These capabilities, which are provided in coordination with Level 3's security partners, combine with Level 3's ability to offer network reliability, port diversity and diverse paths to most city pairs globally to enable broad protection.

For more information on Level 3's advanced network security portfolio, visit www.level3.com/cybersecurity.  

About Level 3 Communications
Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE: LVLT) provides local, national and global communications services to enterprise, government and carrier customers. Level 3's comprehensive portfolio of secure, managed solutions includes fiber and infrastructure solutions; IP-based voice and data communications; wide-area Ethernet services; video and content distribution; data center and cloud-based solutions. Level 3 serves customers in more than 450 markets in 45 countries over a global services platform anchored by owned fiber networks on three continents and connected by extensive undersea facilities. For more information, please visit www.level3.com

© Level 3 Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Level 3, Level 3 Communications, Level (3) and  the Level 3 Logo either registered service marks or service marks of Level 3 Communications, LLC and/or one of its Affiliates in the United States and/or other countries.  Any other service names, product names, company names or logos included herein are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Level 3 services are provided by subsidiaries of Level 3 Communications, Inc. 

Website Access to Company Information
Level 3 maintains a corporate website at www.level3.com, and you can find additional information about the company through the Investors pages on that website at http://lvlt.client.shareholder.com/.  Level 3 uses its website as a channel of distribution of important information about the company. Level 3 routinely posts financial and other important information regarding the company and its business, financial condition and operations on the Investor Relations web pages.

Visitors to the Investors Relations web pages can view and print copies of Level 3's SEC filings, including periodic and current reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, as soon as reasonably practicable after those filings are made with the SEC.

Copies of the charters for each of the Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Governance committees of Level 3's Board of Directors, its Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Ethics, press releases and analysts and investor conference presentations are all available through the Investor Relations web pages.

Please note that the information contained on any of Level 3's web sites is not incorporated by reference in, or considered to be a part of, any document unless expressly incorporated by reference in that document.

Forward-Looking Statement

Some statements made in this press release are forward-looking in nature and are based on management's current expectations or beliefs. These forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside Level 3's control, which could cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the statements. Important factors that could prevent Level 3 from achieving its stated goals include, but are not limited to, the company's ability to: successfully integrate the Global Crossing acquisition or otherwise realize the anticipated benefits thereof; manage risks associated with continued uncertainty in the global economy; obtain additional financing, particularly in the event of disruptions in the financial markets; manage continued or accelerated decreases in market pricing for communications services; maintain and increase traffic on its network; develop and maintain effective business support systems; manage system and network failures or disruptions; develop new services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; adapt to rapid technological changes that could adversely affect the company's competitiveness; defend intellectual property and proprietary rights; obtain capacity for its network from other providers and interconnect its network with other networks on favorable terms; attract and retain qualified management and other personnel; successfully integrate future acquisitions; effectively manage political, legal, regulatory, foreign currency and other risks it is exposed to due to its substantial international operations; mitigate its exposure to contingent liabilities; and meet all of the terms and conditions of its debt obligations. Additional information concerning these and other important factors can be found within Level 3's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this press release should be evaluated in light of these important factors. Level 3 is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any such obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.