Sophos, a world leader in protecting businesses against spam and viruses, today announced that it has been named as 2004 European Security Company of the Year by market consultants Frost and Sullivan. Presented each year to the company that has demonstrated excellence in the security market, the Frost & Sullivan Award for European Security Company of the Year is open to companies either founded or headquartered in Europe. The award takes into account business development, competitive strategy, and customer service leadership as well as outstanding management, consistent growth, and high quality products and services. "We believe that Sophos is the deserving recipient of the 'European Company of the Year' Award. The company has shone above other European security players," stated Jose Lopez, analyst at Frost & Sullivan.