SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K


                                 CURRENT REPORT



                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



                Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):


                                 March 25, 1997


                            AXENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)




Delaware                      000-28100                     87-0393420
(State of Incorporation) (Commission File Number)           (IRS Employer
                                                            Identification No.)




         2400 Research Boulevard, Suite 200
         Rockville, Maryland                                         20850
        (Address of principal executive offices)                    (Zip Code)




                                 (301) 258-2620
                         (Registrant's telephone number)





Item 2.  Acquisition or Disposition of Assets.

         On March  25,  1997,  the  shareholders  of  AssureNet  Pathways,  Inc.
("AssureNet")  approved the merger  between  AssureNet  and  Axquisition.,  Inc.
("Sub"),  a  Delaware  corporation  and  a  wholly-owned   subsidiary  of  AXENT
Technologies,  Inc. ("AXENT"), pursuant to the terms of an Amended Agreement and
Plan of Merger, dated as of January 6, 1997, as amended as of February 26, 1997,
by and among AssureNet,  AXENT and Sub (the "Merger  Agreement"),  and AssureNet
has been merged with and into Sub.  As provided in the Merger  Agreement,  AXENT
will issue a total of  1,550,000  shares of AXENT Common Stock for all shares of
AssureNet Common Stock and Preferred Stock outstanding  immediately prior to the
effective  time of the merger and upon the exercise of certain stock options and
warrants  issued by AssureNet  that were  outstanding  immediately  prior to the
effective time of the merger; AXENT assumed all other stock options and warrants
issued by AssureNet that were outstanding immediately prior to effective time of
the merger.  Each share of AssureNet's Common Stock was converted into the right
to receive 0.0620559 of a share of AXENT Common Stock, each share of AssureNet's
Series A Convertible  Preferred  Stock was  converted  into the right to receive
0.1267459  shares of AXENT  Common  Stock,  each share of  AssureNet's  Series B
Convertible  Preferred  Stock was converted into the right to receive  0.1339337
shares of AXENT Common Stock and each share of AssureNet's  Series C Convertible
Preferred  Stock was  converted  into the right to receive  0.4095024  shares of
AXENT Common Stock.

         AXENT will account for the  acquisition  under the  purchase  method of
accounting. The purchase price, approximately $32 million, includes the value of
shares exchanged,  net liabilities  assumed and direct costs associated with the
transaction  and is  allocated  among  AssureNet's  assets  based on fair market
value.  During the first quarter of 1997,  AXENT  incurred a one-time  charge to
earnings  of  approximately  $28  million to  reflect  in-process  research  and
development costs.

         Before  the  acquisition,  AssureNet  developed  and  marketed  certain
hardware  and  software  remote  access  authentication   products  (Defender(R)
products) and had certain  other  software  products  under  development.  AXENT
intends to integrate  the existing  Defender  software  technology  with AXENT's
OmniGuard(TM)  family of  products  where  appropriate.  With the  exception  of
hardware  tokens,  AXENT  intends to cease  actively  marketing  the majority of
AssureNet  hardware  products  and focus its efforts on  marketing  the Defender
software  products.  The acquisition  also is expected to permit AXENT to expand
its  indirect   distribution   capabilities   through  the  resellers  that  are
distributing AssureNet's Defender products.

Item 7.  Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.

         (a) Financial  Statements of Business Acquired.  Incorporated herein by
reference  to the  Registrant's  Registration  Statement  on Form S-4  (File No.
333-20207).




         (b) Pro Forma Financial  Information.  Incorporated herein by reference
to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-20207).

         (c) Exhibits.  The Merger Agreement is incorporated herein by reference
to AXENT's Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-20207).



                                   SIGNATURES



         Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
the  Registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


Date:  April 9, 1997                            AXENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.



                                 By:  /s/ John C. Becker
                                          John C. Becker
                                          President and Chief Operating Officer