As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 24, 1996

                                                    Registration No. 333-_____
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      under
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


                            AXENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                       2400 Research Boulevard, Suite 200
Delaware                   Rockville, Maryland 20850                 87-0393420
                               (301) 258-5043
(State or other      (Address of principal executive offices)  (I.R.S. Employer
jurisdiction of                                              Identification No.)
incorporation or
organization)
                            AXENT Technologies, Inc.
                        1996 DIRECTORS' STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                              Copy to:
  JOHN C. BECKER                              EDWIN M. MARTIN, ESQ.
  AXENT Technologies, Inc.                    NANCY A. SPANGLER, ESQ.
  2400 Research Boulevard, Suite 200          Piper & Marbury L.L.P.
  Rockville, Maryland  20850                  1200 Nineteenth Street, N.W.
  (301 258-5043                               Washington, D.C. 20036
                                             (202) 861-3900

 (Name, address and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)


                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     

                                               Proposed Maximum       Proposed Maximum         Amount of
  Title of Securities        Amount to be      Offering Price Per     Aggregate Offering       Registration Fee
   to be registered          Registered(1)          Share                   Price
   ------------------        ------------      ------------------      ------------------      ----------------
Common Stock(par value
$0.02 per share)              200,000             $ 12.00(2)            $ 2,400,000(2)          $ 828(2)
                   
1996 Directors'Stock
Option Plan


- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)  This  Registration  Statement  shall  also cover any  additional  shares of
     Common Stock which become issuable under the 1996  Directors'  Stock Option
     Plan by reason of any stock  dividend,  stock  split,  recapitalization  or
     other similar  transaction  effected  without the receipt of  consideration
     which results in an increase in the number of the Registrant's  outstanding
     shares of Common Stock.



(2)  Estimated  pursuant to Rule 457 solely for the purpose of  calculating  the
     registration  fee on the basis of the  closing  price of  $12.00  per share
     reported on the Nasdaq National Market on July 23, 1996.

     This Registration  Statement shall become effective immediately upon filing
     with the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission,  and  sales of  registered
     securities will begin as soon as practicable after such effective date.




                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT


ITEM 3.           INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         The  following  documents  and  information  previously  filed with the
Securities and Exchange  Commission (the  "Commission")  by AXENT  Technologies,
Inc. (the "Company") are hereby  incorporated by reference in this  Registration
Statement:

         (1) The Company's  Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter
ended March 31, 1996, filed pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange Act.

         (2) The  description  of the  Company's  Common Stock  contained in the
Company's  Registration  Statement on Form 8-A filed March 29, 1996, pursuant to
Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act.

         (3) The description of the Company's 1996 Directors'  Stock Option Plan
contained in its Registration  Statement on Form S-1, File No. 333-01368,  filed
on  February  14,  1996,  under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as  amended. 

         All documents filed by the Company  pursuant to Sections 13(a),  13(c),
14 or 15(d) of the  Exchange  Act  subsequent  to the date of this  Registration
Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective  amendment which indicates
that all securities  offered have been sold or which  deregisters all securities
remaining  unsold  shall be deemed to be  incorporated  by  reference  into this
Registration  Statement  and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such
documents.  Any statement  contained in a document  incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated  by reference  herein shall be deemed to be modified or  superseded
for  purposes  of this  Registration  Statement  to the extent  that a statement
contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is
deemed to be  incorporated  by  reference  herein  modifies or  supersedes  such
statement.  The documents  required to be so modified or superseded shall not be
deemed,  except as so  modified  or  superseded,  to  constitute  a part of this
Registration Statement.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.  Not applicable.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

         Counsel for the Company, Piper & Marbury L.L.P., Washington,  D.C., has
rendered an opinion to the effect that the Common Stock  offered  hereby is duly
and validly  issued,  fully paid and  nonassessable.  Certain members of Piper &
Marbury L.L.P.,  or investment  partnerships of which such persons are partners,
beneficially own approximately 500 shares of the Company's Common Stock.

ITEM 6.           INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

               Section 145 of the Delaware  General  Corporation  Law  ("Section
145") permits indemnification of directors,  officers, agents and employees of a
corporation  under certain  conditions and subject to certain  limitations.  The
Registrant's  Bylaws  include  provisions to require the Registrant to indemnify
its  directors  and  officers to the fullest  extent  permitted  by Section 145,
including circumstances in which indemnification is otherwise discretionary, and
the Registrant has entered into  indemnification  agreements  with its directors
and executive  officers to that effect.  Section 145 empowers the  Registrant to
purchase and maintain insurance that protects its officers, directors, employees
and agents against any liabilities  incurred in connection with their service in
such positions and the Registrant maintains such insurance providing coverage of
up to $7 million with  respect to  liabilities  arising out of certain  matters,
including matters arising under the Securities Act.

                                      -1-



               At  present,   there  is  no  pending  litigation  or  proceeding
involving a director or officer of the Registrant as to which indemnification is
being sought nor is the Registrant  aware of any threatened  litigation that may
result in claims for indemnification by any officer or director.

ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.  Not applicable.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

 Exhibit
 Number      Description

 5.1         Opinion of Piper & Marbury L.L.P., as to the legality of securities
             being registered.

 10.1        1996 Directors' Stock Option Plan of the Company.

 23.1        Consent of Counsel (contained in Exhibit 5.1).

 23.2        Consent of Independent Accountants.

 24.1        Power of Attorney (included in signature pages).

ITEM 9.           UNDERTAKINGS.

         (a)    The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:


                (1) To file,  during  any  period  in which  offers or sales are
being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement to include
any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously
disclosed  in  the  Registration  Statement  or  any  material  change  to  such
information in the Registration Statement.

                (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

                (3) To remove  from  registration  by means of a  post-effective
amendment  any of the  securities  being  registered  which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

         (b) The undersigned  Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining  any liability  under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's  annual  report  pursuant to section  13(a) or section 15(d) of the
Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934  (and,  where  applicable,  each  filing of an
employee  benefit  plan's  annual  report  pursuant  to  section  15(d)  of  the
Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934)  that is  incorporated  by  reference  in the
registration  statement  shall  be  deemed  to be a new  Registration  Statement
relating to the securities offered therein,  and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         (c)  Insofar  as  indemnification  for  liabilities  arising  under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors,  officers and  controlling
persons of the Registrant  pursuant to the foregoing  provisions,  or otherwise,
the  Registrant  has been  advised  that in the  opinion of the  Securities  and
Exchange  Commission such  indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is,  therefore,  unenforceable.  In the  event  that a claim  for
indemnification  against  such  liabilities  (other  than  the  payment  by  the
registrant of expenses  incurred or paid by a director,  officer or  controlling
person of the  registrant  in the  successful  defense  of any  action,  suit or
proceeding)  is  asserted by such  director,  officer or  controlling  person in
connection with the securities being registered,  the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit  to a 

                                      -2-


court of appropriate  jurisdiction the question whether such  indemnification by
it is against  public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the
final adjudication of such issue.

      [Remainder of page intentionally left blank. Signature page follows.]

                                      -3-



                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized, in the City of Rockville, and the State of Maryland on this 24th day
of July, 1996.

                               AXENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.


                               By:  /s/ Richard A. Lefebvre
                                    Richard A. Lefebvre, President and 
                                        Chief Executive Officer


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
this  Registration  Statement has been signed below by the following  persons in
the capacities and on the date indicated.

         Each person  whose  signature  appears  below in so signing also makes,
constitutes  and appoints  John C. Becker and Edwin M. Martin,  Jr., and each of
them  acting  alone,  his true and lawful  attorney-in-fact,  with full power of
substitution,  for him in any and all  capacities,  to  execute  and cause to be
filed with the  Securities  and Exchange  Commission  any and all amendments and
post-effective  amendments  to this  Registration  Statement  on Form S-8,  with
exhibits  thereto  and other  documents  in  connection  therewith,  and  hereby
ratifies  and  confirms  all that said  attorney-in-fact  or his  substitute  or
substitutes may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.



                                      -4-




A Majority of the Board of Directors:
                                                                                     

Signature                                        Title                                  Date

         /s/ Richard A. Lefebvre                 President, Chief Executive             July 24, 1996
         Richard A. Lefebvre                         Officer, Chairman of the
                                                     Board and Director (Principal
                                                     Executive Officer)


         /s/ John C. Becker                      Executive Vice President,              July 24, 1996
         John C. Becker                              Chief Financial Officer and
                                                     Director (Principal Financial and
                                                     Accounting Officer)


         /s/ Gabriel A. Battista                     Director                           July 24, 1996
         Gabriel A. Battista


         /s/ Richard A. Hosley II                    Director                           July 24, 1996
         Richard A. Hosley II


         /s/ Jacqueline C. Morby                     Director                           July 24, 1996
         Jacqueline C. Morby


         /s/ Arthur C. Patterson                     Director                           July 24, 1996
         Arthur C. Patterson


         /s/ Richard W. Smith                        Director                           July 24, 1996
         Richard W. Smith


                                      -5-



                                            EXHIBIT INDEX

         Exhibit
         Number           Description

         5.1              Opinion of Piper & Marbury L.L.P. (contains Consent of
                          Counsel).

         10.1*            1996 Directors' Stock Option Plan of the Company.

         23.1             Consent of Counsel (contained in Exhibit 5.1).

         23.2             Consent of Independent Accountants.

         24.1             Power of Attorney (included in signature pages).

- -----------------
*Incorporated  by reference to the Company's  Registration  Statement,  File No.
333-01368, filed on February 14, 1996.