Covestic Successfully Completes MasterCard Site Data Protection Compliance Testing; SDP Compliance Enables Covestic to Add Perimeter Scanning to Suite of PCI Security Services

Business Wire, August 29, 2006

KIRKLAND, Wash. -- Covestic is pleased to announce that they have successfully completed the MasterCard Site Data Protection (SDP) Vendor Compliance Testing Program, and are now certified to provide security scanning for service providers and merchants who want to demonstrate compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard. The successful completion of MasterCard's SDP vendor compliance testing enables Covestic to add Security Scanning to its list of PCI compliance services, which include assessments, roadmap development, control design, implementation, remediation, and validation.

The MasterCard SDP program is designed to ensure that merchants and service providers are storing credit card account information in accordance with the PCI Data Security Standard. Merchants and Service providers are required to perform security assessments through a Visa Qualified Data Security Company (QDSC), and quarterly network scans through a MasterCard approved SDP vendor. These requirements help to identify potential areas of vulnerability in a merchant or service provider network and ensure the security and privacy of payment card information.

Covestic announced that they earned Visa QDSC status last March. The addition of the MasterCard SDP compliance enables Covestic to provide complete PCI compliance solutions that include both security assessments and quarterly network scanning.

"We are pleased to have achieved compliance with MasterCard's Vendor Compliance Testing Program," said John Schaffer, president of Covestic. "This approval enables us to perform network scanning for customers seeking to comply with the PCI Data Security Standards, and to provide comprehensive security and compliance solutions for merchants and service providers."

About Covestic

Covestic is a leading business and I.T. consulting firm delivering industry-leading expertise and solutions that address the operational challenges of businesses. These solutions include securing I.T. infrastructures, achieving and maintaining regulatory and standards compliance, improving operational efficiency, increasing infrastructure capacity and scalability, optimizing business process management, reducing costs through optimization of operations and technology, securing wireless and remote management systems, and developing business and I.T. scorecard metrics. Covestic is committed to delivering technology solutions that enable clients to achieve their core business objectives at both strategic and tactical levels. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.covestic.com.