SafeNet to Sponsor HSPD-12 Executive Briefing ''Looking beyond Compliance''; Federal Government and Industry Leaders to Provide Updates on Agency Implementation and Compliance Challenges

Business Wire, Sept 11, 2006

BALTIMORE -- SafeNet, Inc. (NASDAQ: SFNT), setting the standard for information security, today announced exclusive sponsorship of an executive briefing, "Looking Beyond Compliance," that will explore the challenges facing federal agencies and progress on HSPD-12 implementation and compliance. The briefing will feature presentations and panel discussions with government spokespersons and leading industry executives responsible for HSPD-12. The event, managed by Homeland Defense Journal, will be held on September 13, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill from 8:00 am to 11:50 am.

Government and industry leaders will provide updates on the results of General Services Administration (GSA) testing and on the federal agencies that have signed up to be Shared Service Providers. The event will also provide attendees with a comprehensive update on the newly founded HSPD-12 Interoperability Consortium and an overview on how the group provides assurance of compliance and of interoperability between the various components required to meet the mandate including PKI, smart cards, middleware, card management systems and physical access systems to minimize integration challenges.

"As the deadline for HSPD-12 compliance approaches, an event like this is crucial for all parties to increase their understanding of the mandate's requirements, progress to date and further work that needs to be done," said Chris Fedde, Senior Vice President and General Manager, SafeNet Enterprise Security Business Unit. "I anticipate this will be a very educational tool."

In addition to Mr. Fedde, featured speakers include:

--W. Curtis Barker, Program Director of PIV Office, Computer Security Resource Center, NIST

--Kathy Dillaman, Associate Director, Federal Investigative Services Division, OPM

--David Temoshok, Director, Identity Policy and Management, Office of Government-wide Policy, GSA

--Joseph Bond, Department HSPD-12 Program Manager, Department of Veteran's Affairs

--Judith Spencer, Chair, Federal PKI Steering Committee, Office of Governmentwide Policy, GSA

--Rebecca Moericke, HSPD-12 Project Manager, Precise Biometrics

--Gary Moore, Senior Architect, Entrust, CygnaCom

For more information and a detailed agenda, please visit www.homelanddefensejournal.com

SafeNet's HSPD-12 Solution and Beyond

Building on its heritage in encryption technology, SafeNet provides technologies that protect and manage data-at-rest, data-in-motion and user identities. Working together, these technologies provide assurance of a secured environment. SafeNet's integrated product line enables customers to utilize technology already in place while leveraging their investment for the future. SafeNet solutions combine core identity security components with data protection, access control and network communication capabilities.

Borderless Security Smart Card 400

Identity management and data protection require that you know who is accessing your facilities and systems. SafeNet's smart cards achieve this by containing personal authentication digital certificates for each user. Validated for FIPS 201 and FIPS 140-2 with Level 3-validated security, our smart cards are supported by hundreds of applications and contain optional match-on-card biometric authentication support for three-factor authentication.

Borderless Security PK Client Middleware

SafeNet's client Middleware is the public cryptography (PKCS#11 and CAPI supported) software package used with smart cards to authenticate identity. This FIPS 201 certified software can easily be integrated into any PKI-enabled application, to provide both data and physical security.

Borderless Security Credential Management System (CMS)

Digital signatures, private keys, certificates and authentication tokens are only part of the identity management concept. The SafeNet Credential Management System is a Web-based smart card/token and digital credential management system that brings everything together. It is used to issue, manage and support SafeNet cryptographic smart cards for identity-based applications throughout the organization. Its primary features include provisioning, credential management, token life cycle management and token unblocking.

For more information on SafeNet and the HSPD-12 solution, visit www.safenet-inc.com/hspd-12

About the HSPD-12 Mandate

On August 27, 2004, in response to the general threat of unauthorized access to physical facilities and logical IT assets, the White House issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-12. The primary objectives of HSPD-12 are the development and deployment of a Federal Government-wide common and reliable identification verification system that will be interoperable between all Government agencies and serve as the basis for reciprocity between those agencies.

HSPD-12 mandates that all Federal employees and contractors need to use a smart card as identification badges for physical access and logical access to IT resources. The mandate is divided up into two parts called Personal Identity Verification parts 1 & 2 (i.e. PIV 1 / PIV 2). PIV 1 established a methodology across the Federal Agencies to properly vet a person's ID. It includes fingerprint checking with the FBI and mandatory background checks for all Federal Employees and contractors. It establishes a baseline that all agencies need to follow to ensure their employees are who they say they are. PIV 2 takes newly established identities and binds them cryptographically to a smart card.