BSI, Inc. Announces New BS 7799 Standard for Information Security Management.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 7, 1999--

BSI, Inc. Offers Assessment Services and Registration to

Comprehensive Information Security Standard

BSI, Inc., the North American organization of BSI, the world's leading registrar of quality and environmental management systems, today announced that it is in a position to offer assessment services and registration to BS 7799 Information Security Management, a comprehensive standard that manages information security for virtually every industry.

BS 7799 was first published in 1995, but has recently been updated and reissued to address the growing demands of the Internet and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Whether a company stores confidential customer information, makes electronic financial transactions, or stores a database of proprietary information, information security is essential.

Of equal importance is the management system that controls the information, means of communication, and technology used.

BS 7799 is designed to help telecommunications companies and their suppliers, among numerous other industries, implement procedures which will safeguard the company against employee sabotage, terrorism, and other threats, both internal and external, which can endanger information and its storage, transmission, and retrieval.

"Information is an extremely valuable asset in any business today," said Reg Blake, regulatory affairs manager for BSI, Inc. "More and more of us are making use of technology, and the quicker we can process and transmit information, the better. But, with this exciting technology comes the threat of lost, damaged, or stolen information, which has the potential to do substantial harm to any business. The BS 7799 management standard addresses how a company manages and organizes information and the security of that information. There is no point in spending significant money, time, and resources developing information, then failing to control the way that it is distributed and secured."

This standard is comprehensive, and covers virtually all aspects of information technology. It addresses information stored electronically and transmitted electronically, such as through the Internet or other telecommunications channels, and it also covers data that is written, spoken, mailed, or on film -- essentially any media by which data is transmitted.

"Additionally, information security is becoming a bigger issue for competitive success in the marketplace in almost every sector of the economy," said Blake. "We're all operating in a high tech environment, and virtually all organizations depend on information today to survive. This information allows them to differentiate themselves from their competition. Securing the data that essentially governs the company and the way it does business is of utmost importance for survival in today's high tech marketplace. BS 7799 for information security management will allow a company to rest assured that its valuable data and knowledge are protected through the proper management of that information and the technology it uses."

About BSI, Inc.

Founded in 1901, BSI has issued over 33,000 registrations in over 75 countries. BSI, Inc. was established in 1991 and is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with nine offices throughout the U.S., four in Canada, and two in Mexico to serve the North American market.

BSI, the world's leading registrar, was the world's first national standards body and a founding member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). BSI facilitated and published the first commercial standards to address quality management systems, environmental management systems, occupational health and safety management systems, and project management.

For more information on BS 7799 or BSI, Inc., call 800/862-4977, or visit BSI, Inc. at www.bsi-inc.org.