Cloakware Position Paper Delivers Comprehensive Password Management Plan for PCI Compliance.

"Raising the Security Bar: Cloakware's Contribution to Payment Card Industry Data Compliance" Addresses Security and Efficiency Challenges of Managing Administrator and Application Passwords

VIENNA, Va. -- Cloakware Inc., a security solutions provider that makes security inseparable from software, today announced its new position paper, Raising the Security Bar: Cloakware's Contribution to Payment Card Industry Compliance. In the paper, Cloakware identifies how a centralized password management system for unattended servers and applications can and will solve the security and efficiency challenges of managing unattended and administrator passwords in ways that contribute to quantifiable, verifiable compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 (PCI DSS V1.1).

To aid in the prevention of payment card information theft, key industry players including Visa, MasterCard and Discover created the PCI DSS, a collection of specific, tactical security objectives for the IT department of organizations that collect data relating to payment card holders. The ability to deliver both preventive and detective controls that contribute to PCI DSS compliance is critical in today's environment of increased accountability. While PCI DSS compliance demands far-reaching changes to the processes, practices and behaviors used to control financial data environments, many organizations still neglect the critical task of managing the passwords used within the data center by administrators and applications. This creates a significant weakness in IT controls for financial reporting.

Cloakware's position paper addresses password weaknesses by providing a step-by-step guide to achieving a secure password management system that can be used to satisfy compliance requirements. An effective system should:

* Eliminate the risk of default passwords that are a common pathway for security breaches;

* Contribute to more effective and lower-cost password management;

* Enforce policy pertaining to password usage, including when and to whom passwords may be released;

* Provide strong and unique IDs and passwords for each person or entity;

* Log password activity for alerts and audit purposes; and

* Enforce, simplify and automate password change policy.

"With both the frequency of data theft stories hitting the news and the increased attention that industry initiatives like PCI DSS are placing on corporations, companies are facing more pressure than ever to protect critical digital assets as they relate to sensitive financial data such as payment card information," said Alec Main, Cloakware's CTO. "At first look, organizations may be overwhelmed by the steps necessary to comply with PCI DSS. Cloakware developed this position paper not only to dispel myths associated with PCI compliance but also to enable organizations to implement the appropriate tools and techniques to achieve compliance in the most cost-effective yet secure manner."

To download Raising the Security Bar: Cloakware's Contribution to Payment Card Industry Compliance, visit the Cloakware web site at http://www.cloakware.com/whitepapers/013107/index.php.

About Cloakware

Cloakware is a security solutions provider that makes security inseparable from the software it protects. From applications and databases deep inside corporations, to consumer devices like music players, to military weapon systems, more and more software applications need to protect themselves from unauthorized user access and tampering. Only Cloakware's patented, layered, and compliance-driven approach to software self-protection delivers the trusted environment that the government, enterprise, and consumer markets require. As a result, Cloakware solutions are on more than 500 million devices, protecting the assets of some of the world's largest, most recognizable and technologically advanced companies. The company is headquartered in Vienna, Va., has offices in Ottawa, Canada and the UK, and regional sales offices throughout the US.