On July 7, 2006, Visa USA and MasterCard International announced that new application security policies would be added to the PCI Data Security Standard within the next thirty to sixty days to better protect consumers' sensitive data. Palisade's PacketSure PCI appliance is the industry's first turn-key product to address these upcoming security policies by eliminating unwanted applications being used on an organization's network, ensuring that only authorized protocols be used to transfer PCI data.

The new PCI rules, which will be announced no later than mid-September, 2006, will address application level security because of emerging threats targeting application vulnerabilities. In addition, the new rules will require third parties to establish controls for ensuring credit card data security. Companies not in compliance with the PCI Data Security Standard could be fined or lose the privilege of processing credit cards.

"Visa and MasterCard are requiring new security measures to protect their card holders, that as a consumer you would expect from a card provider," said Kurt Shedenhelm, president and CEO of Palisade Systems. "PacketSure PCI will meet the new application security rules set by Visa and MasterCard by providing multi-level security functionality that offers application monitoring and blocking through credit card content monitoring and blocking."

PacketSure PCI provides an additional layer of security on authorized network protocols by analyzing the data within the packets that travel across the network. This additional layer will provide unprecedented security and compliance to the revised PCI Data Security Standard.

Additionally, the company announced today a PCI Risk Assessment program for organizations processing and/or storing credit card information. Palisade's PacketSure PCI security appliance was developed specifically to address Visa USA and MasterCard International's soon to be unveiled security requirements at the application and content level. The first of its kind program is being offered to companies on a seven day risk assessment period. PacketSure PCI provides the visibility into the network applications being used by employees to transmit data including credit card numbers.

PacketSure PCI performs deep packet analysis at the packet level, not port level, to determine what communication protocol is being used. PacketSure eliminates unwanted applications being used on an organization's network allowing only authorized protocols to be used to transfer corporate data. PacketSure provides an additional layer of security on the authorized protocols by analyzing the data within the packets traveling across the network giving unprecedented security and compliance to Visa and MasterCard's PCI standards. PacketSure has been used as an assessment tool before, acting as a test monitor for simulations and cyber competitions by the U.S. Department of Justice funded Internet-Simulation Event and Attack Generation Environment cyber security lab.

"Visa and MasterCard are requesting additional security measures be put in place to better protect their card holders from third parties who store or access their credit card numbers," said Kurt Shedenhelm, president and CEO of Palisade Systems. "The PacketSure PCI Risk Assessment program will allow an organization the visibility needed to know if they are in compliance with the new Visa and MasterCard standards and the means to uncover any vulnerability that could end their business relationship with credit card companies."