COUNTERPANE IS RECOGNIZED AS A MASTERCARD SITE DATA PROTECTION COMPLIANT VENDOR

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., January 11, 2005 - Counterpane Internet Security, the world's leading protector of networked information, announced today that it has successfully completed the MasterCard Site Data Protection (SDP) compliance testing process. As an SDP compliant vendor, Counterpane is allowed to help online merchants evaluate the security of their Web sites that store MasterCard account data, and achieve compliance with the MasterCard Security Standard.

Counterpane has achieved compliance status by proving their ability to detect, identify and report vulnerabilities common to flawed web site architectures and configurations. These vulnerabilities, if not patched in actual merchant Web sites, could potentially lead to an unauthorized intrusion. By proactively identifying and providing the opportunity to remedy such vulnerabilities, SDP-compliant products offer a means for reducing risk of intrusion and data compromise.

The SDP Compliance Testing program is an expansion of MasterCard's Site Data Protection Program™, a comprehensive, proactive and cost-effective set of global e-commerce and financial security services designed to help protect the Web sites of its member financial institutions, online merchants and other payment processors holding MasterCard account information.

"There is a rapidly growing need for merchants to adhere to increasingly stringent security standardizations being introduced across a wide range of industries," said Paul Stich, CEO of Counterpane. "MasterCard's security requirements will particularly affect merchants handling a sizeable number of annual transactions online. Protecting cardholder data from unauthorized use is an ongoing challenge to such data-intensive organizations. Counterpane's ability to detect and mitigate threats to networked information allows businesses accepting payment card data online to do so more securely and with added confidence about the safety of crucial customer data."

"The Site Data Vendor Compliance Program reflects MasterCard's ongoing commitment to helping our customer financial institutions and online merchants evaluate and improve the security of their Web sites in a timely and affordable manner. The end result we are striving for - improved overall channel security - is a win-win for all parties involved," said Steve Orfei, senior vice president and head of the MasterCard e-Commerce Center of Excellence.

The Vendor Compliance Program requires a two-step process. The first step is to complete an online application form, which can be found at the SDP Web site. The application provides MasterCard with an overview of the applying organization, along with a detailed assertion by the security vendor that their solution is compliant with or exceeds the requirements set forth in the MasterCard Security Standard. After applying for compliance testing, the second step is for vendors to undergo a rigorous evaluation cycle that spans across a wide range of Web servers, firewalls, and operating systems - an environment controlled and managed by MasterCard.

About MasterCard SDP

The MasterCard Site Data Protection Program is a proactive, cost-effective, global solution offered by MasterCard through its acquiring members. The program provides acquiring members with the ability to deploy security compliance programs, assisting online merchants and Member Service Providers to better protect against hacker intrusions and account data compromises. The program takes a proactive approach to security by identifying common possible vulnerabilities in a merchant web site and makes recommendations for short-and long-term security improvements. The solution addresses the security issues that online merchants and their acquiring banks face in the virtual world, and concerns arising from these issues, such as Internet fraud, chargebacks, brand image damage, consumer information safety and privacy and the cost of replacing stolen account numbers.

About Counterpane Internet Security

Counterpane is the world's leading protector of networked information - the inventor of outsourced security monitoring and the foremost authority on effective mitigation of emerging IT threats. With the most comprehensive view available of global information security events, Counterpane offers customers the earliest possible warning of internal or external threats to their information security and availability, as well as the expert counsel required to successfully mitigate such threats. Counterpane's managed service model and technology products provide information-intensive organizations the security they require to collaborate with ever-increasing numbers of partners, customers, suppliers, investors and government regulators. The company is privately held and headquartered in Mountain View, Calif.

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Counterpane is a trademark of Counterpane Internet Security, Inc. All other companies, brand names or products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

MasterCard Media Contact: Christina Rae, MasterCard International, 914-249-4606, christina_rae@mastercard.com

Counterpane Media Contact: Elizabeth Dolcourt, Citigate Cunningham, 650-858-3723, edolcourt@citigatecunningham.com