Press Release

Secure Elements and SignaCert Partner to Deliver First Joint Solution To Provide Positive Attestation for SCAP Configuration and Binary/Library Validation for Regulated and Federal IT Customers

Sept 20, 2007

Combined offering validates SCAP configurations and related binaries to fulfill Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC) Compliance

HERNDON, VA and PORTLAND, OR — Secure Elements, the industry leader in standards-based IT audit and compliance management, and SignaCert Inc., the forefront provider of independent IT controls solutions, today announced a joint marketing and product development agreement through which the two firms will deliver the first complementary NIST Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) solution that combines positive attestation of SCAP configuration audits and the associated binary/library implementations.

On June 1st, 2007 the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) mandated that providers of information technology shall certify applications are fully functional and operate correctly as intended on systems using the Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC) by Feb 1, 2008. On July 31st, 2007 OMB required that NISTs Security Content Automation Protocol (S-CAP) be utilized by industry and government in support of this initiative. SCAP measures systems against configurations, but falls short of ensuring that the components are authentic, and un-tampered.

"SignaCert is actively involved with SCAP to help not only facilitate rapid adoption, but to help present a Positive Security Model as an extension to the project," said Wyatt Starnes, Founder and CEO, SignaCert. "Together with Secure Elements we will deliver significant and immediate value to customers by enabling file based, positive attestation of FDCC image and general platform elements, definitively proving, against verifiable platform standards, that systems are deployed and configured as intended."

Secure Elements offers the only enterprise solution that works directly with the SCAP content, enabling Federal agencies to meet the OMB Mandate for FDCC compliance. By partnering with SignaCert which can independently verify and validate applications at the binary level the two companies are now uniquely positioned to offer Federal agencies a comprehensive, end-to-end, SCAP solution that enables full compliance with the FDCC.

"Secure Elements is always seeking out complimentary technologies that not only enhance our SCAP offering, but also simplify and improve the IT security compliance process for our Federal customers," said Ned Miller, President and CEO, Secure Elements. "In working closely with Federal agencies and understanding their pain points when it comes to achieving FDCC compliance, it became clear that partnering with SignaCert would create tremendous synergies between our two companies, and, for the first time, will provide customers with a single solution for achieving SCAP compliance with certification at the binary level."

About SignaCert

SignaCert is the leading provider of end-to-end and partner-based IT compliance solutions based on known-provenance whitelist technology. These methods allow SignaCert's direct customers to rapidly achieve and prove continuous compliance for the systems that deliver critical business services. The SignaCert architecture is designed to seamlessly integrate with existing change processes and continuously monitor critical business services without disruption.

Additionally, SignaCert's OEM and ISV Partners can supply to, or license content from, the SignaCert Global Trust Repository (GTR), adding new and important capabilities to their product offerings. All use cases are supported by a rich repository of vendor-independent software measurements. These "white" or "allow" list methods enable SignaCert's patented technology to be quickly deployed and provide immediate visibility into the actual state of IT infrastructure.

Founded in 2004 by 34-year IT security and compliance industry veteran Wyatt Starnes, SignaCert has assembled a world class team of industry leaders with hands-on IT experience for its executive team, board of directors, and advisory board.

SignaCert's end-customers span a wide variety of industries, including financial services, government, and healthcare.