Verizon Business Enhances Compliance ScoreCard

PRESS RELEASE

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. -- Verizon Business customers now have an enhanced, industry-leading tool to help them track their security activities against relevant standards and regulations.

The tool, an enhanced online dashboard that is known as the Compliance ScoreCard and is part of the Verizon Security Management Program, also enables businesses to compare their security activities with those of industry peers.

"This latest Security Management Program enhancement is a direct reflection of customer demand for information specific to the customer's own vertical industry," said Mike Marcellin, vice president of global managed solutions, Verizon. "Customers look to Verizon Business to help them boost their security programs, and we are providing a unique, industry-leading solution that enables customers to manage and drive more value from their security initiatives."

The one-of-a-kind ScoreCard allows companies to see at a glance how they and their industry peers -- in aggregate -- are performing against relevant security standards and regulations. Security standards tracked include ISO 27002, COBIT 4.1, PCI DSS 1.2 and HIPAA across key industries consisting of financial services, consumer/retail, health care, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, utilities/energy; insurance, technology, telecommunications, business services, government, transportation, media, entertainment/leisure and charitable organizations. In conjunction with the ScoreCard, the Security Management Program performs an assessment and analysis of a business' security programs. The results are used to generate a compliance percentage score from zero to 100, which shows how a business' security controls align with selected security standards and regulations. The compliance score and the comparison with industry peers provide businesses with a frame of reference that enables them to effectively evaluate their security activities.

Kerry Bailey, Verizon Business senior vice president of global services, said "The measurable comparisons allow customers to better understand their compliance scores, helping them translate these scores into actionable business information."

The security compliance scores for all SMP customers in each industry are updated weekly and immediately reflected in the online ScoreCard, enabling customers to quickly determine how their security status compares with others in their industry and other industries of their choice, at any given time.

For example, a customer can see its scores across numerous standards and regulations, as well as compare how its overall industry is scoring on those same security standards. Additionally, a customer can determine how the security controls at various locations and portions of its business align with selected standards and regulations. Simple color coding provides easy identification of both high- and low-performing areas.

"As compliance regulations become more stringent, organizations are looking for cost-effective and practical solutions to enable them to actively protect their assets," said Irida Xheneti, security services research analyst at IDC. "This unique offering from Verizon Business helps customers significantly further their security and compliance efforts. Understanding the industry-specific impact of compliance regulations has become a complex undertaking. The Security Management Program Compliance ScoreCard enables customers to benchmark their security posture and activities in a new and meaningful way."

SMP Proactively Reduces Risk, Improves Security The Compliance ScoreCard represents the latest enhancement to Verizon's prestigious Security Management Program. In existence for more than 11 years, SMP takes an active approach to mitigating risk by reviewing customer-information security measures across a broad range -- from network and system analysis to security-policy inspection. Customers can obtain an SMP Certification, which demonstrates a strong commitment to information security by providing assurance that an organization's information-security controls, policies and procedures have been examined, measured and validated against a stringent set of SMP control standards. The certification must be either maintained or renewed annually by customers. Of the more than 1,000 businesses and government agencies whose information-security measures have been reviewed under the program, only about half earn the certification. Verizon Business Security Solutions Enterprises and government agencies rely on Verizon Business to help them manage security risk and protect critical company assets. The company's robust portfolio includes governance risk and compliance solutions, data loss and prevention solutions, identity management solutions, and managed security services. The company's more than 1,100 security professionals around the globe deliver these offerings through a range of managed services, professional services and technologies, based on what best suits the customer. More information is available by visiting http://www.verizonbusiness.com/us/products/security. Specific information on the Security Management Program, as well as on the SMP Certification, is available by visiting http://www.verizonbusiness.com/us/products/security/compliance/mgmt.