ATIS Launches New Committee

Data Security, Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance Key Focus Areas

August 7, 2006, Washington – ATIS announces the formation of the ATIS Information and Data Security (IDS) Committee, a new standards committee that will identify and address information and data security topics specific to the communications industry.

The ATIS Board of Directors voted unanimously to establish the new committee, which will provide a forum for the sharing and development of best practices and security approaches and, when appropriate, the creation of IT data and security standards.

“The increasing amounts of customer and business data that must be secured and maintained is placing a growing importance on the need for privacy and protection protocols in information technology organizations across the telecommunications industry,” said Susan Miller, president and CEO of ATIS. “The ATIS CIO Council identified data security and compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley as two of its top priorities for 2006. The IDS is the ideal venue to ensure best practices are identified and standards are developed to organize and secure key customer and business databases.”

The IDS will initially focus on requirements just released by the ATIS CIO Council’s working groups on security issues and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance. Initial IT security activities include:

• the development of a Data Privacy and Protection Whitepaper focused on industry-specific concerns and potential solution alternatives;
• the completion of a security strength analysis survey that will be used to determine areas to focus development of best practices; and
• the completion of a taxonomy of existing security standards and development of a method whereby carriers can address security issues using a standard reference model.

With respect to SOX issues, the initial IDS focus includes:

• a review of Logical Access best practices to develop requirements to be used for a technological solution;
• a review and comparison of audit practices in order to minimize the impact/cost of testing; and
• the development of a compliance synchronization whitepaper that includes an accountability matrix, recommendations regarding the roles of compliancy personnel within an organization, and information regarding segregation of duties related to logical access.

The IDS will hold its first meeting September 20-21*, 2006, at the ATIS offices in Washington. The new committee is open to all ATIS member companies. There will be no charge for attending the inaugural meeting. Companies interested in participating in the IDS should visit www.atis.org for additional information. The registration deadline is September 15*. For more information, contact John Pautlitz, ATIS Industry Forum Director, via email at jpautlitz@atis.org or by phone at 630-784-8233.

The ATIS CIO Council identifies and discusses IT issues of common interest to the service provider industry; frames, coordinates, and advances solutions to these common IT issues; and provides perspective and direction to the development of industry standards, guidelines, and best practices.

About ATIS

ATIS is a technical planning and standards development organization that is committed to rapidly developing and promoting technical and operations standards for the communications and related information technologies industry worldwide using a pragmatic, flexible and open approach. Participants from more than 350 communications companies are active in ATIS’ 23 industry committees and Incubator Solutions Program. www.atis.org

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* Updated 16 August 2006 from original meeting dates (September 6-7) to new meeting dates (September 20-21).