DMA Launches Automated Tool to Help Members Assess Compliance With Information Security Guidelines

Partners with Solutionary to Offer DMA SecurCompass

Washington, DC, February 11, 2008 — The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) today released a fully automated process for members to employ to assess their level of information security against industry self-regulatory guidelines as well as current government regulations. DMA partnered with Solutionary, Inc., a security services organization in Omaha, NE, to customize SecurCompass®, which is Solutionary’s security and compliance assessment tool.

Solutionary has designed DMA SecurCompass specifically to help association members measure their compliance against DMA’s Information Security ethics guidelines. The new DMA members-only assessment tool consists of 42 questions that mirror the checklist of information security procedures that DMA developed in cooperation with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2004.

Available at no charge to DMA members, DMA SecurCompass is accessible by clicking here.

DMA Senior Vice President for Corporate Responsibility Pat Kachura encourages members to use this internal self-assessment tool so that they can better gauge where they have addressed security and privacy issues appropriately, and where they may need some assistance. She added that DMA SecurCompass is intended to help organizations do the right thing for consumers while better protecting themselves.

According to Kachura, “DMA is serious about keeping its members current on the essential issue of keeping personal information secure. And we believe SecurCompass goes a long way toward our providing member tools to help build consumer trust in the marketplace.”

Kachura said it should take no more than one to two hours to answer the 42 questions, which are categorized into four main areas: Security Policy; Train and Supervise for Security; Use Available Technology to Guard Personal Data; and Inform Suppliers and Partners of their Responsibilities.

Once those questions are answered, users will receive an individualized DMA Compliance Mapping Report that provides full documentation of the assessment, including a clear understanding of compliance levels and/or gaps, and specific information about what needs to be put into place for better compliance procedures and practices. Additional standard assessment and compliance reports are also available as an upgrade offering from Solutionary.

To access online DMA’s “Guidelines for Ethical Business Practice," click here.

To access “Information Security: Safeguarding Personal Data in Your Care: A Checklist of Information Security Procedures Based on Guidelines of the DMA,” which was produced in cooperation with the FTC, click here.

About Direct Marketing Association (DMA)

The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA advocates standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities to improve results throughout the end-to-end direct marketing process. Founded in 1917, DMA today represents nearly 3,600 companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 50 other nations, including a majority of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit organizations.

In 2007, marketers — commercial and nonprofit — spent $173.2 billion on direct marketing in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated approximately $2.025 trillion in incremental sales. In 2007, direct marketing accounted for 10.2 percent of total US gross domestic product. Also in 2007, there were 1.6 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly supported nearly 9.0 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 10.6 million US jobs.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

About Solutionary

Solutionary (www.solutionary.com) is a pure play managed security service provider (MSSP) and trusted security advisor to over 1,000 customers in North America and Europe with one of the highest client retention rates in the industry. Solutionary delivers comprehensive, best-of-breed offerings for security event correlation and information management, threat prevention, device monitoring, device management, security measurement, compliance management, IT planning, security platform, and security consulting services.

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