[February 19, 2013]

Thales Achieves French MEPS Approval for payShield 9000

Thales, leader in information systems and communications security announces that its payShield 9000 hardware security module (HSM) has been validated to MEPS, (Methode d'Evaluation des Produits Securitaire "bancaires"), a security approval scheme used by the Cartes Bancaires (CB) banking ecosystem.

MEPS is an approval scheme used by the French banking industry. It was developed by CB, an inter-bank and universal system of card payments and cash-withdrawals. CB represents more than 8 billion transactions, some 130 banks or member payment institutions, 1.2 million merchants in France and nearly 60 million cardholders. Cryptographic security equipment intended for use by the member banks on their dedicated payment networks must be certified as meeting the standards laid down under MEPS.

Thales (News - Alert) payShield 9000 is deployed worldwide to help ensure the security of global payments systems. It protects PINs and the cryptographic keys used in Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs), Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale (EFTPOS),and interbank settlement schemes. payShield 9000 is certified to many national and international standards in addition to MEPS, including FIPS 140-2 level 3 and PCI (News - Alert) HSM. It also conforms to the global requirements of the credit and debit card schemes such as MasterCard, VISA, JCB and American Express.

Vincent Marfaing, Thales vice president in charge of information technology security activities says:

"As the leading provider of payments security, Thales has long championed best practices and industry standards and MEPS certification for our payShield 9000 demonstrates our commitment to achieving both nationally and internationally recognized standards and compliance requirements. It is vital that our customers have a high level of confidence in the products they buy and independent review of a product's security properties is a powerful tool in building that confidence. MEPS approval now allows the Cartes Bancaires banking community to take full advantage of our award-winning payShield 9000 HSM to protect their payments networks".

Products intended for use on the banking networks in France are submitted for evaluation by Groupement d'Intérêt Economique des Cartes Bancaires (GIECB). This involves the submission of detailed design documentation and other information about the security mechanisms implemented. The evaluation seeks to determine that the product as a whole provides sufficient security against attacks against the payments infrastructure.

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About Thales e-Security

Thales e-Security is a leading global provider of data encryption and cyber security solutions to the financial services, high technology, manufacturing, government and technology sectors. With a 40-year track record of protecting corporate and government information, Thales solutions are used by four of the five largest energy and aerospace companies, 22 NATO countries, and secure more than 80 percent of worldwide payment transactions. Thales e-Security has offices in Australia, France, Hong Kong, Norway, United States and the United Kingdom. www.thales-esecurity.com

About Thales

Thales is a global technology leader for the defence & security and the aerospace & transport markets. In 2011 the company generated revenues of €13 billion with 67,000 employees in 56 countries. With its 22,500 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers and local partners. www.thalesgroup.com

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