CardinalCommerce and nCipher Partner to Deliver Secure Online Authentication for MasterCard SecureCode, Visa 3-D Secure and EFT networks

CardinalCommerce, Delta Singular, WorldWide Trust and Safe3w consortium enhance payment authentication solution with nCipher security technology for leading European banks

Cartes 2002, Paris, France – 6 November 2002 – CardinalCommerce Corporation, a leading electronic transaction security company and nCipher plc (LSE:NCH), a leading provider of cryptographic IT security solutions, today announce a strategic alliance partnership. This partnership combines nCipher’s Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) with CardinalCommerce’s Payment Authentication Platform to dramatically reduce online credit card fraud, giving consumers greater confidence to shop online. The combined solution provides a low risk opportunity for acquiring banks, credit card and payment processor companies, issuing banks and a wide range of financial service institutions to implement cardholder and payment authentication systems that satisfy the requirements of the MasterCard® SecureCodeâ„? and Visa 3-D Secure initiatives.

The CardinalCommerce Payment Authentication Platform integrates a wide range of credit and debit card security functions and provides support for industry initiatives to combat online credit card fraud and bring enhanced levels of security to EFT Networks in a cost-effective solution. CardinalCommerce has integrated nCipher’s hardware-based cryptographic security platforms, using the CipherTools development environment, to provide a level of performance and security that would be impossible using a purely software-based architecture. This integration protects cryptographic processes, used throughout the system to encrypt sensitive information, create digital signatures and provide a record of authenticity for transactions and payment authorization, inside a tamper-resistant environment that has been validated to the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS 140).

In addition to the technical integration between nCipher and CardinalCommerce, nCipher has also worked closely with the consortium comprising CardinalCommerce, Delta Singular, WorldWide Trust and Safe3w to provide secure online payment services in Europe. The first customer to take advantage of this service, utilizing CardinalCommerce’s Payment Authorization Platform and nCipher’s nShield HSM, include Alpha Bank of Greece, the first European Issuing Bank to activate with Delta Singular and one of the first in the EMEA region to implement a Verified by Visa solution (see separate related announcement today).

“Protection of consumer cardholder data is paramount. With nCipher’s validated security solution and CardinalCommerce’s Payment Authorization Platform, financial institutions such as Alpha Bank are assured they are getting a best of breed solution for protection against online card fraud” says Tim Sherwin executive vice president of CardinalCommerce. “CardinalCommerce is now working to integrate nCipher’s recently announced payShield HSM with its Payment Authentication Platform to provide enhanced payment functionality out of the box.”

“Consumers and e-merchants want more security and better protection for shopping online,” says Colin Bastable, vice president international sales at nCipher. “We are excited to partner with CardinalCommerce as part of our commitment to the payments industry. Together, we are providing a solution that delivers an extra level of protection, so consumers will know that they can shop safely and prevent fraud on their card and e-merchants will know they are dealing with a legitimate cardholder anywhere in the world.”