atsec completes FIPS 140-2 testing of Watchdata's WatchKey USB Token at Security Level 2

Austin, TX - atsec information security is pleased to announce that its customer, Watchdata Technologies Pte Ltd. (branded as "Watchdata"), received a FIPS 140-2 validation certificate #1640 for the WatchKey USB Token under the CMVP (Cryptographic Module Validation Program) by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), USA and the Communication Security Establishment of Canada (CSEC).

The successful validation result is published on the CMVP's official website at: http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/STM/cmvp/validation.html

The issued certificate is the result of the combined efforts of atsec's CST laboratory and Watchdata's development team. During the final phase of the project, atsec worked actively with the CMVP on the review of the submitted test report and succeeded in demonstrating that the WatchKey USB Token module meets the Level 2 security requirements of the FIPS 140-2 standard.

Watchdata's Vice President, Sean Gao, commented: "Thank you to atsec and their hard work, as well as Watchdata's product team. This certificate paves a new way towards the international market for Watchdata's USB Token, but it is just the start. There is much more yet to come."

Apostol Vassilev, atsec's CST Lab Manager, noted: "The testing and validation process under the CMVP can be long and arduous, but typically results in a better product that is backed up by the security assurances of the FIPS 140-2 standard. We commend Watchdata for their commitment to rigorous testing of their product through the validation programs at NIST and CSEC."

The Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2 (FIPS 140-2) describes the U.S. and Canada Federal Governments' requirements for IT products in sensitive, but unclassified use. FIPS 140-2 is published by the CMVP at NIST and CSEC. The compliance to the standard is mandatory for cryptographic products used by the Federal Agencies in the U.S. and Canada.
For more information about the FIPS 140-2 standard, please visit our website at www.atsec.com and the NIST website at www.nist.gov

About atsec information security
atsec information security is an independent, standards-based information technology security services company with offices in the U.S., Germany, Sweden, and China. atsec's services include formal laboratory testing and evaluation of information assurance (IA) and IA-enabled commercial off the shelf (COTS) information technology, as well as information security consultancy.

atsec offers evaluation and testing services leading to formal certification of information security technology, including evaluations under Common Criteria schemes in the U.S., Germany, and Sweden. In addition, the atsec U.S. organization operates a Cryptographic and Security Testing Laboratory accredited under the Cryptographic Module Validation and the Cryptographic Algorithm Validation Programs of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the U.S. and Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) in Canada for validating cryptographic modules under the FIPS 140-2 standard.

atsec is also an experienced Payment Card Industry (PCI) Security Standards Council Qualified Security Assessor (QSA), Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV), and Payment Application Qualified Security Assessor (PA-QSA) and accredited as a third-party auditor for the North American Security Products Organization (NASPO).

We work with leading global companies such as Apple, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Samsung, Quantum Corporation, Red Hat, and ZTE Corporation.

About Watchdata
Watchdata is a well-established and recognized pioneer in innovative data security and smart card technology solutions. Watchdata offerings include mobile proximity payment in SIMpass™ and SDpass™, digital signature and authentication solutions, embedded security access modules, and the award winning TimeCOS® operating system that is widely used in the fields of cashless payment, e-commerce, health, and social services. Watchdata serves numerous markets, including mobile telecommunication, transportation, social security, finance, identification, public utilities, and e-government. Watchdata currently operates in Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.watchdata.com