BS7799-2:2002 is the latest version of BS7799-2, an internationally recognized standard for information system security management established by the BSI (British Standards Institute), and ISMS Standard certification is a third-party information security management assessment program operated by the Japan Information Processing Development Corporation (JIPDEC).

The BS7799-2:2002 and ISMS certifications were awarded by BSI Japan on December 13 in recognition of the ongoing JCB commitment to protecting customer and business partner data from internal and external threats. JCB information security management was assessed in credit card operations and in the related areas of card operations services, financing, credit guarantee, collections, and gift certificate issuing and sales.

The scope of ISMS certification includes JCB headquarters in Minami Aoyama, the JCB Card Center in Mitaka, and the JCB office in Akasaka, including some 40 departments and 3,500 employees, covering about 80% of the entire organization. All JCB offices within Japan are scheduled to complete the certification process within 2006, while JCB offices and subsidiaries outside Japan will begin moving toward certification as well. JCB is working hard to build an environment in which customers can use the JCB card with peace of mind.

"We are committed to protecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our customer and business partner's information," said Mr. Nobuaki Tanaka, Director & Chief Information Security Officer of JCB in Tokyo. "This achievement is a testament to the hard work of JCB employees and management, and our commitment to ensuring the security of our customers information."

JCB is entrusted with the personal information of millions of cardholders, as well as sensitive business data from business partners. Recent incidents involving the leaking or theft of personal data including credit card data have started to receive more attention in the mass media in Japan. Consequently, information security has become a matter of critical concern to individual consumers and corporations alike, and certification is now being used more and more often as a way to determine if a company meets objective standards.

AboutJCB
JCB is an international credit card brand and the largest card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding overseas in 1981. Its merchant network includes 12.4 million merchants and spans 190 countries and territories. JCB cards are now issued in 19 countries and territories, with 55.14 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with more than 350 leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. JCB's corporate philosophy of "Service from the heart", a commitment to responsive and high-quality service, continues to guide it as it creates the future together with its customers, merchants and partners. For further information, please visit the JCB home page at: www.jcb-global.com/english or www.jcbcorporate.com/english.