Securing All Entry Points: Hughes Announces New Wireless PCI Scanning Service

New Security Service Assists Retailers in Meeting PCI Wi-Fi Standards Quickly and Cost Effectively

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Jan 11, 2010, 08:00 ET

GERMANTOWN, Md., Jan. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite networks and services, today announced a new PCI wireless scanning service as part of its HughesNet® Security Services suite. The new service assists retailers to quickly and cost effectively meet Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) guidelines that require them to ensure the security of the cardholder data environment by scanning all sites for wireless threats, even when Wi-Fi is not deployed at the site.

As part of the managed service, Hughes operates a centralized delivery system employing a wireless access point at each retail location, which scans for the presence of unauthorized wireless devices. Any rogue wireless device is detected automatically and the retailer is notified electronically for remediation actions. Optionally, Hughes can dispatch a trained technician to locate and remove the rogue device.

"Before the PCI Security Standards Council published new wireless guidelines in July 2009, many retailers believed they only needed to scan for rogue Wi-Fi devices if they implemented Wi-Fi at a location," said Sampath Ramaswami, Hughes Solutions Group. "Many also thought they needed to scan only a sampling of their sites to be compliant. The new guideline states all retailers must scan all their sites at least once a quarter, whether they use Wi-Fi or not. As a result, retailers are finding that they need to address this deficiency as soon as possible or potentially lose their PCI compliance."

According to Ramaswami, "Deploying a Wi-Fi scanning solution can represent a significant investment in training, equipment, and staff. For years, leading companies in the retail, restaurant, and hospitality industries have relied on Hughes to provide PCI-compliant network solutions and this new enhancement to our security offering assists retailers to rapidly deploy a cost effective solution to preserve their PCI certification and better protect their customers."

To learn more about HughesNet Security Services, visit www.enterprise.hughes.com.

About Hughes Network Systems

Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) is the global leader in providing broadband satellite networks and services for large enterprises, governments, small businesses, and consumers. HughesNet( )encompasses all broadband solutions and managed services from Hughes, bridging the best of satellite and terrestrial technologies. Its broadband satellite products are based on global standards approved by the TIA, ETSI and ITU standards organizations, including IPoS/DVB-S2, RSM-A and GMR-1. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 2.1 million systems to customers in over 100 countries.

Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes maintains sales and support offices worldwide. Hughes is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hughes Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: HUGH). For additional information, please visit www.hughes.com.

SOURCE Hughes Network Systems, LLC