GuardID and Equifax to Co-Promote Consumer Solutions for Two-Factor Authentication and Identity Theft Protection

SAN MATEO, Calif., Dec. 6  /PRNewswire/ -- GuardID Systems(TM) today announced it has entered into a co-marketing agreement with Equifax. Under the agreement Equifax will offer ID Vault and the GuardID Trusted Network to its base of Equifax Personal Solutions customers. In addition, GuardID's ID Vault retail package will include a special offer for Equifax Credit Watch(TM), an industry-leading credit monitoring product. ID Vault is the industry's first two-factor authentication solution available directly to consumers.

"Equifax is already the leader in monitoring consumers' credit information to help them protect their identities," said Chris Atwood, vice president of product management for Equifax Personal Solutions. "Those consumers will also benefit from ID Vault, which provides an innovative solution to protect their online financial accounts."

Consumers use the ID Vault to securely store user names and passwords outside of the PC to protect themselves against keyboard loggers, phishing, pharming and other online threats. Based on proven smart card technology, the ID Vault is a removable USB device that plugs into the USB port of any Windows XP or Vista-enabled PC.

ID Vault works with the GuardID Trusted Network -- a network that constantly monitors the security and integrity of Internet addresses for thousands of financial institutions and brokerages. By accessing online service providers through the GuardID Trusted Network, consumers can be confident they are visiting a legitimate site and not a fraudulent copy.

ID Vault is easy to use and portable. It can also be used with any non- financial Web site that requires a sign-in, such as online newspapers, email or other Web destinations. It is available directly to consumers over the Internet and at leading merchants like Comp USA, Circuit City and Best Buy. The suggested retail price is $49.99.

The risks to online consumers addressed by ID Vault continue to grow. Approximately 109 million U.S. adults received phishing e-mail attacks in 2006 according to a new survey announced by Gartner, Inc. in November 2006. Respondents reported an average loss per victim of $1,244, up nearly fivefold from a year ago. In a news release, Avivah Litan, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner, said she believes this is because "thieves seem to be targeting higher-income earners who are also more likely to transact on the Internet."

"Everyone is asking the banks and other online companies to solve these security problems; we're turning that thinking upside down by giving online banking customers a way to protect themselves," said Jeff Scheel, executive vice president of GuardID Systems. "To have a company of the stature of Equifax promote our solution to their customers is a great testimony to the value of our approach."

About Equifax:

Equifax Inc. is a global leader in information technology that enables and secures global commerce with consumers and businesses. We are one of the largest sources of consumer and commercial data. Utilizing our databases, advanced analytics and proprietary enabling technology, we provide real-time answers for our customers. This innovative ability to transform information into intelligence is valued by customers across a wide range of industries and markets.  Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Equifax employs approximately 4,800 people in 14 countries throughout North America, Latin America and Europe. Equifax was founded 107 years ago, and today is a member of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500(R) Index. Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EFX.

About GuardID Systems:

GuardID Systems, a privately held company, designs, develops and markets two-factor authentication systems to help consumers protect themselves against online identity theft. For more information, please visit http://www.guardidsystems.com/.

Copyright (C) 2006 Guard ID Systems. All rights reserved. 

DATASOURCE: Guard ID Systems



CONTACT:  Paulien Ruijssenaars of Guard ID Systems, [phone] or

; or Jennifer Costello of Equifax Inc.,

[phone] or 



Web site:  http://www.guardidsystems.com/ 

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