FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

WINMAGIC DISK ENCRYPTION TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATED WITH PIV AND PKI IN U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE PILOT PROJECT

SecureDoc disk encryption software will help State Department meet
HSPD-12 compliancy

Mississauga, Ontario, November 16, 2005 - WinMagic(R) Inc., the innovative leader in full-disk encryption solutions, announces that it is has begun working on a pilot project with the U.S. Department of State, which will lead the department to a Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) compliant solution.

The pilot project centers on the integration of a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card and biometrics with Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and disk encryption. WinMagic, along with Entrust(R), Precise Biometrics(TM), SafeNet(R), and VMware(R) are working together on the pilot project.

"Proactive federal agencies recognize the necessity to integrate data protection solutions such as the full-disk encryption offered by WinMagic's SecureDoc(R) with already mandated authentication technologies," says Thi Nguyen-Huu, CEO, WinMagic. "These agencies realize this will not only protect sensitive data on computers from both internal and external security breaches, but will also prevent unauthorized access from stolen laptops."

"We have supported smart cards and PKI at pre-boot since 2001," adds Nguyen-Huu. "Our partnership with the companies in the pilot project for the Department of State shows that WinMagic is the obvious choice for government agencies looking for a way to maximize their investment in multifactor authentication technology and data security with a lower-cost solution that supports PKI technology and HSPD-12/PIV regulations."

"Precise Biometrics is excited about our involvement with the innovative work being undertaken with WinMagic for the Department of State," says Christer Bergman, president and CEO of Precise Biometrics. "We view the development of pre-boot authentication based on PIV and supporting HSPD-12 as an essential tool for truly securing the government's critical IT infrastructure. We are proud to provide our Precise Match-on-Card(TM) technology and our newly introduced Precise 200MC product to the program."

"The fact that SecureDoc has successfully passed government PKI interoperability tests, such as the Defense Information Systems Agency's PKI Interoperability Certification, highlights WinMagic's smart card and PKI integration foresight — years prior to HSPD 12," says Nguyen-Huu. "We believe that the imminent requirements of HSPD-12 and FIPS 201 will establish WinMagic's SecureDoc as the de-facto pre-boot disk encryption standard by 2006."


About HSPD-12

HSPD-12, published by the White House in August 2004, states that all federal government employees and contractors (including contractor employees) must utilize smart card technology, containing their "digital identity" in the form of a PKI certificate, in order to gain physical access to federally controlled facilities and logical access to federally controlled information systems. HSPD-12, designed to enhance security, increase government efficiency, reduce identity fraud, and protect personal privacy, must be implemented by October 26, 2005, will have a major impact on how federal employees and government contractors access both their workplace and their computer.

About Precise Biometrics

Precise Biometrics AB is an innovative security company that supplies world-leading systems for fingerprint and smart card-based authentication. The company's solutions replace keys, PIN codes and passwords and enhance the integrity of ID cards and passports. With its proprietary Precise Match-on-Card(R) technology, the company is a market leader within smart ID cards. The product line includes systems for access control to buildings, computers and networks and for integration into ID cards and passports. The group headquarters are in Lund, Sweden. It also has subsidiaries in London and Washington, DC. The subsidiary Fyrplus Teknik is based in Karlstad and has regional offices in Linköping and the subsidiary Loqware is based in Gothenburg. Precise Biometrics is listed on the O-list of the Stockholm Stock Exchange (symbol: PREC A). For more information, please visit http://www.precisebiometrics.com or contact Christer Bergman, president and CEO, Precise Biometrics, by phone at +1(0)703 405 8255 or by e-mail at christer.bergman@precisebiometrics.com.

About WinMagic Inc.

WinMagic(R) Inc. http://www.winmagic.com develops disk encryption software. Its SecureDoc(R) line of products ensures protection of sensitive information stored on desktops and laptops by employing authentication from password to hardware token, biometrics and PKI, commencing right at pre-boot time. WinMagic's award-winning products fulfill the requirements of even the most security-conscious users by focusing on concrete security features while still offering unparalleled flexibility. Utilizing Public Key Cryptographic Standards PKCS-11 from the ground-up for extreme adaptability, the SecureDoc line has earned an impressive list of validations, including NIST Cryptographic Module Validation and FIPS 140-1 Level 2, and is scheduled to obtain the Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 4 (EAL-4) certification. WinMagic Inc. is a Canadian company based in Mississauga, Ontario. For more information concerning WinMagic's products or services, please visit the company website, call 1-888-879-5879 toll-free in North America or +1 905 502-7000 worldwide, or e-mail info@winmagic.com.

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