West at Home PCI-DSS Certification and Security Audit Raise the Bar

West at Home, LLC, one of the nation’s leading providers of home-based customer contact solutions, announced its compliance as a Level 1 service provider under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS). The company also has completed a rigorous independent security audit of its Locked-Down Desktop Security Environment. These significant milestones enhance and strengthen West at Home’s position as a visible leader in the industry.

The PCI Data Security Standard establishes a set of 12 industry-wide requirements that service providers must adhere to in order to safeguard sensitive data. The 12 requirements fall under general categories such as network security, vulnerability management, access control, monitoring and testing. All Level 1 providers must undergo an annual on-site PCI Data Security Assessment by an independent Qualified Security Assessor to remain in compliance.

"Inherently, home agent providers face a greater challenge achieving PCI-DSS compliance than brick-and-mortar providers," said Dan Hicks, senior vice president of home agent business development for West Corporation. "That’s why achieving PCI-DSS compliance specifically for our West at Home program is not only a critical step in providing the highest level of service to our clients, but it clearly demonstrates our commitment to delivering the most comprehensive and secure home agent model in the industry."

In addition to achieving PCI-DSS compliant certification, West also has successfully completed rigorous third-party security penetration and vulnerability testing of its West at Home Locked-Down Desktop Security Environment. The independent security testing company that conducted the assessment is often called upon to perform risk assessments by many of the Fortune 500 and over 50 of the largest financial services enterprises.

"For any company, protecting customer data is one of their highest priorities," Hicks continued. "That is why we take security so seriously at West at Home. From the agents we hire and the equipment they use, to our network infrastructure, West at Home’s security measures provide clients with peace of mind that their valuable customer data is safe."

According to Michael DeSalles, industry analyst with Frost & Sullivan, "PCI-DSS compliance is a very important addition to the West at Home Locked-Down Desktop solution. Frost & Sullivan believes that West has consistently been on the leading edge of the home agent movement and moves the industry forward with this security enhancement. This is the next level in successfully managing security utilizing the agent’s existing computer, and then proactively testing the application for vulnerabilities. West is taking a giant leap forward in providing peace of mind for its clients and improving the all-important customer experience."

About West at Home
West at Home is one of the nation’s leading providers of home-based customer contact solutions. West at Home helps Fortune 1000 companies deliver unparalleled results through a combination of higher quality, better educated agents and a highly scalable, state-of-the-art infrastructure. West at Home employs the industry’s most comprehensive agent training, management and monitoring processes and features multi-layered security protection. This helps companies protect their customer data, achieve a higher level of quality service, improve staffing flexibility and realize a greater return on their investment.

West at Home is a subsidiary of West Corporation, the nation’s leading provider of outsourced communication solutions. For more information, please visit www.westathome.com.

About West Corporation
West Corporation is a leading provider of outsourced communication solutions to many of the world’s largest companies, organizations and government agencies. West helps its clients communicate effectively, maximize the value of their customer relationships and drive greater profitability from every interaction. The company’s integrated suite of customized solutions includes customer acquisition, customer care, automated customer contact solutions, business-to-business sales and account management solutions, emergency communications, conferencing and accounts receivable management services.

Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, West has a team of 39,000 employees based in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information on West Corporation, please call 1-800-841-9000 or visit www.west.com.