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WireHead Security Launches Information Security and Consulting Services for SMBs

RALEIGH, NC – August 17, 2009 Start-up professional services firm WireHead SecurityTM (www.wireheadsecurity.com) today introduced its suite of information security and consulting services aimed at helping the SMB, education and government organizations to address the growing problems of online theft, cyber fraud and the steady stream of new security vulnerabilities.  From vulnerability assessments, penetration testing and training to effective remediation, WireHead Security delivers high-quality information security and consulting services that help small- to medium-sized organizations combat threats and institute policies and procedures to safeguard their security. WireHead focuses on several industries, including higher education, K-12, government, banking and insurance, healthcare, manufacturing, scientific research and other SMB enterprises.

WireHead Security’s customers receive the benefits of an external team of expert security consultants who add value by bringing their knowledge and experience to clients’ security challenges. WireHead Security consultants are product- and vendor-neutral experts with up-to-the-minute knowledge of security issues, and who are active speakers and participants in standards groups such as OWASP, (the Open Web Application Security Project) and WASC (The Web Application Security Consortium). The firm’s proven methodology enables it to deliver the informed, independent assessment and remediation of vulnerabilities that are required for effective threat prevention.
Hackers, fraudsters and cyber thieves are growing increasingly relentless, and simply being a smaller organization that’s not in the Fortune 500 offers no immunity to threats. According to a recent study by CompTIA (www.comptia.org), while the number of attacks in 2008 did not grow substantially, the severity of attacks has steadily risen since 2006.  The average cost of attacks suffered by those organizations surveyed was between $5,000 and $10,000, while the mean cost was more than $85,000.
Small to medium-sized organizations face special challenges in addressing the growing host of potential security problems. Among those problems are new threats such as Web applications, social engineering, and misuse of publicly available data as well as increased use of social networking and mobile computing services. Most IT and network managers operate with limited staff and rely on an external consulting firm to ensure they’re following up-to-date best practices. In addition, regulatory compliance requires robust security testing and analysis. SMBs need to document the steps they’ve taken by turning report data into actionable intelligence that helps them more effectively secure their networks.
“Mike Menefee and his team handled the full scope of security testing for us, from vulnerability assessment and penetration testing, to examination of our web applications and wireless infrastructure,” said Jeff Howlett, CIO of Meredith College (www.meredith.edu) in Raleigh, NC. “They delivered a report providing concrete, actionable information, written in language easily understood by senior management. It enabled our Technology Services group to get the necessary budget to upgrade our network equipment, software applications and tools, and move the College to a new level of security preparedness. WireHead Security is the most professional consulting firm I have worked with in 15 years in this business.” 
Noted Michael Menefee, president of WireHead Security, “Despite being a #1 priority, the rapid growth of network and cyber security threats poses a daunting challenge for IT at a time of tighter budgets and staff reductions.  That’s why IT and network managers often need to work with external resources like our firm, to gain the expertise they need to address information security threats proactively and guard against the growing number and types of attack.”
“The problem for many is finding a firm that understands their organization’s needs and has services to match,” Menefee continued.  “We help clients to identify and analyze their network vulnerabilities. By improving the effectiveness of their preventative security measures, our consulting and services enable our customers to better reduce their business risks by remediating their most dangerous and costly security weaknesses.”
WireHead Security’s solutions and services help clients improve their security in the following areas:
· Compliance readiness,
· Penetration testing ,
· Web application assessments,
· Source code reviews,
· Social engineering assessments,
· Internal risk assessments,
· Wireless assessments,
· VoIP assessments, and
· Training re: security awareness, products, technology and OWASP standards issues.
About WireHead Security
WireHead Security enables its clients to reduce their business risks by remediating dangerous and costly information security weaknesses. The company’s mission is to deliver high-quality security and consulting services that help organizations combat threats and institute policies and procedures to safeguard their security. WireHead is relentless in its pursuit of solutions to the growing problems of online theft, cyber fraud and the steady stream of new vulnerabilities.  The firm’s proven methodology enables it to deliver the informed, independent view of customer vulnerabilities that is required for effective threat prevention. As vendor-neutral experts with up-to-the-minute knowledge of security issues that can change daily, WireHead’s expert security consultants are well qualified to perform a broad range of services. These include resolving major security challenges such as security assessment and testing, threat prevention, remediation, training, policies and procedures, regulatory compliance, and staying current with best practices.
Based in Raleigh, NC, WireHead Security LLC is privately held and was founded in January 2009. More information can be found on the Web at www.wireheadsecurity.com. You can follow WireHead Security on Twitter at http://twitter.com/WireHeadLLC, or follow Mike Menefee’s blog at http://www.hackyourself.net.
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WireHead Security is a trademark of WireHead Security LLC.
Contact:
Pam Foote
Parker Communications
pfoote@parkercomms.com
978.691.5572