Leading Vendor of Test Data Management Solutions, Grid-tools, Partner with Leading Provider of IT Security, Pentest

    OXFORD, ENGLAND, September 25, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Grid-Tools Limited, the premiere vendor of test data management, data generation, database subsetting and data obfuscation (data masking) software is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Pentest, a leading IT security and penetration testing services provider in the UK. The two have joined in a strategic partnership to target test data compliance and data security measures in testing and development. For more information, please visit: www.grid-tools.com or call UK: +44 (0) 1865 884600, USA: 1-866-563-3120. You can also visit www.pentest.co.uk or call UK: +44 (0) 1612 330100.

Data Security and Compliance Expertise Combined with Data Security and Compliance Solutions Pentest, an accredited ISO consultancy, offer expert knowledge in database security and data compliance.

Recognized as leaders in the field of database security, Pentest offers a complete database security assessment service to businesses that rely on the security of the information held within their databases or have concerns relating to the security compliance of these databases.

The service delivers a documented, comprehensive, and in-depth analysis of the current security posture of existing relational databases providing its primary audience of security managers, auditors, compliance officers and senior managers with the information they need to ensure that company databases and their contents are adequately protected.

Grid-Tools Ltd offer data management solutions and alternatives to current practices in testing and development that are aligned with compliance measures and government standards like HIPAA, The PCI DSS, SOX and the UK Data Protection Act. Grid-Tools offer three distinct ways to manage and create data for testing and development; database subsetting, data obfuscation (data masking) and test data generation. The three methods can be used in isolation or conjunction offering versatility and flexibility depending on requirements.

The combined skills and expertise of Grid-Tools and Pentest now provides customers with assurance that the data within the database is secured throughout its full life-cycle from development and testing through to production.

Whether used as part of a compliance programme or to manage your company's exposure to threats, the partnership provides customers with the assurance that database security is properly managed, that database security tools and techniques are being used properly and that the information within your corporate databases is secure as reported.

Huw Price, Grid-Tools Managing Director, stated, "Copying data from production databases and using it in testing and development is no longer considered an "acceptable" practice. Grid-Tools offer the most powerful test data generator, with the ability to easily publish business intact data with similar characteristics to production data. The data generation method is one of the only ways to ensure that no production data is leaked into the public domain. It is also the only way to ensure maximum code coverage. Data generation combined with Grid-Tools other methods like database subsetting, data obfuscation and data masking provides customers with the armour to resolve compliance problems. Grid-Tools are the only tool vendor offering all three solutions".

John Denneny, Pentest Managing Director, stated, "For almost all organizations, their corporate data is an absolutely crucial business asset. Without access to the information in their corporate databases, most companies would be unable to conduct their day-to-day business. While in recent years, most companies have invested heavily in trying to protect the availability of corporate data, there has been a glaring oversight within the industry to ensure that access to the production data is appropriate, controlled and audited. While database performance and availability remain the key areas of concern for most DBAs, for compliance officers and security managers data confidentiality and integrity take precedence. Thankfully, the industry is waking up to risks associated with poorly secured databases and the shift in approach to ensuring that corporate data is adequately protected against a wider range of threats including theft, destruction and modification is gaining momentum."

About Pentest
Pentest Limited is an IT Security Company focussed on providing independent security consultancy services to major organisations across the UK, Europe and North America. Pentest have a wealth of security expertise specialising in Strategic Security Consultancy, Database Security, Application Security, and the security of common technologies within popular business solutions.

About Grid-Tools
Grid-Tools are specialists in data generation, test data management and information lifecycle management. Their experienced personnel have been writing and developing solutions for large companies in both the private and public sectors for nearly 30 years.

The Grid-Tools Datamaker Suite includes a wide range of tools for test data management including such innovative products as Datamaker, a revolutionary tool that creates and publishes quality test data with the referential integrity of production environments for testing and development. Datamaker offers three methods for managing and generating data in testing and development inclusive of database subsetting, data obfuscation (data masking and data compliance) and synthetic data generation.

The Grid-Tools methodology consists of using the "data-centric" approach to testing whereby their focus is to ensure the quality of the test data you are using is of the right quality for successful testing and maintaining data compliance standards. For more information visit: www.grid-tools.com

For more information, please visit: www.grid-tools.com or call 01865 884600
or USA: 1-866-563-3120

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