In January 2009 North-West Telecom successful ly completed the certification of the information system of OJSC N.W. Telecom's human resources management unit* for compliance with the requirement s of the current RF legislation on personal data protection**.

Benchmark testing was carried out by the Information Protection Centre of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Vektor Research Institute***, which is well-versed in creating comprehensive information security systems and in certifying IT object s for compliance with the information security requirement s .

In the recent years, OJSC N.W. Telecom has been regularly working on centralization of automated systems processing personal data of both subscribers and employees of the Company.   Upgrading and merging the existing automated systems is planned for 2009 for the purpose of improving the information processing procedures efficiency and ensuring the maximum level of information protection in compliance with the requirement s of the Federal Law "On Personal Data" and other regulatory documents.

OJSC N.W. Telecom has been one of the first among the interregional communication companies of the Svyazinvest group to receive the certificate of compliance with the information security requirement s for a system processing personal data.   "In pursuance of the requirement s of the Russian legislation, we will continue the work of classifying and preparing for the certification all our information systems", A. Ye. Megvinov, Director of the Security Department of OJSC N.W.Telecom , noted.

* The information system for recruitment, evaluation and psychological testing of personnel was certified and classified.

** The information system has been classified and certified in compliance with the Federal Law of the Russian Federation of 27.07.2006 No. 152-FZ "On Personal Data", the Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of 17.11.2007 No. 781 "On Approving the Provision s on Ensuring the Security of Personal Data during their Processing in Personal Data Information Systems" and the Order of FSTEC ( Federal Service for Technical and Export Control) of Russia, FSB ( Federal Security Service) of Russia and the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications of Russia of 13.02.2008 No. 55/86/20 "On Approving the Procedure of Personal Data Systems Classification".

*** FGUP NII Vektor was founded in 1908 and is the oldest radioelectronic enterprise of the country . The Information Protection Centre , a division of FGUP NII Vektor, works on creating systems for the protection of corporate networks and LAN segments of various complexity degrees and information security subsystems of automated complexes and on certification of IT objects (protected versions of automated systems) for compliance with the information security requirements . A number of orders are being done for state authorities, the FSB, enterprises of the defence industry and other agencies.