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BEW Global Helps First Federal Bank With Data Protection Projects

BEW Global, an Information Asset Protection and Network Security solution provider and First Federal Bank (NASDAQ: FFSX) released a case study discussing the consulting services and product integration BEW Global provided to First Federal Bank resulting in the optimization of the banks network security and data protection posture. (to read the entire case study, visit www.bewglobal.com)

Vice President of First Federal Bank, Lee Van Wyhe states, "In today's competitive financial services market, the challenge is to offer more services in a more convenient manner at a reduced cost with increased information security. The heightened security risk and the publicity of several high profile financial scandals has caused Congress to pass several laws such as Sarbanes-Oxley and GLBA to ensure the privacy and protection of customer information. BEW Global played a pivotal role in providing cost effective consulting services and product recommendations, as well as integration services that allow First Federal Bank to maintain competitiveness while improving the overall security environment."

"The team at First Federal Bank understood that implementing an information security management system required a mix of process, training, management buy-in and technology," said Robert Eggebrecht, Senior Partner at BEW Global. "Our focus of building strong relationships with our client's rather than approaching engagements as 'product-pushers' continues to differentiate us in the market and translating into success stories with each client engagement."

Similar security projects involving BEW Global have recently been highlighted in [eWeek's] August 22nd, 2005 Security Solutions Case Study; "Collections Giant Finds Safe Haven" and in the October 18th article of [Compliance Week] "Companies Deal With New Data Security Regulations."

In addition, with so many IT integration firms and product manufactures putting on the "security" hat to ride the wave of regulatory compliancy, the BEW Global team has differentiated itself as well as illustrated their commitment to best practices in data protection by sending staff through the only certified BS 7799 Lead Auditor course in North America. Robert Eggebrecht stated, "by mapping our data protection services against the ISO 27001 Information Security Management System standards, we have provided a strong foundation for building trusting relationships with our clients. The ISO 27001 standard provides an umbrella of data security best practices that can help organizations map their controls to multiple regulatory metrics, including GLBA, HIPAA and SOX."

About BEW Global

BEW Global Inc. (www.bewglobal.com) is an Information Asset Protection and Network Security solution provider. Our focus is helping organizations successfully protect their information assets and the underlying networks used to store and distribute those assets on a global basis. Our services are essential to firms that understand the value of information assets and the ease of information asset portability in the digital age. BEW Global maps their data protection services to the ISO 27001/BS7799 Information Security Management System (ISMS) standard to help their client's implement internationally recognized best practices. BEW Global is headquartered in Colorado, with international offices located in Singapore and London.

About First Federal Bankshares, Inc.

First Federal Bankshares, Inc (a NASDAQ publicly traded firm "FFSX") operates as the holding company for First federal Bank, which provides traditional financial services in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. The bank offers various deposits and loan products. Its deposit products include checking, regular savings, money market deposits, term certificate accounts, and individual retirement accounts. First federal Bank's loan product portfolio is comprised of commercial business loans, home equity, first and second mortgage, auto loans, loans on deposits, and other non-mortgage loans.

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