OREANDA-NEWS. On December 24, 2007 AsiaUniversalBank has successfully passed a certification test according to the international standards of the Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) - ISO/IEC 27001:2005; thereby the Bank has proved its status of a modern and reliable bank that satisfies the requirements of the international level, reported the press-centre of AsiaUniversalBank.

This event will have a positive effect both on the Bank’s client services and on the Kyrgyzstan’s image in general, since AsiaUniversalBank became the first bank at the CIS territory, which received the certificate of conformity with ISMS international standards requirements.

“Over a 10 year period of its activity AsiaUniversalBank has established a reputation as an innovator in the sphere of introduction of new banking products, services and management methods. This fact allows us not only to keep up a high level of client services but to have one of the largest customer bases in Kyrgyzstan. Of course, having such an impressive data assets, we must ensure an absolute protection and an adequate management of all obtained information for out clients. Information security is one of the most important factors in the banking sector, and AsiaUniversalBank completely corresponds to high international standards in this respect,” stated Mikhail Nadel, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of OJSC “AsiaUniversalBank”.

Currently the issues of introduction of Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) and IT Service Management Systems (IT SMS) are placed emphasis on all over the world. Being the leader in the KR banking system according to numerous key showing, AsiaUniversalBank has successfully passed a certification audit of the British Standards Institution (BSI) , once again has left behind other banks, and not only Kyrgyzstan’s but CIS countries’ banks at that. Only those companies, which conform to the strictest international standards requirements and strive for permanent improvement of their information security management systems, are able to pass ISMS certification audit. AsiaUniversalBank passed the certification according to ISO/IEC 27001 standard, equally with the biggest world banks, such as The World Bank, Bank of America, Bank of China, Citibank, Royal Bank of Scotland, Federal Reserve Bank of New York and others.

A creation of an integrated basis, that allows the company to effectively protect all confidential information, is one more obvious advantage of the certification. Thus, the fact that AsiaUniversalBank had passed the certification audit for compliance with ISO/IEC 27001 standard became the best evidence and guarantee of confidential information’s security for the Bank’s customers and partners.

“For several years AsiaUniversalBank has carried out a work on improvement of its information safety system. We undertook some measures on information protection with a view to its confidentiality, integrity, accessibility, which helped us to gain clients’ confidence of a very high level, and to considerably decrease transaction exposure and insurance risk levels.

Within the framework of ISMS creation, the following business processes have been improved or introduced: risk management, business continuity management, information security policy’s analysis and revision, administrative analysis, management of change, permanent ISMS experts’ professional development and instruction, superintendence over the Bank personnel’s records, documents and physical security as well as the Bank’s manpower policy. For the Bank’s customers it is very important to know that all information is safeguarded, and the Bank’s employees permanently increase their competence by means of training and can help clients with any problem. Such system of management helped us to successfully pass the certification and prove that AsiaUniversalBank satisfies the highest requirements both international and corporative”, made his conclusion Kubanychbek Zakenayev, the Head of Information Security Department.

The reports of the World Trade Organization mention a special role of the international standards: in the judgment of WTO, a certification in accordance with the international standards is considered to be a basis of a competitive ability at new markets and an essential condition for maintaining own position at the local market.

About BSI Management Systems Company
BSI is an acknowledged authority in the sphere of certification of management systems. It is considered to be the biggest certification institution in the world – over 80 000 clients in more than 100 countries all over the world.

BSI is the founder of ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and the originator of the British national standards BS 5750, BS 7750, BS 8800, BS 7799, BS 15000 and others, many of which were accepted at ISO as international ones (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, ISO 27001 e ISO 20000 respectively).

BSI Company (British Standards Institution) is the recognized world leader in the sphere of training and certification of Management Systems. It had been one of the founders of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the originator of the British standards, which subsequently became the most reputed international ISO standards, of 9000, 14000, 18000, 22000, TS 16949, 17799, 27001 series. BSI accounts for 45% of the world services on certification of Information Security Management Systems market.