TeleCommunication Systems and ISACA Collaborate on New Laboratory for Cybersecurity Training and Certification to Address Global Talent Shortage

ANNAPOLIS, Md., April 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- TeleCommunication Systems (TCS) (NASDAQ: TSYS) today announced that ISACA selected TCS's world leading Art of Exploitation^® cybersecurity training and services portfolio, including its PerformanScore^® learning and development tool, for use in ISACA's new Cybersecurity Nexus (CSX) certification program. CSX is the first cybersecurity certification to combine skills-based training with performance-based exams. TCS and ISACA, a global association of 140,000 professionals in 180 countries, have signed a three-year licensing agreement for TCS' curriculum and PerformanScore tool. 

TCS' Art of Exploitation (AoE™) Training curriculum has been used for advanced cybersecurity training of 12,000 government and enterprise professionals since 2009. TCS developed PerformanScore to measure a candidate's ability to find the most efficient or trusted approach to execute cybersecurity job tasks. It also allows instructors to provide guidance based upon each candidate's problem-solving technique. 

PerformanScore adaptively measures use of skills across a range of credible responses to cybersecurity threats, often based on actual incidents. The tool compares hands-on actions in a live-networked environment against grading criteria, which compare them to an adaptive scoring rubric in real-time. As a result, CSX instructors can provide instant and specific feedback that enables candidates to more rapidly and efficiently master cybersecurity techniques. ISACA is the first organization to offer PerformanScore.

News Facts:

• State of Cybersecurity: Implications for 2015, a recently released study by ISACA and the RSA Conference, reveals that one in three organizations is unable to fill open cybersecurity positions; and, less than half feel current security teams can detect and respond to complex cybersecurity incidents.
• ISACA's seven new CSX certifications, including CSX Practitioner, CSX Specialist and CSX Expert, help professionals build and evolve their careers in a constantly changing field while closing the skills gap for employers.
• ISACA will open CSX Practitioner training in June 2015, with the exam available in July.  More information is available at www.isaca.org/csx-certifications and www.isaca.org/csxnews .

TCS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Drew Morin, said: "ISACA is one of the world's largest IT certification bodies, and is using the CSX Certification to help close the gap between supply of and demand for cyber professionals. Our AoE portfolio and PerformanScore measurement tool, coupled with ISACA's extensive industry knowledge and certification experience, deliver advanced training for professionals to protect organizations in today's threat environment. Our relationship with ISACA provides access to AoE by a broad global market; we are proud to be their partners in the CSX certification program."

Robert E Stroud, CGEIT, CRISC, international president of ISACA and vice president of strategy and innovation at CA Technologies, said: "There is an urgent global need for skilled cybersecurity professionals. Through CSX, we are helping build a global cybersecurity workforce trained to combat advanced cyber threats, while also providing a way for organizations to be confident that they are hiring people with the right skills. CSX is setting a new standard in training and certifications, and TCS' PerformanScore grading tool is a key feature in providing an accurate assessment of a candidate's skills as they reach various levels and specialties throughout their career."

About ISACA
A global association of 140,000 professionals in 180 countries, ISACA® (www.isaca.org) helps business and IT leaders build trust in--and value from--information and information systems. Established in 1969, ISACA is the trusted source of knowledge, standards, networking, and career development for cybersecurity, and IS audit, assurance, risk, privacy and governance professionals. ISACA has more than 200 chapters worldwide.

About Art of Exploitation® (AoE™) Portfolio
The AoE portfolio safeguards networks against cybersecurity threats. AoE Training offers customized instruction in the fields of penetration testing, forensics, defense strategies, vulnerability analysis, software development, and reverse engineering. In addition to our state-of-the-art training facility in Hanover, Maryland, our instructors provide training across the globe. AoE Services provide information assurance best practices, perform vulnerability assessments, and investigate cyber malicious activity. AoE Labs conduct security testing and validation of application and software source code. AoE gathers the brightest minds in the cybersecurity realm for research, collaboration, and development of industry leading technologies to protect critical networks. To learn more, visit http://www.artofexploitation.com.

About TeleCommunication Systems, Inc.
TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS), headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, is a world leader in secure and highly reliable wireless communications. Our patented solutions, global presence, operational support and engineering talent enable 9-1-1, commercial location-based services and deployable wireless infrastructure; cybersecurity; defense and aerospace components; and applications for mobile location-based services and messaging. Our principal customers are wireless network operators, defense and public safety government agencies, and Fortune 150 enterprises requiring high reliability and security. Learn more at www.telecomsys.com.

Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements as defined within Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based upon TCS' current expectations and assumptions that if incorrect would cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Risks include those detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances, or otherwise.

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SOURCE TeleCommunication Systems, Inc.

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