Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro Taps Viisage for Identity Theft Verifi

    Business Editors/High-Tech Editors

    BILLERICA, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 2005--Viisage (Nasdaq: VISG), a leading provider of advanced technology identity solutions, today announced that the state attorney general of Ohio has selected Viisage to provide secure credentials as part of the state's new Identity Theft Verification Passport program. The first card was issued on February 2, 2005, marking the kickoff of this innovative program designed to help identity theft victims restore sole claim to their identities. The program is believed to be the first of its kind in the U.S.
    As instances of identity theft and fraud continue to rise, more and more Americans are faced with the difficult task of restoring their name and regaining control of their credit history. The Identity Theft Verification Passport Program - created by Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro and funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice - provides identity theft victims in Ohio with a new tool for rehabilitating credit history and combating fraudulent criminal charges. The digital photo ID cards, or "passports," that serve as the centerpiece of the program will be produced by Viisage and contain a number of enhanced security features uniquely tying the cardholder to the credential.
    "With the increase in instances of identity theft and fraud, the law enforcement community must take a leading role in helping citizens reclaim their identities," said Petro. "After a citizen becomes a victim of identity theft, their identity, credibility, and often credit must be restored. In Ohio, we initiated the Identity Theft Verification Passport program to proactively address the challenges a citizen faces after their identity is stolen. The advanced technology supporting the program is integral in reinstating that unique link between a citizen and his or her identity."
    Further, the program is expected to assist law enforcement in their investigations. Before a victim is identified, the victim may be considered a suspect. The passport information is designed to help law enforcement officials make the appropriate link between the citizen and his or her identity. Using the passport information and accessing the citizen's application information through a secure portal will assist law enforcement officials in identifying fraudulent charges and clearing the individual of any wrongdoing.
    "Our identities have become our most valuable asset," said Bernard Bailey, president and CEO of Viisage. "As criminals continue to uncover more sophisticated means of committing identity crimes, we must be able to counter those efforts with advanced technology tools that help prevent these crimes from occurring and on the back-end, help victims regain their identities. We are honored to be part of this innovative program initiated by the Ohio Attorney General's office. We look forward to helping the state and its citizens reduce the economic impact of identity theft."

    About Viisage

    Viisage (NASDAQ: VISG) delivers advanced technology identity solutions for governments, law enforcement agencies and businesses concerned with enhancing security, reducing identity theft, and protecting personal privacy. Viisage creates solutions using secure credentials and face recognition technologies that quickly, reliably, and accurately identify individuals. With over 3,000 installations worldwide, Viisage's identity solutions stand out as a result of the Company's industry-leading technology and unique understanding of customer needs.

    This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this document and those made from time to time by Viisage through its senior management are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to the future events or financial performance discussed in this release, based on management's beliefs and assumptions and information currently available. When used, the words "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "project", "should", "expect", "plan", "assume" and similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements concerning future plans or results are necessarily only estimates and actual results could differ materially from expectations. Certain factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, among other things, the size and timing of contract awards, performance on contracts, availability and cost of key components, unanticipated results from audits of the financial results of acquired companies, changing interpretations of generally accepted accounting principles, outcomes of government reviews, potential fluctuations in quarterly results, dependence on large contracts and a limited number of customers, lengthy sales and implementation cycles, market acceptance of new or enhanced products and services, proprietary technology and changing competitive conditions, system performance, management of growth, dependence on key personnel, ability to obtain project financing, general economic and political conditions and other factors affecting spending by customers, the unpredictable nature of working with government agencies and other risks, uncertainties and factors including those described from time to time in Viisage's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation, Viisage's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003 and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Viisage expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

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CONTACT: Viisage Maureen Todaro, 978-932-2438 mtodaro@viisage.com or PAN Communications Tara Murray, 978-474-1900 viisage@pancomm.com

KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: GOVERNMENT LEGAL/LAW TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOURCE: Viisage

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