John South, chief security officer at Heartland Payment Systems® (NYSE: HPY), one of the nation's largest processors, has received the Information Security Executive® (ISE®) Central 2011 Award from T.E.N. -- Tech Exec Networks, Inc., a national technology and information security executive networking organization. The ISE Central Awards recognize outstanding achievements in risk management, data asset protection, compliance and privacy and network security. Winners and finalists in the executive and project categories were announced at the ISE Central Executive Forum and Awards on June 7 at the Westin Galleria Hotel in Dallas, Texas.

South was honored for his work securing Heartland's enterprise through risk management and mitigation initiatives, as well as his collaborative efforts to help other organizations in the financial services industry protect themselves from cybercriminals. The founding president of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's North Texas InfraGard Program and co-founder of the University of Dallas' Information Assurance Program, John was also recognized for his various contributions to these and other industry organizations.

"As companies worldwide are faced with sophisticated cybercrime attacks, information security is undoubtedly one of the most critical functions in today's day and age," noted Marci McCarthy, chief executive officer and President of T.E.N. "John is an innovative and creative information security professional and we are pleased to honor him with this award."

Bob Carr, chairman and chief executive officer at Heartland, added, "John is an information security guru and we couldn't be happier to have him leading our corporate security group. He is a pillar in the community, working tirelessly not only for the best interests of Heartland, but also for the industry at large."

About Heartland Payment Systems

Heartland Payment Systems, Inc. (NYSE: HPY), the fifth largest payments processor in the United States, delivers credit/debit/prepaid card processing, gift marketing and loyalty programs, payroll, check management and related business solutions to more than 250,000 business locations nationwide. A FORTUNE 1000 company, Heartland is the founding supporter of The Merchant Bill of Rights, a public advocacy initiative that educates merchants about fair credit and debit card processing practices. The company is also a leader in the development of end-to-end encryption technology designed to protect cardholder data, rendering it useless to cybercriminals. For more information, please visit HeartlandPaymentSystems.com, MerchantBillOfRights.org, CostOfABurger.com and E3secure.com.

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Leanne Scott Brown, 610-455-2742
LBrown@VaultCommunications.com