South Wins First-ever ISE® of the Decade Central Award for Leadership Against Cybercrime

PRINCETON, N.J. June 29, 2012–John South, chief security officer at Heartland Payment Systems (NYSE: HPY), one of the nation’s largest payments processors, has wonthe inaugural Information Security Executive® (ISE®) of the Decade Central Award from T.E.N. – Tech Exec Networks, Inc., a nationaltechnology and information security executive networking and relationship-marketing firm. The recipient of the ISE Central 2011 Award, South was selected from six previous ISE Award winners in honor of achieving the highest distinction in advancing the security industry in the region.

South was honored for his industry stewardship, including his leadership of industry organizations to fight cybercrime. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), the only industry forum for collaboration oncritical security threats facing the financial services sector. He also serves on the Board of Advisors of the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) to help strengthen security standards and protect cardholder data against threats worldwide. Additionally, South has been an active participant with the U.S. Secret Service North Texas Electronic Crimes Task Force since its inception in 2003 and is the founding president of the FBI’s North Texas InfraGard Program.

“The ISE® of the Decade Central Award represents the highest honor for an IT security professional, as it not only serves tohonor the ten year anniversary of the ISE® Programs, but also represents the culmination of a decade of past ISE® winners,” said Marci McCarthy, CEO and president of T.E.N. “John is an exemplary security practitioner who is well deserving of this once a decade recognition for his immense contributions to the information security industry, both in the central region and nationwide.”

Bob Carr, Heartland’s chairman and chief executive officer, added, “Through these and countless other efforts, John has solidified his pioneering role in the security industry. He has been at the vanguard of information security for more than 20 years and continues to work relentlessly to safeguard the Heartland enterprise and the payments ecosystem at large.”

South was also recognized for his dedication to empowering today’s security practitioners and helping to cultivate the next generation of security leaders. He co-founded, with Dr. John Nugent, the Insurance Assurance Program at the University of Dallas, which has beendesignated a National Security Agency Center of Excellence since its inception, and currently serves on its Board of Directors.

About Heartland Payment Systems

Heartland Payment Systems, Inc. (NYSE: HPY), the sixth largest payments processor in the United States, delivers credit/debit/prepaid cardprocessing, loyalty marketing services, payroll 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 detailed information, visit http://www.HeartlandPaymentSystems.com or follow the company on Twitter @HeartlandHPY and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/HeartlandHPY.

About T.E.N.

T.E.N., a national technology and security executive networking organization, facilitates peer-to-peer relationships between top executives, industry visionaries and solutions providers. Nominated for numerous industry awards, T.E.N.’s executive leadership programs enable information exchange, collaboration and decision-making. Their flagship program, the nationally acclaimed Information Security Executive® (ISE®) of the Year Program Series and Awards, is the nation’s largest leadership recognition and networking program for security professionals. Other offerings include the Software Security Assurance Summit Series and the ISE® Industry Expert Advisory Services, empowering IT solutions providers to gain access to highly credentialed IT business veterans’ expertise. For information, visit http://www.techexecnetworks.com and http://www.iseprograms.com