Common Criteria - wikipedia Common Criteria The Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation ( abbreviated as Common Criteria or CC ) is an international standard ( ISO / IEC 15408 ) for computer security certification. It is currently in version 3.1 revision 5. Common Criteria is a framework in which computer system users can specify their security functional and assurance requirements ( SFRs and SARs respectively ) in a Security Target ( ST ), and may be taken from Protection Profiles ( PPs ). Vendors can then implement and / or make claims about the security attributes of their products, and testing laboratories can evaluate the products to determine if they actually meet the claims. In other words, Common Criteria provides assurance that the process of specification, implementation and evaluation of a computer security product has been conducted in a rigorous and standard and repeatable manner at a level that is commensurate with the target environment for use. Contents 1 Key concepts 2 History 3 Testing organizations 4 Mutual recognition arrangement 5 Issues 5.1 Requirements 5.2 Value of certification 5.3 Criticisms 6 Alternative approaches 7 List of acronyms 8 See also 9 References 10 External links Key concepts Common Criteria evaluations are performed on computer security products and systems. Target of Evaluation ( TOE ) -- the product or system that is the subject of the evaluation. The evaluation serves to validate claims made about the target. To be of practical use, the evaluation must verify the target 's security features. This is done through the following : Protection Profile ( PP ) -- a document, typically created by a user or user community, which identifies security requirements for a class of security devices ( for example, smart cards used to provide digital signatures, or network firewalls ) relevant to that user for a particular purpose. Product vendors can choose to implement products that comply with one or more PPs, and have their products evaluated against those PPs. In such a case, a PP may serve as a template for the product 's ST ( Security Target, as defined below ), or the authors of the ST will at least ensure that all requirements in relevant PPs also appear in the target 's ST document. Customers looking for particular types of products can focus on those certified against the PP that meets their requirements. Security Target ( ST ) -- the document that identifies the security properties of the target of evaluation. The ST may claim conformance with one or more PPs. The TOE is evaluated against the SFRs ( Security Functional Requirements. Again, see below ) established in its ST, no more and no less. This allows vendors to tailor the evaluation to accurately match the intended capabilities of their product. This means that a network firewall does not have to meet the same functional requirements as a database management system, and that different firewalls may in fact be evaluated against completely different lists of requirements. The ST is usually published so that potential customers may determine the specific security features that have been certified by the evaluation. Security Functional Requirements ( SFRs ) -- specify individual security functions which may be provided by a product. The Common Criteria presents a standard catalogue of such functions. For example, a SFR may state how a user acting a particular role might be authenticated. The list of SFRs can vary from one evaluation to the next, even if two targets are the same type of product. Although Common Criteria does not prescribe any SFRs to be included in an ST, it identifies dependencies where the correct operation of one function ( such as the ability to limit access according to roles ) is dependent on another ( such as the ability to identify individual roles ). The evaluation process also tries to establish the level of confidence that may be placed in the product 's security features through quality assurance processes : Security Assurance Requirements ( SARs ) -- descriptions of the measures taken during development and evaluation of the product to assure compliance with the claimed security functionality. For example, an evaluation may require that all source code is kept in a change management system, or that full functional testing is performed. The Common Criteria provides a catalogue of these, and the requirements may vary from one evaluation to the next. The requirements for particular targets or types of products are documented in the ST and PP, respectively. Evaluation Assurance Level ( EAL ) -- the numerical rating describing the depth and rigor of an evaluation. Each EAL corresponds to a package of security assurance requirements ( SARs, see above ) which covers the complete development of a product, with a given level of strictness. Common Criteria lists seven levels, with EAL 1 being the most basic ( and therefore cheapest to implement and evaluate ) and EAL 7 being the most stringent ( and most expensive ). Normally, an ST or PP author will not select assurance requirements individually but choose one of these packages, possibly ' augmenting ' requirements in a few areas with requirements from a higher level. Higher EALs do not necessarily imply `` better security '', they only mean that the claimed security assurance of the TOE has been more extensively verified. So far, most PPs and most evaluated STs / certified products have been for IT components ( e.g., firewalls, operating systems, smart cards ). Common Criteria certification is sometimes specified for IT procurement. Other standards containing, e.g., interoperation, system management, user training, supplement CC and other product standards. Examples include the ISO / IEC 17799 ( Or more properly BS 7799 - 1, which is now ISO / IEC 27002 ) or the German IT - Grundschutzhandbuch ( de ). Details of cryptographic implementation within the TOE are outside the scope of the CC. Instead, national standards, like FIPS 140 - 2 give the specifications for cryptographic modules, and various standards specify the cryptographic algorithms in use. More recently, PP authors are including cryptographic requirements for CC evaluations that would typically be covered by FIPS 140 - 2 evaluations, broadening the bounds of the CC through scheme - specific interpretations. Some national evaluation schemes are phasing out EAL - based evaluations and only accept products for evaluation that claim strict conformance with an approved PP. The United States currently only allows PP - based evaluations. Canada is in the process of phasing out EAL - based evaluations. History CC originated out of three standards : ITSEC -- The European standard, developed in the early 1990s by France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. It too was a unification of earlier work, such as the two UK approaches ( the CESG UK Evaluation Scheme aimed at the defence / intelligence market and the DTI Green Book aimed at commercial use ), and was adopted by some other countries, e.g. Australia. CTCPEC -- The Canadian standard followed from the US DoD standard, but avoided several problems and was used jointly by evaluators from both the U.S. and Canada. The CTCPEC standard was first published in May 1993. TCSEC -- The United States Department of Defense DoD 5200.28 Std, called the Orange Book and parts of the Rainbow Series. The Orange Book originated from Computer Security work including the Anderson Report, done by the National Security Agency and the National Bureau of Standards ( the NBS eventually became NIST ) in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The central thesis of the Orange Book follows from the work done by Dave Bell and Len LaPadula for a set of protection mechanisms. CC was produced by unifying these pre-existing standards, predominantly so that companies selling computer products for the government market ( mainly for Defence or Intelligence use ) would only need to have them evaluated against one set of standards. The CC was developed by the governments of Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and the U.S. Testing organizations All testing laboratories must comply with ISO 17025, and certification bodies will normally be approved against either ISO / IEC Guide 65 or BS EN 45011. The compliance with ISO 17025 is typically demonstrated to a National approval authority : In Canada, the Standards Council of Canada ( SCC ) under Program for the Accreditation of Laboratories ( PALCAN ) accredits Common Criteria Evaluation Facilities ( CCEF ) In France, the Comité français d'accréditation ( fr ) ( COFRAC ) accredits Common Criteria evaluation facilities, commonly called Centre d'évaluation de la sécurité des technologies de l'information ( fr ) ( CESTI ). Evaluations are done according to norms and standards specified by the Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d'information ( ANSSI ). In the UK the United Kingdom Accreditation Service ( UKAS ) accredits Commercial Evaluation Facilities ( CLEF ) In the US, the National Institute of Standards and Technology ( NIST ) National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program ( NVLAP ) accredits Common Criteria Testing Laboratories ( CCTL ) In Germany, the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik ( BSI ) In Spain, the National Cryptologic Center ( CCN ) accredits Common Criteria Testing Laboratories operating in the Spanish Scheme. In The Netherlands, the Netherlands scheme for Certification in the Area of IT Security ( NSCIB ) accredits IT Security Evaluation Facilities ( ITSEF ). Characteristics of these organizations were examined and presented at ICCC 10. Mutual recognition Arrangement As well as the Common Criteria standard, there is also a sub-treaty level Common Criteria MRA ( Mutual Recognition Arrangement ), whereby each party thereto recognizes evaluations against the Common Criteria standard done by other parties. Originally signed in 1998 by Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, Australia and New Zealand joined 1999, followed by Finland, Greece, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain in 2000. The Arrangement has since been renamed Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement ( CCRA ) and membership continues to expand. Within the CCRA only evaluations up to EAL 2 are mutually recognized ( Including augmentation with flaw remediation ). The European countries within the former ITSEC agreement typically recognize higher EALs as well. Evaluations at EAL5 and above tend to involve the security requirements of the host nation 's government. In September 2012, a majority of members of the CCRA produced a vision statement whereby mutual recognition of CC evaluated products will be lowered to EAL 2 ( Including augmentation with flaw remediation ). Further, this vision indicates a move away from assurance levels altogether and evaluations will be confined to conformance with Protection Profiles that have no stated assurance level. This will be achieved through technical working groups developing worldwide PPs, and as yet a transition period has not been fully determined. On July 2, 2014, a new CCRA was ratified per the goals outlined within the 2012 vision statement. Major changes to the Arrangement include : Recognition of evaluations against only a collaborative Protection Profile ( cPP ) or Evaluation Assurance Levels 1 through 2 and ALC_FLR. The emergence of international Technical Communities ( iTC ), groups of technical experts charged with the creation of cPPs. A transition plan from the previous CCRA, including recognition of certificates issued under the previous version of the Arrangement. Issues Requirements Common Criteria is very generic ; it does not directly provide a list of product security requirements or features for specific ( classes of ) products : this follows the approach taken by ITSEC, but has been a source of debate to those used to the more prescriptive approach of other earlier standards such as TCSEC and FIPS 140 - 2. Value of certification Common Criteria certification can not guarantee security, but it can ensure that claims about the security attributes of the evaluated product were independently verified. In other words, products evaluated against a Common Criteria standard exhibit a clear chain of evidence that the process of specification, implementation, and evaluation has been conducted in a rigorous and standard manner. Various Microsoft Windows versions, including Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP, have been certified, but security patches to address security vulnerabilities are still getting published by Microsoft for these Windows systems. This is possible because the process of obtaining a Common Criteria certification allows a vendor to restrict the analysis to certain security features and to make certain assumptions about the operating environment and the strength of threats faced by the product in that environment. Additionally, the CC recognizes a need to limit the scope of evaluation in order to provide cost - effective and useful security certifications, such that evaluated products are examined to a level of detail specified by the assurance level or PP. Evaluations activities are therefore only performed to a certain depth, use of time, and resources and offer reasonable assurance for the intended environment. In the Microsoft case, the assumptions include A. PEER : `` Any other systems with which the TOE communicates are assumed to be under the same management control and operate under the same security policy constraints. The TOE is applicable to networked or distributed environments only if the entire network operates under the same constraints and resides within a single management domain. There are no security requirements that address the need to trust external systems or the communications links to such systems. '' This assumption is contained in the Controlled Access Protection Profile ( CAPP ) to which their products adhere. Based on this and other assumptions, which may not be realistic for the common use of general - purpose operating systems, the claimed security functions of the Windows products are evaluated. Thus they should only be considered secure in the assumed, specified circumstances, also known as the evaluated configuration. Whether you run Microsoft Windows in the precise evaluated configuration or not, you should apply Microsoft 's security patches for the vulnerabilities in Windows as they continue to appear. If any of these security vulnerabilities are exploitable in the product 's evaluated configuration, the product 's Common Criteria certification should be voluntarily withdrawn by the vendor. Alternatively, the vendor should re-evaluate the product to include the application of patches to fix the security vulnerabilities within the evaluated configuration. Failure by the vendor to take either of these steps would result in involuntary withdrawal of the product 's certification by the certification body of the country in which the product was evaluated. The certified Microsoft Windows versions remain at EAL4+ without including the application of any Microsoft security vulnerability patches in their evaluated configuration. This shows both the limitation and strength of an evaluated configuration. Criticisms In August 2007, Government Computing News ( GCN ) columnist William Jackson critically examined Common Criteria methodology and its US implementation by the Common Criteria Evaluation and Validation Scheme ( CCEVS ). In the column executives from the security industry, researchers, and representatives from the National Information Assurance Partnership ( NIAP ) were interviewed. Objections outlined in the article include : Evaluation is a costly process ( often measured in hundreds of thousands of US dollars ) -- and the vendor 's return on that investment is not necessarily a more secure product. Evaluation focuses primarily on assessing the evaluation documentation, not on the actual security, technical correctness or merits of the product itself. For U.S. evaluations, only at EAL5 and higher do experts from the National Security Agency participate in the analysis ; and only at EAL7 is full source code analysis required. The effort and time necessary to prepare evaluation evidence and other evaluation - related documentation is so cumbersome that by the time the work is completed, the product in evaluation is generally obsolete. Industry input, including that from organizations such as the Common Criteria Vendor 's Forum, generally has little impact on the process as a whole. In a 2006 research paper, computer specialist David A. Wheeler suggested that the Common Criteria process discriminates against free and open - source software ( FOSS ) - centric organizations and development models. Common Criteria assurance requirements tend to be inspired by the traditional waterfall software development methodology. In contrast, much FOSS software is produced using modern agile paradigms. Although some have argued that both paradigms do not align well, others have attempted to reconcile both paradigms. Political scientist Jan Kallberg raised concerns over the lack of control over the actual production of the products once they are certified, the absence of a permanently staffed organizational body that monitors compliance, and the idea that the trust in the Common Criteria IT - security certifications will be maintained across geopolitical boundaries. Alternative approaches Throughout the lifetime of CC, it has not been universally adopted even by the creator nations, with, in particular, cryptographic approvals being handled separately, such as by the Canadian / US implementation of FIPS - 140, and the CESG Assisted Products Scheme ( CAPS ) in the UK. The UK has also produced a number of alternative schemes when the timescales, costs and overheads of mutual recognition have been found to be impeding the operation of the market : The CESG System Evaluation ( SYSn ) and Fast Track Approach ( FTA ) schemes for assurance of government systems rather than generic products and services, which have now been merged into the CESG Tailored Assurance Service ( CTAS ) The CESG Claims Tested Mark ( CCT Mark ), which is aimed at handling less exhaustive assurance requirements for products and services in a cost and time efficient manner In early 2011, NSA / CSS published a paper by Chris Salter, which proposed a Protection Profile oriented approach towards evaluation. In this approach, communities of interest form around technology types which in turn develop protection profiles that define the evaluation methodology for the technology type. The objective is a more robust evaluation. There is some concern that this may have a negative impact on mutual recognition. In Sept of 2012, the Common Criteria published a Vision Statement implementing to a large extent Chris Salter 's thoughts from the previous year. Key elements of the Vision included : Technical Communities will be focused on authoring Protection Profiles ( PP ) that support their goal of reasonable, comparable, reproducible and cost - effective evaluation results Evaluations should be done against these PP 's if possible ; if not mutual recognition of Security Target evaluations would be limited to EAL2 List of acronyms CC Common Criteria EAL Evaluation Assurance Level IT Information Technology PP Protection Profile SAR Security Assurance Requirement SF Security Function SFR Security Functional Requirement SFP Security Function Policy SOF Strength of Function ST Security Target TOE Target of Evaluation TSP TOE Security Policy TSF TOE Security Functionality TSC TSF Scope of Control TSFI TSF Interface See also Bell - LaPadula model Usability testing ISO 9241 ISO / IEC 27001 Verification and Validation Information Assurance China Compulsory Certificate FIPS 140 - 2 Evaluation Assurance Level References Jump up ^ `` The Common Criteria ''. Jump up ^ `` Common Criteria - Communication Security Establishment ''. Jump up ^ `` Common Criteria Schemes Around the World '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ Under Attack : Common Criteria has loads of critics, but is it getting a bum rap Government Computer News, retrieved 2007 - 12 - 14 Jump up ^ Free - Libre / Open Source Software ( FLOSS ) and Software Assurance Jump up ^ Wäyrynen, J., Bodén, M., and Boström, G., Security Engineering and eXtreme Programming : An Impossible Marriage ? Jump up ^ Beznosov, Konstantin and Kruchten, Philippe, Towards Agile Security Assurance, retrieved 2007 - 12 - 14 Jump up ^ Common Criteria meets Realpolitik -- Trust, Alliances, and Potential Betrayal Jump up ^ `` CAPS : CESG Assisted Products Scheme ''. Archived from the original on August 1, 2008. Jump up ^ Infosec Assurance and Certification Services ( IACS ) Archived February 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Common Criteria Reforms : Better Security Products Through Increased Cooperation with Industry '' ( PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on April 17, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Common Criteria `` Reforms '' -- Sink or Swim -- How should Industry Handle the Revolution Brewing with Common Criteria ? ``. External links The official website of the Common Criteria Project The Common Criteria standard documents Compliance evaluation in the United States List of Common Criteria evaluated products Towards Agile Security Assurance Important Common Criteria Acronyms Common Criteria Users Forum Additional Common Criteria Information on Google Knol OpenCC Project -- free Apache license CC docs, templates and tools Common Criteria Quick Reference Card ISO standards by standard number List of ISO standards / ISO romanizations / IEC standards 1 -- 9999 5 6 7 9 16 17 31 - 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 128 216 217 226 228 233 259 269 302 306 361 428 500 518 519 639 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 5 - 6 646 657 668 690 704 732 764 838 843 860 898 965 999 1000 1004 1007 1073 - 1 1155 1413 1538 1629 1745 2014 2015 2022 2033 2047 2108 2145 2146 2240 2281 2533 2709 2711 2720 2788 2848 2852 3029 3103 3166 - 1 - 2 - 3 3297 3307 3601 3602 3864 3901 3950 3977 4031 4157 4165 4217 4909 5218 5426 5427 5428 5725 5775 5776 5800 5964 6166 6344 6346 6385 6425 6429 6438 6523 6709 6943 7001 7002 7010 7027 7064 7098 7185 7200 7498 - 1 7736 7810 7811 7812 7813 7816 7942 8000 8093 8178 8217 8373 8501 - 1 8571 8583 8601 8613 8632 8651 8652 8691 8805 / 8806 8807 8820 - 5 8859 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 8 - I - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 8879 9000 / 9001 9036 9075 9126 9141 9227 9241 9293 9314 9362 9407 9506 9529 9564 9592 / 9593 9594 9660 9797 - 1 9897 9899 9945 9984 9985 9995 10000 -- 19999 10005 10006 10007 10116 10118 - 3 10160 10161 10165 10179 10206 10218 10303 - 11 - 21 - 22 - 28 - 238 10383 10487 10585 10589 10646 10664 10746 10861 10957 10962 10967 11073 11170 11179 11404 11544 11783 11784 11785 11801 11898 11940 ( - 2 ) 11941 11941 ( TR ) 11992 12006 12182 12207 12234 - 2 13211 - 1 - 2 13216 13250 13399 13406 - 2 13450 13485 13490 13567 13568 13584 13616 14000 14031 14224 14289 14396 14443 14496 - 2 - 3 - 6 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 14 - 17 - 20 14644 14649 14651 14698 14750 14764 14882 14971 15022 15189 15288 15291 15292 15398 15408 15444 - 3 15445 15438 15504 15511 15686 15693 15706 - 2 15707 15897 15919 15924 15926 15926 WIP 15930 16023 16262 16612 - 2 16750 16949 ( TS ) 17024 17025 17100 17203 17369 17442 17799 18000 18004 18014 18245 18629 18916 19005 19011 19092 ( - 1 - 2 ) 19114 19115 19125 19136 19407 19439 19500 19501 19502 19503 19505 19506 19507 19508 19509 19510 19600 19752 19757 19770 19775 - 1 19794 - 5 19831 20000 + 20000 20022 20121 20400 21000 21047 21500 21827 : 2002 22000 23270 23271 23360 24517 24613 24617 24707 25178 25964 26000 26300 26324 27000 series 27000 27001 27002 27006 27729 28000 29110 29148 29199 - 2 29500 30170 31000 32000 38500 40500 42010 55000 80000 - 1 - 2 - 3 List of International Electrotechnical Commission standards IEC standards IEC 60027 IEC 60034 IEC 60038 IEC 60062 IEC 60063 IEC 60068 IEC 60112 IEC 60228 IEC 60269 IEC 60297 IEC 60309 IEC 60320 IEC 60364 IEC 60446 IEC 60559 IEC 60601 IEC 60870 IEC 60870 - 5 IEC 60870 - 6 IEC 60906 - 1 IEC 60908 IEC 60929 IEC 60958 AES3 S / PDIF IEC 61030 IEC 61131 IEC 61131 - 3 IEC 61158 IEC 61162 IEC 61334 IEC 61346 IEC 61355 IEC 61400 IEC 61499 IEC 61508 IEC 61511 IEC 61850 IEC 61851 IEC 61883 IEC 61960 IEC 61968 IEC 61970 IEC 62014 - 4 IEC 62056 IEC 62061 IEC 62196 IEC 62262 IEC 62264 IEC 62304 IEC 62325 IEC 62351 IEC 62365 IEC 62366 IEC 62379 IEC 62386 IEC 62455 IEC 62680 IEC 62682 IEC 62700 ISO / IEC standards ISO / IEC 646 ISO / IEC 2022 ISO / IEC 4909 ISO / IEC 5218 ISO / IEC 6429 ISO / IEC 6523 ISO / IEC 7810 ISO / IEC 7811 ISO / IEC 7812 ISO / IEC 7813 ISO / IEC 7816 ISO / IEC 7942 ISO / IEC 8613 ISO / IEC 8632 ISO / IEC 8652 ISO / IEC 8859 ISO / IEC 9126 ISO / IEC 9293 ISO / IEC 9592 ISO / IEC 9593 ISO / IEC 9899 ISO / IEC 9945 ISO / IEC 9995 ISO / IEC 10021 ISO / IEC 10116 ISO / IEC 10165 ISO / IEC 10179 ISO / IEC 10646 ISO / IEC 10967 ISO / IEC 11172 ISO / IEC 11179 ISO / IEC 11404 ISO / IEC 11544 ISO / IEC 11801 ISO / IEC 12207 ISO / IEC 13250 ISO / IEC 13346 ISO / IEC 13522 - 5 ISO / IEC 13568 ISO / IEC 13818 ISO / IEC 14443 ISO / IEC 14496 ISO / IEC 14882 ISO / IEC 15288 ISO / IEC 15291 ISO / IEC 15408 ISO / IEC 15444 ISO / IEC 15445 ISO / IEC 15504 ISO / IEC 15511 ISO / IEC 15693 ISO / IEC 15897 ISO / IEC 15938 ISO / IEC 16262 ISO / IEC 17024 ISO / IEC 17025 ISO / IEC 18000 ISO / IEC 18004 ISO / IEC 18014 ISO / IEC 19752 ISO / IEC 19757 ISO / IEC 19770 ISO / IEC 19788 ISO / IEC 20000 ISO / IEC 21000 ISO / IEC 21827 ISO / IEC 23000 ISO / IEC 23003 ISO / IEC 23008 ISO / IEC 23270 ISO / IEC 23360 ISO / IEC 24707 ISO / IEC 24727 ISO / IEC 24744 ISO / IEC 24752 ISO / IEC 26300 ISO / IEC 27000 ISO / IEC 27000 - series ISO / IEC 27002 ISO / IEC 27040 ISO / IEC 29119 ISO / IEC 33001 ISO / IEC 38500 ISO / IEC 42010 ISO / IEC 80000 Related International Electrotechnical Commission Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Common_Criteria&oldid=828089390 '' Categories : Computer security standards Evaluation of computers ISO standards Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Interlanguage link template link number Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Deutsch Español Français 한국어 Italiano 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Svenska Türkçe Українська Yorùbá 5 more Edit links This page was last edited on 28 February 2018, at 14 : 19. 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Question: what is another name for the iso/iec 15408 standard for computer security
Answer: The Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation (abbreviated as Common Criteria or CC)