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The Common Criteria. Cs5493(7493). CC: Background. The need for independently evaluated IT security products and systems led to the TCSEC Rainbow series. CC: Background. 1996 - The CC was conceived following the TCSEC, Rainbow series.
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The Common Criteria Cs5493(7493)
CC: Background • The need for independently evaluated IT security products and systems led to the TCSEC Rainbow series
CC: Background • 1996 - The CC was conceived following the TCSEC, Rainbow series. • The Rainbow series was used as a guide and model for the CC. • 1997 NIAP is formed (National Information Assurance Partnership) • Published in 1998
CC: Background • 1999 Adopted by the ISO (International Standards Organization, ISO-15408) • 2000 Evaluations performed by accredited labs with government oversight and validation. • 2003 NSA Assumes responsibility for CCEVS (CC Evaluation and Validation Scheme)
CC Purpose • To provide consistent evaluation standards to IT products and systems • To improve the availability of evaluated security-enhanced IT products and systems. • To eliminate duplicating evaluations of IT products and systems. • To improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the evaluation process.
CC • The CC does not define the features of an IT product • The CC does not require the product itself be secure • The CC is a common framework for an evaluation process.
CC • By placing focus on security evaluation process, and not on the actual product design, vendors can keep their technology proprietary.
The CC Process • IT products are organized into categories: http://www.commoncriteriaportal.org/products
The CC Process • The CC process is centered around an IT product referred to as the Target Of Evaluation: TOE. • The CC Process is determined for the TOE by three documents: • The Protection Profile (PP) • The Security Target (ST) • The Certification/Validation Report
CC General Requirements • Functional security requirements – define desired security behavior. • Assurance requirements – indicating claimed security measures are effective and implemented correctly.
The CC Process: Protection Profile • Each IT category has at least one document describing the functional and assurance security requirements. These documents are known as Protection Profiles
CC: Protection Profile • Created by a user, user community, laboratory, etc. • NIAP is currently working on a standard protection profile for each technology category.
CC : Protection Profile • Contains a description of threats • Security objectives • Security functional requirements • Security assurance requirements • etc
CC : Security Target • The Security Target (ST) document is usually written by the developer/vendor of the IT product.
CC : Security Target • The document contains information on how the TOE fulfills the security objectives outlined in the PP.
CC : Evaluation • The evaluation process is used to determine if the security target (ST) is satisfied for the target of interest (TOE). • The TOE developer requests the evaluation. • Evaluation only occurs when the product is complete • Cost of the evaluation is negotiated between the developer and the evaluator.
CC : Evaluations • A validation/certification report documents the evaluation findings.
CC : Validation • Validation for the TOE comes in the form of a Validation/Certification Report. • The Validation report assigns an EAL to the TOE.
CC : EAL • Evaluation Assurance Levels • Levels 1 through 7 • The EALs reflect the degree of confidence a user can have in the performance of the TOE • EAL – 1 are no longer done by accredited labs • EAL – 2 through 4 are assigned by one of the accredited labs • EAL 4+ are assigned by the NSA
CC : EAL • EAL 1-4 do not require evaluation of the software, only the development process • EAL 4+ require more rigorous design evaluation.
CC Sustainability Cycle • Revisions are required as vulnerabilities are discovered • Each revision may require re-evaluation
Accredited Evaluators • NIST accredits the evaluators • There are 15 countries that have accredited evaluators. • There are 11 other countries that support the CC standards.