Transcript Slide 1

The Common Criteria
Cs5493(7493)
CC: Background
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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
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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 costeffectiveness of the evaluation process.
CC
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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
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By placing focus on security evaluation
process, and not on the actual product design,
vendors can keep their technology
proprietary.
The CC Process
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IT products are organized into categories:
http://www.commoncriteriaportal.org/products
The CC Process
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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:
1. The Protection Profile (PP)
2. The Security Target (ST)
3. 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
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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
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Created by a user, user community,
laboratory, etc.
NIAP is currently working on a standard
protection profile for each technology
category.
CC : Protection Profile
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Contains a description of threats
Security objectives
Security functional requirements
Security assurance requirements
etc
CC : Security Target
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The Security Target (ST) document is usually
written by the developer/vendor of the IT
product.
CC : Security Target
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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
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A validation/certification report documents
the evaluation findings.
CC : Validation
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Validation for the TOE comes in the form of a
Validation/Certification Report.
The Validation report assigns an EAL to the
TOE.
CC : EAL
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Evaluation Assurance Levels
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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
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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
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NIST accredits the evaluators
There are 15 countries that have accredited
evaluators.
There are 11 other countries that support
the CC standards.