Common Criteria for increasing confidence in security

In the wake of recent denial-of-service attacks, companies are spending millions on security gear. But can you be confident the products will work as advertised?

To ensure a positive answer to this question, vendors including Cisco, Check Point Software, Lucent, IBM and Oracle have begun specifying the security features of their products according to the Common Criteria (CC) - a new security standard that provides a common way to state both consumers' security needs and products' security specifications. These products are then tested at a new breed of accredited commercial security testing labs, which independently verify - at a specific level of confidence - that the products conform to their security claims.

The CC includes a two-part catalog of basic requirements for security functions and for assurances about the proper implementation of these functions. Consumers use the catalog to develop profiles of their security needs and state the level of confidence they want in the products they're looking to buy. Vendors use the CC to define their products and show how they meet the consumers' requirements. Testing laboratories use common test methods from a companion CC standard to verify that vendor security implementations are correct, complete and compliant to specifications. And the National Information Assurance Partnership - which helped author the scheme for using the CC - can validate testing results and "brand" successfully tested products for international markets.

At the First International CC Conference this May (niap.nist.gov/cc-scheme/iccc/program.html), many of the world's biggest IT building and buying nations are expected to sign multilateral agreements embracing the CC specification, testing and validation scheme. These agreements will allow vendors from any country to sell their wares with CC certificates in foreign markets with no product retesting - a benefit to both vendors and consumers.

The financial world is using the CC scheme to build confidence in its electronic services, simplify security product comparison and reduce testing costs. Led by Visa, the major credit card companies and smart card vendors are drafting CC-based profiles of security requirements for smart cards and common test suites to unify the current hodgepodge of customer/vendor-specific testing.

The health care sector is following suit. Vendors and providers can use the CC scheme to demonstrate their compliance with new patient information privacy laws associated with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This will reduce liability, according to Gartner Group.

The telecom marketplace is eyeing the CC for improving consumer confidence in the security features of PBXs and telecom switches that interact with the Internet. The feds are also turning to products tested according to the CC scheme.

While nothing's a panacea in the security world, being able to buy security products that provide the level of confidence you want is a giant step in the right direction. Trust in security and privacy products is what will facilitate the growth of electronic commerce and services for all types of enterprises.

Brusil is a freelance security and network management consultant in Beverly, Mass. He can be reached at brusil@nist.gov.