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URL: http://www.iso.ch
URL: http://www.csa-intl.org/onlinestore/GetCatalogItemDetails.asp?mat=2414891&Parent=3052
From
http://www.csa-intl.org:
This
multipart standard ISO/IEC 15408 defines criteria, which for historical and
continuity purposes are referred to herein as the Common Criteria (CC), to be
used as the basis for evaluation of security properties of IT products and
systems. By establishing such a common criteria base, the results of an IT
security evaluation will be meaningful to a wider audience.
The
CC will permit comparability between the results of independent security
evaluations. It does so by providing a common set of requirements for the
security functions of IT products and systems and for assurance measures
applied to them during a security evaluation. The evaluation process
establishes a level of confidence that the security functions of such products
and systems and the assurance measures applied to them meet these requirements.
The evaluation results may help consumers to determine whether the IT product
or system is secure enough for their intended application and whether the
security risks implicit in its use are tolerable.
The
CC is useful as a guide for the development of products or systems with IT
security functions and for the procurement of commercial products and systems
with such functions. During evaluation, such an IT product or system is known
as a Target of Evaluation (TOE). Such TOEs include, for example, operating
systems, computer networks, distributed systems, and applications.
The
CC addresses protection of information from unauthorized disclosure,
modification, or loss of use. The categories of protection relating to these
three types of failure of security are commonly called confidentiality,
integrity, and availability, respectively. The CC may also be applicable to
aspects of IT security outside of these three. The CC concentrates on threats
to that information arising from human activities, whether malicious or
otherwise, but may be applicable to some nonhuman threats as well. In addition,
the CC may be applied in other areas of IT, but makes no claim of competence
outside the strict domain of IT security.
The
CC is applicable to IT security measures implemented in hardware, firmware or software. Where particular aspects of evaluation
are intended only to apply to certain methods of implementation, this will be
indicated within the relevant criteria statements.
Certain
topics, because they involve specialized techniques or because they are
somewhat peripheral to IT security, are considered to be outside the scope of
the CC. Some of these are identified below.
a)
The CC does not contain security evaluation criteria pertaining to administrative
security measures not related directly to the IT security measures. However, it
is recognized that a significant part of the security of a TOE can often be
achieved through administrative measures such as organizational, personnel,
physical, and procedural controls. Administrative security measures in the
operating environment of ISO/IEC 15408-1:1999(E) © ISO/IEC the TOE are treated
as secure usage assumptions where these have an impact on the ability of the IT
security measures to counter the identified threats.
b)
The evaluation of technical physical aspects of IT security such as
electromagnetic emanation control is not specifically covered, although many of
the concepts addressed will be applicable to that area. In particular, the CC
addresses some aspects of physical protection of the TOE.
c)
The CC addresses neither the evaluation methodology nor the administrative and
legal framework under which the criteria may be applied by evaluation
authorities. However, it is expected that the CC will be used for evaluation
purposes in the context of such a framework and such a methodology.
d)
The procedures for use of evaluation results in product or system accreditation
are outside the scope of the CC. Product or system accreditation is the
administrative process whereby authority is granted for the operation of an IT
product or system in its full operational environment. Evaluation focuses on
the IT security parts of the product or system and those parts of the
operational environment that may directly affect the secure use of IT elements.
The results of the evaluation process are consequently a valuable input to the
accreditation process. However, as other techniques are more appropriate for
the assessments of non-IT related product or system security properties and
their relationship to the IT security parts, accreditors should make separate
provision for those aspects.
e)
The subject of criteria for the assessment of the inherent qualities of
cryptographic algorithms is not covered in the CC. Should independent
assessment of mathematical properties of cryptography embedded in a TOE be
required, the evaluation scheme under which the CC is applied must make
provision for such assessments.
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