NIST ANNOUNCES ACCREDITATION OF FOUR NIAP COMMON CRITERIA TESTING LABORATORIES (CCTLs) FOR IT SECURITY TESTING.

Under the auspices of the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP), NIST and the National Security Agency announced the approval of the first four accredited IT security testing laboratories under the Common Criteria Evaluation and Validation Scheme (CCEVS). The laboratories successfully completed the rigorous National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) process and have been accredited to conduct evaluations of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products against the Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation (ISO/IEC15408). The process included an in-depth analysis of each laboratory's quality system and procedures, the administration of a comprehensive proficiency test covering the application of the Common Criteria and the Common Evaluation Methodology, and an on-site assessment of the laboratory facilities. These CCTLs are the first in a series of commercial organizations that are undergoing NVLAP accreditation for participation in the NIAP CCEVS.

The evaluation results produced by these CCTLs and validated by the NIAP CCEVS Validation Body will be recognized by 12 other countries currently participating with the United States in the Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement signed during the 1st International Common Criteria Conference earlier this year. In order for the Validation Body to issue an internationally recognized certificate, the evaluation must have been conducted by a third party, independent laboratory in accordance with the requirements of the NIAP. The web site is http://csrc.nist.gov/cc/.