Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Common Criteria certification can be obtained in Bangalore

CHENNAI: Indian companies making hardware, software or other information technology products for the export market will now be able to test their products within the country for the international Common Criteria certification, with a new testing laboratory being set up in Bangalore.

The Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation (CC) system is an independent third party service. The system evaluates and certifies the security of IT products and is recognised in more than 25 countries, including the largest manufacturing and consuming nations. Many companies and national governments, including the United States government, have mandated that all their IT purchases must be CC certified.

Two years ago, India joined the agreement to accept CC certification done anywhere in the world. However, till a month ago, products made in India had to be tested outside, since India is not a certifying nation yet. Now, TUV Rheinland, which runs a CC testing centre under the Japanese system, has set up a satellite laboratory in Bangalore.

“Most Indian IT companies run on small margins, so they have not been CC testing clients,” said Jean-Guy Rioux, who heads TUV Rheinland’s lab in Japan. “A local laboratory will now be able to offer lower rates than the foreign ones.” Mr. Rioux was addressing Indian businessmen at a workshop organised by the Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday.

So far, Mr. Rioux says he cannot think of a single Indian IT company using CC certification. However, many IT products made or developed in India find their way into other products. “Sixty-five per cent of IT products have an Indian component. A Canon product may have an Indian component, or a Microsoft product may be developed in India, but they are now CC-certified in other parts of the world by Canon and Microsoft… Now, they will have the option to do it in India.”

For customers, the CC system means faster access to reliable IT products safe from hacker attacks. For vendors, it is a fast track method of proving the security of their products in markets across the world.

TUV Rheinland’s India head C. Ebenezer Bobson expects the Indian market for CC certification to grow. If India opens the door to private laboratories when it becomes a certifying nation next year, RUV Rheinland will be ready to cash in on that growth market.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu