EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026

• Abstract:

  This document establishes the general concepts and principles of information technology (IT) security evaluation. It specifies the general model of evaluation given in this document, which in its entirety is intended to be used as the basis for evaluation of security properties of IT products.; This document provides an overview of all parts of the ISO/IEC 15408 series. It describes the various parts of the ISO/IEC 15408 series i.e.; defines the terms and abbreviations used in all parts of the series; establishes the core concept of a Target of Evaluation (TOE);; describes the evaluation context; and; describes the audience to which the evaluation criteria is addressed.; Additionally, this document introduces the basic security concepts necessary for the evaluation of IT products.

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 26-May-2026
• ICS: 35.030 - IT Security
• Technical Committee: CEN/CLC/TC 13 - Cybersecurity and Data Protection
• Current Stage: 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
• Start Date: 27-May-2026
• Completion Date: 27-May-2026
• Ref Project: SIST EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026 - Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection - Evaluation criteria for IT security - Part 1: Introduction and general model (ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026)

• Replaces: EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2023 - Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection - Evaluation criteria for IT security - Part 1: Introduction and general model (ISO/IEC 15408-1:2022)
• Effective Date: 22-May-2024
• Consolidated By: ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026 - Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection — Evaluation criteria for IT security — Part 1: Introduction and general model
• Effective Date: 12-Feb-2026

EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026 is a European Standard published by CEN that adopts ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026, the introductory part of the Common Criteria series for IT security evaluation. It specifies the general concepts and principles of IT security evaluation, the general model used across the series, and the terms, roles and conformance concepts needed to evaluate the security properties of IT products.

The standard is meant for people who need to understand, write, evaluate or buy evaluated IT security claims. In practice, it helps risk owners, developers and evaluators speak the same language about the Target of Evaluation (TOE), Security Targets (STs), Protection Profiles (PPs), and the assurance and functional requirements that support evaluation.

What does EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026 specify?

EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026 sets the common framework for evaluating IT security properties. It gives the overall model used by the ISO/IEC 15408 series, explains the audience and the TOE concept, and introduces the security ideas that the rest of the series builds on.

Clause 5 gives the overview, Clause 6 sets out the general model, Clauses 7 and 8 explain how security requirements are specified and built from components, and Clauses 9 to 14 cover packages, PPs, PP-Modules, PP-Configurations, STs, evaluation results and composition of assurance.

Annex	What it covers
Annex A	Packages, including their structure, families, contents and optional evaluation-method references
Annex B	Protection Profiles (PPs), including required content and direct rationale PPs
Annex C	PP-Modules and PP-Configurations, including how they are built and described
Annex D	Security Targets (STs) and direct rationale STs
Annex E	PP/PP-Configuration conformance, including conformance types and their meaning

What are the key requirements of EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026?

EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026 defines the evaluation model that all other parts of the series rely on. For someone using the standard, the main point is that security claims are not free-form descriptions: they are structured around the TOE, the security problem, the security objectives, and the security requirements.

• Security is framed around assets and risks - Clause 6.2 treats security as protection of assets in the operational environment from loss of confidentiality, integrity or availability. This matters because the evaluation is tied to the assets the owner values and to the threats that may affect them, not just to a product feature list.

• The TOE has a defined boundary - Clause 5.3 explains the TOE, its boundaries, its different representations and configurations, and its operational environment. In practice, this forces the evaluator and sponsor to be clear about what is inside the evaluation scope and what is relied on outside it.

• Security problems are translated into objectives and requirements - Clause 7 structures the Security Problem Definition (SPD) around threats, Organizational Security Policies (OSPs) and assumptions, then maps that to security objectives and Security Functional Requirements (SFRs) and Security Assurance Requirements (SARs). That structure matters because it shows why each requirement exists and how it addresses the problem.

• Security components are modular - Clause 8 defines the hierarchy of class, family, component and element, and explains the operations of iteration, assignment, selection and refinement. It also explains dependencies between components. In practice, this is how PPs and STs stay precise while still allowing tailoring.

• Dependencies must be resolved or justified - Clause 8.3 says that if a component depends on another component, the author must include the dependency, a higher-level component that satisfies it, or a justification for not including it. That matters because missing dependencies can leave a security requirement incomplete or inconsistent.

• Packages are reusable named sets - Clause 9 defines a package as a named set of security components or security requirements. Packages can be functional or assurance packages, and they can reference evaluation methods or activities derived from ISO/IEC 18045. This is useful when a common security bundle needs to be reused across products or documents.

• PPs describe a general TOE type, STs describe a specific TOE - Clause 10 says a PP is a template for a TOE type, while Clause 12 says an ST describes one specific TOE, its security problem, objectives and requirements. In practice, a PP is used when a community wants a shared baseline, and an ST is used when a developer or sponsor describes one product for evaluation.

• Conformance type matters - Clauses 10, 12 and Annex E distinguish exact, strict and demonstrable conformance. Exact conformance means the ST takes all requirements only from the PP or PP-Configuration; strict conformance allows a superset; demonstrable conformance allows equivalent or more restrictive wording that solves the same generic problem. This matters because it determines how much freedom an ST author has when reusing a PP.

• Evaluation is separate from use - Clause 13 explains the four evaluation types: PP evaluation, PP-Configuration evaluation, ST evaluation and TOE evaluation. The practical point is that an evaluated PP or ST helps support later evaluations, but the existence of an evaluation only has meaning within the stated security properties and methods.

• Composition and multi-assurance are handled explicitly - Clause 14 covers layered, network or bi-directional, and embedded composition models, plus composed and composite evaluation. It also explains multi-assurance evaluation, where different parts of the same TOE can carry different assurance needs. This is relevant when products are built from multiple components or when different security functions need different assurance levels.

What terms does EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026 define?

• Target of Evaluation (TOE) - The TOE is the product or system, or part of it, that is being evaluated for security properties.
• Security Problem Definition (SPD) - The SPD is the set of threats, OSPs and assumptions that the security solution must address.
• Security Functional Requirements (SFRs) - SFRs describe the security behavior the TOE must provide.
• Security Assurance Requirements (SARs) - SARs describe the confidence-building measures used to support trust in the TOE’s security claims.
• Protection Profile (PP) - A PP is a reusable description of the security needs for a general TOE type.
• Security Target (ST) - An ST is the document that describes one specific TOE and the requirements used for its evaluation.
• PP-Configuration - A PP-Configuration combines PPs and PP-Modules into a modular description for one evaluation context.
• TOE security functionality (TSF) - The TSF is the part of the TOE that implements security behavior and is the focus of evaluation.

Who uses EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026?

EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026 is used by consumers, developers, technical working groups, evaluators and evaluation authorities. It is also relevant to certifying bodies and procurement teams that need to interpret evaluated security claims.

In practice, consumers or risk owners use it to express security needs in a PP or to judge whether an evaluated TOE fits their situation. Developers use it when writing STs, claiming conformance, or building a product to a PP. Evaluators use it to understand the evaluation model, the conformance rules and the relationship between STs, PPs, packages and the TOE. It is applicable to IT products implemented in hardware, firmware or software.

What changed in EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026 from the previous edition?

This European Standard supersedes EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2023. The underlying fifth edition of ISO/IEC 15408-1 cancels and replaces ISO/IEC 15408-1:2022 and is technically revised.

The changes stated in the foreword are:

• terminology has been reviewed and updated
• package conformance claims for STs, PPs and PP-Modules have been reviewed and aligned with ISO/IEC 18045
• the specification of multiple PP-Modules Bases has been improved for accuracy
• mistakes have been corrected

Which standards are used with EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026?

• ISO/IEC 15408-2:2026 - Provides the security functional components that SFRs are based on.
• ISO/IEC 15408-3:2026 - Provides the security assurance components and the evaluation criteria for PPs, STs and TOEs.
• ISO/IEC 18045 - Provides the baseline methodology for IT security evaluation, including the evaluation methods and activities used with the 15408 series.
• ISO/IEC IEEE 24765:2017 - Provides vocabulary used for systems and software engineering terms used in the document.
• ISO/IEC 15408-4 - Described in the introduction as the framework for deriving evaluation methods and activities from ISO/IEC 18045.
• ISO/IEC 15408-5 - Described in the introduction as the source of pre-defined packages such as EALs and CAPs.

What does the EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026 document contain?

EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026 contains the introductory model for the Common Criteria series, the term definitions used across the series, and the rules for how security requirements are built, combined and claimed. It also contains the structure for packages, PPs, PP-Modules, PP-Configurations and STs.

The document includes:

• an overview of the audience and TOE concept
• the general model for security evaluation
• the security problem, objectives and requirements framework
• the component hierarchy and component operations
• the conformance claim structures for PPs and STs
• the evaluation model for PPs, PP-Configurations, STs and TOEs
• the composition of assurance model for layered and composite products

It also includes figures that illustrate the security concepts, evaluation concepts, the multi-assurance ST example and the evaluation flow. Annexes A to E provide the detailed content models and conformance rules that authors and evaluators use when preparing or checking packages, PPs, PP-Modules, PP-Configurations and STs.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-oktober-2026
Nadomešča:
SIST EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2024
Informacijska varnost, kibernetska varnost in varstvo zasebnosti - Merila za
vrednotenje varnosti IT - 1. del: Uvod in splošni model (ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026)
Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection - Evaluation criteria for IT
security - Part 1: Introduction and general model (ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026)
Informationssicherheit, Cybersicherheit und Schutz der Privatsphäre -
Evaluationskriterien für IT-Sicherheit - Teil 1: Einführung und allgemeines Modell
(ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026)
Sécurité de l'information, cybersécurité et protection de la vie privée - Critères
d'évaluation pour la sécurité des technologies de l'information - Partie 1: Introduction et
modèle général (ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026
ICS:
35.030 Informacijska varnost IT Security
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN ISO/IEC 15408-1

NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
May 2026
ICS 35.030
Supersedes EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2023
English version
Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection
- Evaluation criteria for IT security - Part 1: Introduction
and general model (ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026)
Sécurité de l'information, cybersécurité et protection Informationssicherheit, Cybersicherheit und Schutz
de la vie privée - Critères d'évaluation pour la sécurité der Privatsphäre - Evaluationskriterien für IT-
des technologies de l'information - Partie 1: Sicherheit - Teil 1: Einführung und allgemeines Modell
Introduction et modèle général (ISO/IEC 15408- (ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026)
1:2026)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 14 March 2026.

CEN and CENELEC members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for
giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical
references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to
any CEN and CENELEC member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN and CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN and CENELEC members are the national standards bodies and national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and United Kingdom.

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre:
Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN/CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means Ref. No. EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026 E
reserved worldwide for CEN national Members and for
CENELEC Members.
Contents Page
European foreword . 3

European foreword
This document (EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1
"Information technology" in collaboration with Technical Committee CEN-CENELEC/ JTC 13
“Cybersecurity and Data Protection” the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by November 2026, and conflicting national standards
shall be withdrawn at the latest by November 2026.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN-CENELEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2023.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards
body/national committee. A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN and CENELEC
websites.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the
United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026 has been approved by CEN-CENELEC as EN ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026
without any modification.
International
Standard
ISO/IEC 15408-1
Fifth edition
Information security, cybersecurity
2026-05
and privacy protection —
Evaluation criteria for IT security —
Part 1:
Introduction and general model
Sécurité de l'information, cybersécurité et protection de la vie
privée — Critères d'évaluation pour la sécurité des technologies
de l'information —
Partie 1: Introduction et modèle général
Reference number
ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026(en) © ISO/IEC 2026

ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026(en)
© ISO/IEC 2026
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
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Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
ii
ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026(en)
Contents Page
Foreword .vi
Introduction .vii
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Abbreviated terms .13
5 Overview . 14
5.1 General .14
5.2 ISO/IEC 15408 series audience .14
5.2.1 General .14
5.2.2 Consumers (Risk owners) .14
5.2.3 Developers.14
5.2.4 Technical working groups . 15
5.2.5 Evaluators. 15
5.2.6 Others . 15
5.3 Target of evaluation (TOE) .17
5.3.1 General .17
5.3.2 TOE boundaries .18
5.3.3 Different representations of the TOE .18
5.3.4 Different configurations of the TOE .18
5.3.5 Operational environment of the TOE .19
5.4 Presentation of material in this document .19
6 General model . 19
6.1 Background .19
6.2 Assets and security controls . 20
6.3 Core constructs of the paradigm of the ISO/IEC 15408 series . 22
6.3.1 General . 22
6.3.2 Conformance types . 23
6.3.3 Communicating security requirements. 23
6.3.4 Meeting the needs of consumers (risk owners) . 26
7 Specifying security requirements .27
7.1 Security problem definition (SPD) .27
7.1.1 General .27
7.1.2 Threats .27
7.1.3 Organizational security policies (OSPs) . 28
7.1.4 Assumptions . 28
7.2 Security objectives . 29
7.2.1 General . 29
7.2.2 Security objectives for the TOE . 29
7.2.3 Security objectives for the operational environment . 29
7.2.4 Relation between security objectives and the SPD . 30
7.2.5 Tracing between security objectives and the SPD . 30
7.2.6 Providing a justification for the tracing .31
7.2.7 On countering threats.31
7.2.8 Security objectives: conclusion .31
7.3 Security requirements . .31
7.3.1 General .31
7.3.2 Security Functional Requirements (SFRs) .32
7.3.3 Security assurance requirements (SARs) . 34
7.3.4 Security requirements: conclusion . 35
8 Security components .36
8.1 Hierarchical structure of security components . 36

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
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ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026(en)
8.1.1 General . 36
8.1.2 Class . 36
8.1.3 Family . 36
8.1.4 Component . 36
8.1.5 Element . 36
8.2 Operations .37
8.2.1 General .37
8.2.2 Iteration .37
8.2.3 Assignment . 38
8.2.4 Selection . 39
8.2.5 Refinement . . 40
8.3 Dependencies between components .41
8.4 Extended components.42
8.4.1 General .42
8.4.2 Defining extended components .42
9 Packages .43
9.1 General .43
9.2 Package types . 44
9.2.1 General . 44
9.2.2 Assurance packages . 44
9.2.3 Functional packages . 44
9.3 Package dependencies .45
9.4 Evaluation method(s) and activities.45
10 Protection Profiles (PPs) .45
10.1 General .45
10.2 PP introduction . 46
10.3 Conformance claims and conformance statements. 46
10.4 Security assurance requirements (SARs) . 48
10.5 Additional requirements common to strict and demonstrable conformance . 49
10.5.1 Conformance claims and conformance statements . 49
10.5.2 Security problem definition (SPD) . 49
10.5.3 Security objectives . 49
10.6 Additional requirements specific to strict conformance . 49
10.6.1 Requirements for the security problem definition (SPD) . 49
10.6.2 Requirements for the security objectives . 50
10.6.3 Requirements for the security requirements . . 50
10.7 Additional requirements specific to demonstrable conformance . 50
10.8 Additional requirements specific to exact conformance . 50
10.8.1 General . 50
10.8.2 Conformance claims and conformance statements .51
10.9 Using PPs .51
10.10 Conformance statements and claims in the case of multiple PPs .52
10.10.1 General .52
10.10.2 Where strict or demonstrable conformance is specified .52
10.10.3 Where exact conformance is specified .52
11 Modular requirements construction .52
11.1 General .52
11.2 PP-Modules.52
11.2.1 General .52
11.2.2 PP-Module Base . 53
11.2.3 Requirements for PP-Modules . 53
11.3 PP-Configurations . . 56
11.3.1 General . 56
11.3.2 Requirements for PP-Configurations .57
11.3.3 Usage of PP-Configurations .62
12 Security Targets (STs) .65
12.1 General . 65

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
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ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026(en)
12.2 Conformance claims and conformance statements. 66
12.3 Assurance requirements . 68
12.4 Additional requirements in the exact conformance case . 69
12.4.1 Additional requirements for the conformance claim . 69
12.4.2 Additional requirements for the SPD . 69
12.4.3 Additional requirements for the security objectives. 69
12.4.4 Additional requirements for the security requirements . 69
12.5 Additional requirements in the multi-assurance case .70
13 Evaluation and evaluation results .71
13.1 General .71
13.2 Evaluation context . 73
13.3 Evaluation of PPs and PP-Configurations . 73
13.4 Evaluation of STs .74
13.5 Evaluation of TOEs .74
13.6 Evaluation methods and evaluation activities . 75
13.7 Evaluation results . 75
13.7.1 Results of a PP evaluation . 75
13.7.2 Results of a PP-Configuration evaluation . 75
13.7.3 Results of an ST/TOE evaluation. 75
13.8 Multi-assurance evaluation .76
14 Composition of assurance .77
14.1 General . 77
14.2 Composition models . 77
14.2.1 Layered composition model . 77
14.2.2 Network or bi-directional composition model . 78
14.2.3 Embedded composition model . 79
14.3 Evaluation techniques for providing assurance in composition models . 79
14.3.1 General . 79
14.3.2 ACO class for composed TOEs . 80
14.3.3 Composite evaluation for composite products . 80
14.4 Requirements for evaluations using composition techniques .91
14.4.1 Re-use of evaluation results .91
14.4.2 Composition evaluation issues . 92
14.5 Evaluation by composition and multi-assurance. 93
Annex A (normative) Specification of packages .94
Annex B (normative) Specification of Protection Profiles (PPs) .98
Annex C (normative) Specification of PP-Modules and PP-Configurations .107
Annex D (normative) Specification of Security Targets (STs) and direct rationale STs .121
Annex E (normative) PP/PP-Configuration conformance .132
Bibliography .137

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
v
ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are
members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical
committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity.
ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the ISO/
IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives or www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs).
ISO and IEC draw attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the
use of (a) patent(s). ISO and IEC take no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any
claimed patent rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO and IEC had not
received notice of (a) patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers
are cautioned that this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent
database available at www.iso.org/patents and https://patents.iec.ch. ISO and IEC shall not be held
responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
In the IEC, see www.iec.ch/understanding-standards.
This document was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 27, Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection, in collaboration with the
European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Technical Committee CEN/CLC/JTC 13, Cybersecurity and
data protection, in accordance with the Agreement on technical cooperation between ISO and CEN (Vienna
Agreement).
This fifth edition cancels and replaces the fourth edition (ISO/IEC 15408-1:2022), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— the terminology has been reviewed and updated;
— the package conformance claim for Security Targets, Protection Profiles and PP-Modules, respectively,
has been reviewed and aligned with ISO/IEC 18045;
— the specification of multiple PP-Modules Bases has been improved for accuracy;
— corrections of mistakes.
A list of all parts in the ISO/IEC 15408 series can be found on the ISO and IEC websites.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards
body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html and
www.iec.ch/national-committees.

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
vi
ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026(en)
Introduction
The ISO/IEC 15408 series permits comparability between the results of independent security evaluations
by providing a common set of requirements for the security functionality of IT products and for assurance
measures applied to these IT products during a security evaluation. These IT products may be implemented
in hardware, firmware, or software.
The evaluation process establishes a level of confidence that the security functionality of these IT products
and the assurance applied to these IT products meet relevant requirements.
The evaluation results can help consumers to determine whether these IT products fulfil their security
needs.
The ISO/IEC 15408 series is useful as a guide for the development, evaluation or procurement of IT products
with security functionality.
The ISO/IEC 15408 series is intentionally flexible, enabling a range of evaluation approaches to be applied to
a range of security properties of a range of IT products. Therefore, users of this document are recommended
to ensure that this flexibility is not misused. For example, using the ISO/IEC 15408 series in conjunction
with unsuitable evaluation methods/activities, irrelevant security properties, or inappropriate IT products,
can result in meaningless evaluation results.
Consequently, the fact that an IT product has been evaluated has meaning only in the context of the security
properties that were evaluated and the evaluation methods that were used. Evaluation authorities are
advised to carefully check the products, properties, and methods to determine that an evaluation provides
meaningful results. Additionally, purchasers of evaluated products are advised to carefully consider this
context to determine whether the evaluated product is useful and applicable to their specific situation and
needs.
The ISO/IEC 15408 series addresses the protection of assets 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. The ISO/IEC 15408 series can also be applicable to aspects
of IT security outside of these three categories. The ISO/IEC 15408 series is applicable to risks arising from
human activities (malicious or otherwise) and to risks arising from non-human activities. The ISO/IEC 15408
series may be applied in other areas of IT but makes no claim of applicability in these areas.
The ISO/IEC 15408 series is presented as a set of distinct but related parts as identified below.
a) ISO/IEC 15408-1 is the introduction to the ISO/IEC 15408 series. It defines the general concepts and
principles of IT security evaluation and presents a general model of evaluation.
b) ISO/IEC 15408-2 establishes a set of functional components that serve as standard templates upon which
security functional requirements (SFRs) for Target of Evaluations (TOEs) are based. ISO/IEC 15408-2
catalogues the set of security functional components and organizes them into families and classes.
c) ISO/IEC 15408-3 establishes a set of assurance components that serve as standard templates upon
which security assurance requirements for TOEs are based. ISO/IEC 15408-3 catalogues the set of
security assurance components and organizes them into families and classes. ISO/IEC 15408-3 also
defines evaluation criteria for PPs, STs and TOEs.
d) ISO/IEC 15408-4 provides a standardized framework for the specification of evaluation methods and
activities that may be included in PPs, STs and any documents supporting them, to be used by evaluators
in support of evaluations using the model described in the other parts of the ISO/IEC 15408 series.
ISO/IEC 18045 is fundamental to ISO/IEC 15408-4.
e) ISO/IEC 15408-5 provides packages of security assurance and SFRs that have been identified as useful
in support of common usage by stakeholders. Examples of provided packages include the evaluation
assurance levels (EAL) and the composed assurance packages (CAPs).
NOTE 1 ISO/IEC 18045 provides the baseline methodology for IT security evaluations performed in accordance
with the ISO/IEC 15408 series.

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
vii
ISO/IEC 15408-1:2026(en)
Certain topics, which involve specialized techniques or are somewhat peripheral to IT security, are
considered to be outside the scope of the ISO/IEC 15408 series. The following list of topics are not covered
by the ISO/IEC 15408 series:
f) security evaluation criteria pertaining to administrative security measures not related directly to the IT
security functionality. However, it is recognized that significant security can often be achieved through
or supported by administrative measures such as organizational, personnel, physical, and procedural
controls;
g) the evaluation methodology under which the criteria should be applied;
NOTE 2 The baseline methodology is defined in ISO/IEC 18045. ISO/IEC 15408-4 can be used to further derive
evaluation activities and methods from ISO/IEC 18045.
h) administrative and legal framework under which the criteria can be applied by evaluation authorities.
However, it is expected that the ISO/IEC 15408 series is intended to be used for evaluation purposes in
the context of such a framework;
i) the procedures for use of evaluation results in accreditation. Accreditation is the administrative
process whereby authority is granted for the operation of an IT product (or collection thereof) in its
full operational environment including all of its non-IT parts. The results o
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