[January 17, 2013]

AccessData Group Achieves Common Criteria Certification for Cyber Intelligence and Response Technology (CIRT)

In a welcome announcement for the new year; AccessData's CIRT v.2.1.2 has received certification from Common Criteria, an internationally recognized standard for computer security certification, with an Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) of 3+. Common Criteria provides a set of standards used by the federal government and other organizations to assess the security and assurance of technology products. Common Criteria implements and evaluates solutions, employing rigorous and consistent methodologies, to validate and rate their levels of security assurance. Common Criteria is the driving force for the widest available mutual recognition of secure and trusted IT products.

AccessData chose to invest in the certification to ensure CIRT is endorsed against internationally sanctioned and rigorous security standards. CIRT is the first and only product to integrate network and host forensics, malware analysis, large-scale data auditing and remediation capabilities. The solution delivers the functionality of AccessData's SilentRunner network forensics solution, AD eDiscovery and AD Enterprise products through a single collaborative interface. Common Criteria has bestowed this certification upon CIRT for its data protection technology, including its ability to provide network surveillance (also, its ability to detect data spillage, and its ability to perform integrated root cause analysis in the event of a security breach). The core technology certified through Common Criteria exists in many of AccessData's solutions.

This certification ensures the product was methodically tested and checked at an independent lab where a vulnerability analysis demonstrated resistance to penetration attackers. The lab found that CIRT v2.1.2 provides the means to identify and manage inappropriate data hosted on corporate end user workstations, file shares, and email message servers. It offers protection against attempts to breach system security by attackers. The lab gave CIRT its highest rating of all products it is currently testing. The EAL score of 3+ is recognized by all countries participating in the Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement (CCRA).

The evaluators determined that the initialization process is secure and that the security functions are protected against tamper and bypass. User guides were found to be sufficiently descriptive on how to use and administer CIRT, resulting in a secure configuration. The evaluators found that the CIRT v2.1.2 configuration items were clearly marked and the access control measures were effective in preventing unauthorized access to configuration items. AccessData's configuration management system was also observed during the site visit, and it was found to be mature and well-developed. Evaluators also examined the development security procedures and determined that they detailed sufficient security measures to protect the confidentiality and integrity of the CIRT v2.1.2 design and implementation. Common Criteria noted that AccessData maintains a high-level of end user support for the product. This independent penetration testing did not uncover any exploitable vulnerabilities in the intended operating environment.

CIRT v2.1.2 was subjected to a comprehensive suite of formally documented, independent functional and penetration tests. The testing took place at the Information Technology Security Evaluation and Test (ITSET) Facility at EWA-Canada. The CCS Certification Body witnessed a portion of the independent testing. The developer's tests and the independent functional tests yielded the expected results, giving assurance that CIRT v2.1.2 is a trusted product that provides the security desired by the most demanding organizations.

AccessData will be hosting a webinar titled, "Cyber Intelligence & Response Technology... What You Don't Know CAN Hurt You" that will highlight many of the key capabilities of the CIRT platform on Thursday, January 31^st, at 10am PT / 1pm ET. This event is free to attend, but registration is required.

About AccessData Group:

AccessData Group has pioneered digital investigations and litigation support for 25 years. Its family of stand-alone and enterprise-class solutions, including FTK, SilentRunner, Summation and the CIRT security framework, enable digital investigations of any kind, including computer forensics, incident response, e-discovery, legal review and compliance auditing. More than 130,000 users in law enforcement, government agencies, corporations and law firms worldwide rely on AccessData software solutions and its premier digital investigation and hosted review services. AccessData is also a leading provider of digital forensics and litigation support training and certification. www.accessdata.com.

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