Force10 Networks (News - Alert), a provider of solutions that cater to every requirement of network centric data center, service provider and enterprise customers, reportedly announced that its C-Series, S-Series and E-Series Ethernet switch/routers, which operate on Force10 Operating System software version 7.8, have been awarded the Common Criteria Certification. This propels the company to the Evaluation Assurance Level 2.

This certification bears testimony to the fact that the FTOS design, software development pedagogy and multi-faceted security management systems inbuilt in it, either adhere to or exceeds the second evaluation assurance level for managed access which is a norm as per international standards.

The Common Criteria for IT Security Evaluations is often referred to as ISO Standard 15408. It was evolved jointly by the national security organizations of the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the Netherlands and is widely accepted by several other nations. It delivers a comprehensive set of evaluation parameters for different kinds of commercial and nationally critical IT security products intended for use by government.

 “Attaining the Common Criteria certification assures customers that the Force10 Ethernet switch/routers running FTOS provide tremendous security, performance and reliability,” Steve Garrison, vice president of marketing at Force10, said in a statement. “The EAL-2 Certification validates that in an environment with adequate physical security. FTOS requires proper identification and authorization for access, protects important data and functions using certified encryption, incorporates proper functional audits and has built-in failure recovery modes.”

 To receive the certification, the product or system is subjected to a stringent set of formal analysis and testing to understand the security capability. The comprehensive testing process encompasses a standard process which checks whether the product delivers on the security claims made by the manufacturer. During this process special attention is paid to security limitations and possible weaknesses.

The FTOS operating system software has been built using Force10 switch/router products, including the E-Series, C-Series and S-Series platforms. FTOS is derived from NetBSD technology. It takes advantage of a distributed, multi processor framework that facilitates the delivery of dynamic protocols and dependability. Force10 provides a single OS throughout its entire switch/router line. This makes sure that customers enjoy stable code, a dependable configuration environment and easier software administration.