India Assumes Chair of Common Criteria Development Board (CCDB)

India has been nominated as the Chair of the Common Criteria Development Board (CCDB) for the period from April 2026 to April 2028, reflecting the country’s growing role in international information technology security standards.

The leadership responsibility was confirmed during the First Quarter Meeting of the Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement (CCRA), held in Tokyo, Japan, from 14–16 April 2026.

About the Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement (CCRA)

The Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement (CCRA) is an international treaty framework that enables mutual recognition of IT security certificates among participating countries.

Under this arrangement, IT products certified in one member country are accepted by other member nations without requiring fresh certification.

This system facilitates:

• International trade in secure IT products
• Standardisation of cybersecurity evaluation mechanisms
• Global trust in certified digital products

The CCRA currently consists of:

• 20 certificate-authorizing nations
• 18 certificate-consuming nations

Role of the Common Criteria Development Board (CCDB): The CCDB functions as the technical core of the CCRA. It manages the international work programme related to:

• Common Criteria (CC)
• Common Methodology for Information Technology Security Evaluation (CEM)

While other CCRA bodies deal with policy-related matters, the CCDB focuses on:

• Technical standards
• Security evaluation methodologies
• Certification criteria for secure IT products

The CCDB also contributes to maintaining the integrity of the Common Criteria Portal, regarded as the authoritative global repository of certified secure IT products.

India’s Participation in CCRA

India became a member of the CCRA on 16 September 2013 as a Certificate Authorizing Nation. India participates in the arrangement through the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and STQC Directorate.  The STQC Directorate functions as India’s official Certification Body for IT security evaluations.

Significance for India: India’s appointment as Chair of the CCDB is expected to:

• Strengthen India’s role in global cybersecurity governance
• Enhance India’s contribution to international IT security standards
• Support the growth of India’s secure digital products industry
• Improve global recognition of Indian cybersecurity capabilities.

Source: PIB