What does EAL mean in COMPUTING

An EAL is a numerical rating or score assigned to an IT product as part of the Common Criteria security evaluation process. The rating or score is based on the criteria of assurance, functionality, and robustness, which define what level of assurance can be expected from the product in terms of its security protections.

The EALs measure how rigorous the software testing and development process was before a product's release. They also measure how resilient the product is against attempts to bypass its security measures, such as malicious attack or accidental misuse.

There are seven different EAL levels ranging from 1 to 7, with 7 being the highest assurance level available. Each successive level adds greater requirements, making it more difficult and expensive for vendors to attain higher ratings.

All types of IT products, including operating systems, applications, databases, firmware, and hardware components require meeting certain EAL standards before they can be released into production environments.

Meeting certain EAL standards ensures that an organization's IT infrastructure can be trusted to effectively protect information and assets in accordance with its stated level of security requirements. It also ensures that vendors create secure solutions that adequately address organizational needs with regard to confidentiality, integrity, availability, accountability, authentication and non-repudiation.