Apple quietly released this week Common Criteria Tools 1.0, which is available for download from the company’s Web site. According to Apple, the tools are an “internationally approved set of security standards which provides a clear and reliable evaluation of the security capabilities of Information Technology products.”
The Common Criteria has been adopted by fourteen nations, allowing users from other countries to purchase Information Technology products with the same level of confidence, since certification is recognized across all complying nations.
Apple also said that organizations like the U.S. government are requiring Common Criteria as a determining factor in purchasing decisions.