- India has assumed the chairmanship of the Common Criteria Development Board (CCDB) for the period from April 2026 to April 2028, marking a significant milestone in the country’s growing influence in global cybersecurity and IT security standards.
- The leadership role was confirmed during the first-quarter meeting of the Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement (CCRA) held in Tokyo from April 14 to 16, 2026.
What is the CCRA?
The Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement is an international framework that enables mutual recognition of IT security certificates issued by member countries.
Under this arrangement:
- Secure IT products certified in one member country are accepted by other member nations
- Re-certification is not required
- International trade in trusted IT products becomes easier
At present, the CCRA includes:
- 20 certificate-authorising nations
- 18 certificate-consuming nations
The arrangement also maintains the Common Criteria Portal, considered the global reference platform for certified secure IT products.
Role of the CCDB
The CCDB functions as the technical core of the CCRA.
It is responsible for managing and developing:
- Common Criteria (CC) standards
- Common Methodology for Information Technology Security Evaluation (CEM)
While other CCRA groups focus on policy matters, the CCDB handles technical standards, evaluation methodologies and security certification frameworks for IT products used globally.
India’s Participation in the CCRA
India became a member of the CCRA on September 16, 2013, as a Certificate Authorizing Nation.
India participates in the framework through:
- Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
- STQC Directorate, which serves as India’s official certification authority for IT security evaluations
Significance of India’s Chairmanship
India’s appointment as Chair of the CCDB is being viewed as recognition of the country’s growing expertise in cybersecurity, digital governance and secure technology standards.
The development is important because it:
- Strengthens India’s global role in cybersecurity governance
- Enhances India’s influence in shaping future IT security standards
- Supports India’s ambitions in trusted digital infrastructure
- Positions India as a key contributor to emerging technology security frameworks
The leadership role also comes at a time when global focus on cybersecurity, secure digital products and trusted technology ecosystems is rapidly increasing due to the expansion of artificial intelligence, cloud computing and connected digital systems.