The Common Criterion for Product
The common criterion for product evaluation is majorly applied on products associated with information technology. The common criterion is usually a developed framework upon which the information technology products’ users can specify their requirements for their product’s security functionality and assurance according to their requirements (Kizza, 2005). The common criterion employs the usage of protection profiles in certifying various information technology products. This aims to validate their riskiness and vulnerability to which an appropriate security measure is then developed in an attempt to protect the product. The product vendors can then use the developed security and protection profile to implement the various security measures. These measures concern the attributes of the product in question and other products that they intend to manufacture in the future. Laboratory testing is then done to evaluate whether the product meets the set standards for security measures (Mayes & Markantoniukis, 2008). This criteria provides and assurance to the product customers that the processes of specifying the product’s features, the various procedures involved in implementing the features and evaluating their functionality has been done in a thorough manner and that the product meets the set standards required for its use. This paper, therefore, identifies a product (BlackBerry Playbook) to which it highlights its target of evaluation, the protection profile and the target for its protection.
BlackBerry Playbook
BlackBerry Playbook is a tablet computer that is manufactured by the BlackBerry Corporation. This product operates on the basis of a tablet operating system that uses QNX Neutrino for its various applications (Mayes & Markantoniukis, 2008). It majorly runs applications that are developed using the Adobe AIR software. The product was initially manufactured with Wi-Fi connectivity and was dual core. However, current developed ones have advanced the usage of various application software that are combined to provide a powerful output. Its memory sizes differ depending on the customer preference. It is commonly found with internal memory sizes that range from 16 GB to 64 GB storage configurations. It has enabled the producers conform to the specifications of the company’s customers. These customers have over the years wanted the product to be particularly accustomed to their needs through various faces of evolution. Different series of the same products has so far been released to the market. These products are specific to the requirements of the customers within the different regions in which the company distributes its products. In the year 2012, a faster playbook version of the BlackBerry Playbook was released within the market in Canada as an attempt to adhere to the customer specifications within that market. In the same year, another version was released in the UK market that was customized to meet the customer requirements within the UK market. This version was mainly meant for computer scientists operations.
The usage of the BlackBerry Playbook has grown rapidly in the past number of years thus calling for the need to have secured customer application processes (Kizza, 2005). The tablet is a powerful tool that allows users to access the internet at their comfort. With the increased levels of internet insecurity, the BlackBerry Playbook manufacturers should ensure that the product if free from any malfunction that will disadvantage the users. They are to develop measures aimed at protecting the tablet’s users from any security threats common within the information technology sector. Therefore, with the continued changing demand in the customer’s needs, the company must evaluate the product’s conformity to the requirements of the end user. The evaluation ensures that specific features that will meet the customer’s requirements are properly implemented when manufacturing these products.
Since security has been an issue of concern to the majority of users the BlackBerry Playbook producers have endeavored to ensure that their product is safe to use by various individuals. This ensures that the number of complains concerning the product’s vulnerability is reduced which in effect significantly influences the performance of the product within the information technology sector. In cases of too many, complains concerning the product’s vulnerability, its sales are significantly affected as the customers will definitely change their preference for this product to preferring other products that are safer (Mayes & Markantoniukis, 2008).
This will see its sales within a period go down. With all these information within their reach, the producers of BlackBerry Playbook must, therefore, ensure that their product adheres to the targets of evaluating such products. The playbook must be evaluated on a continuous basis for it to be up to date with the ever evolving security requirements. Newer features have to be developed and implemented also during the manufacture of this product so that they can protect the product and its users from security threats. These actions, therefore, makes the target of evaluation the need to develop product’s security features that are specific to the task of protecting it from security threats.
Either, the product’s protection security profile is a manual in the form of a booklet that is handed over to the customers whenever the purchase the BlackBerry Playbook tablet. The protection security profile gives a detailed outline on the specific sequence of actions that a user can take to ensure that the BlackBerry Playbook that they buy are not infected by malware or viruses either from the internet or other portable devices that can be connected to the tablet (Mayes & Markantoniukis, 2008). The profile has to indicate the various preferred malware anti-viruses that a customer can use for security measures. There is a variety of antivirus software that is available in the market with some being authentic while others being generic. The company’s product protection manuals will advise the customers on the specific software to install. There are those that have general application protection while others have specific protection features. These features will either protect the tablet from internet security threats or threats from portable devices that might be plugged to the tablet.
Either, the common criteria that can be used to evaluate the vulnerability of any given product has to be internationally accepted criteria that validate telecommunication products on whether they meet the specific set security requirements for those products (Mayes & Markantoniukis, 2008). This must be aimed at preventing unnecessary security attacks on these products. The criterion has to be widely accepted and must have a comprehensive evaluation plan that can be implemented by a third party. The plans must guide in the designing of the product itself in a way that will make it compatible with the intended security software developed to protect it from attacks. The methodology in which such developments will be carried has to be laid out in the product’s security profile.
Conclusion
In conclusion, therefore, the BlackBerry Corporation has to adhere to security requirements whenever they are developing their tablet playbooks. The company must endeavor to develop this product in a way that can accept additional applications necessary to protect it from malware or other forms of virus attacks. The developed software that will be installed in these products must as be designed in a manner that they become compatible with the product software. Either, the company’s BlackBerry Playbook security profile must also be understandable and easy to read. This ensures that the applications are widely accepted by its customers.
