Introduction

This Protection Profile describes a set of security requirements for smart meters, based on the ‘minimum security requirements’ for components of Advanced Metering Infrastructures. The requirements in Smart Meter Co-ordination Group Privacy and Security Approach –Part IV are based on the concept that there are a common/generic set of underlying ‘minimum’ security requirements associated with smart metering requirement specifications in a number of EU Member States. Members of the ad hoc CG-SM Task Force on Privacy and Security as a result developed a set of generic minimum requirements that are valid for most of the European Member States. From this set, the requirements applicable to smart meters (as opposed to other parts of the AMI) have then been used as the basis for this Protection Profile by translating them, with specification of additional detail where necessary, into Common Criteria Security Functional Requirements (SFRs) and refinements to the Security Assurance Requirements (SARs)¹. The requirements defined in this Protection Profile can therefore serve as a basis for specific requirements of individual EU Member States, based on a risk analysis that has assessed the specific assets and actors applicable to their scheme.

The aim of this Protection Profile is to come to an European approach for the security certification of Smart Meters. The Cyber Security Act of the European Commission, that came into act in June 2019, asks for the development of European certification schemes for products, processes, and services in order to prevent fragmentation of the market by various national certification schemes. The SM-CG Working Group on Privacy and Security is of the opinion that Common Criteria provide a cost effective and efficient method for an agreement between manufacturers, customers and security evaluators as to what assurance level a product shall be provided based upon a protection profile and a security target for Smart Meters.

The Task Force recognizes that some national schemes already exist and have proven their value, such as the French CSPN (Certification Sécurité de Premier Niveau) approach and also the CPA (Commercial Product Assurance) approach in Great Britain and is of the opinion that it must be possible for these national approaches to be continued. In parallel the Task Force believes that an approach based on Common Criteria EAL.3+ and the already existing mutual recognition of CC certificates among 17 European countries, is a valuable alternative for European countries that do not have an existing certification scheme for Smart Meters yet.

The content of a Protection Profile is defined in ISO/IEC 15408‑1.

Clauses 4 to 7 based on general concepts – they are therefore intended to be read by general readers. Other sections specify more detailed requirements and require some familiarity with Common Criteria concepts in ISO/IEC 15408 (all parts). These more detailed requirements are used by Common Criteria experts within developer organisations when to write a Security Target (ST) that claims conformance to this Protection Profile for their product and identifies the product-specific ways in which the requirements are met and implemented in the product. During the evaluation of the product, the evaluators will check the conformance of the developer’s ST to this Protection Profile, as well as the conformance of the product to the requirements in the ST.

Any security functionality on the meter is an additional functionality and this does not have any influence on the metrological characteristics of the meter.

PD CEN/CLC/TS 17880:2022

Protection Profile for Smart Meter. Minimum Security requirements

Current, Under Review

Published:

31 Mar 2023