VMware VMW 125,03 +0,62 +0,50% have announced that their NSX 6.3 software defined network platform has gained the EAL2+ certification against the Common Criteria (ISO/IEC-15408). This Evaluation Assurance Level ensures that the system has been Structurally Tested under the regime, with + indicating that additional testing with elements from higher levels.
Having a certification like this will help VMware sell their NSX solution to government agencies that need stringent security evaluations, although the EAL2+ certification is not as tough as the EAL4+ qualification that validate operating systems such as Trusted Solaris. Although the argument can be made that the virtualised network is just the transport, and that the guests and applications need the qualification at a higher-level.