China Information Security (CCIS) Certification Service

General Information:

Starting in the fall of 2015, the Chinese government began to allow foreign manufacturers to apply for CCIS Certification. China Certification of Information Security, or CCIS, is the information security equivalent of China Compulsory Certification (CCC). It is required for information security products to be procured by the Chinese government, and in the near future is expected to be mandatory for some categories of commercially available products.

The CCIS certification is administered by China Information Security Certification Center (ISCCC). There are currently eight product categories within CCIS:

Border security, including firewalls, network security separated cards and line selectors, and security isolation and information exchange products
Communication security, such as secure routers
Authentication and access control, such as smart card chip operating systems
Data security, including data backup and recovery products, secure operating systems, and secure database systems
Content security, such as anti-spam products
Valuation, audit, and control, including intrusion detection systems, network vulnerability scanning products, and security audit products
Application security, such as website recovery products

Obtaining China Certification of Information Security is a multi-step process, including an application, type testing, factory inspection, product marking, and follow-up inspections after certification.

The CCIS mark is based on type testing to Chinese national standards, which outline the technical requirements. The mark diagram is as follows:

Challenges Obtaining and Maintaining CCIS Certification

Obtaining CCIS certification can be tricky, and delays can occur from not going in with the right test plan, or having the right support equipment for testing. The following are preventable issues that can cause delays:

The only Certification Body that currently issues the CCIS mark is largely unknown to North American certification agencies
Initial test plan not designed to leverage base model number
Products are not sent with the correct test software
Certification laboratories make little effort to resolve product operating deficiencies during testing.
Test samples are delayed in shipping, or get stuck in China customs
Product operating details are not well translated to Chinese test lab
Certificate expirations cause unexpected lapse in coverage

How Can We Help?

G&M Compliance’s Beijing office was established in 2005. We utilize the following practices to achieve a fast and efficient certification experience:

G&M has a long-standing relationship and proven track record in dealing with ISCCC, the CCIS certification body. In fact, G&M was the first foreign homologation company to receive a certificate from ISCCC shortly after their inception in 2006.
We develop a test plan that maximizes certification coverage of current and future products based on product type.
We troubleshoot sample issues at the test lab if necessary, to keep the process moving forward.
Assist in shipping samples, and maintain good relationships with customs clearance agencies to expedite the clearance process
Rely on China team’s experience to communicate directly with customers and minimize communication gaps.
Track and alert customers of upcoming renewals of CCIS certificates, with G&M’s Certificate Alert and Tracking System (CATS)

G&M Compliance has operations in the U.S. and China to ensure your product utilizes the right testing process, and moves through certification efficiently. Our compliance experts understand the technical requirements necessary to minimize the risk of failure, and stay updated on ever-changing regulations.

For more information, additional questions, or to request a quote – Please submit an online RFQ, Contact Us, or call.

Other Certifications Required

For electrical products, depending on the type of equipment, additional certifications other than CCIS may be required for China. Among these are CCC for many types of electrical products, CEL for products that have energy requirements, SRRC for products with wireless functionality, and NAL for equipment connecting to the public network. More detailed information can be found by clicking on the links to these specific services. For more information about what certifications are required for your product please contact us.

Certification Details

Mark – Required

In-Country Representation – Not required

In-Country Testing – Required

Expiration Details – CCIS Certificates are valid for 5 years after which time they need to be renewed. The subsequent renewal period is valid for 3 years, after which the product must be -re-submitted as a new product for testing. Renewal is generally a paperwork transaction with no need to send samples. For more information on tracking certifications please see our CATS page.

Continuing Surveillance – Factory inspections are required. Market surveillance practices are unknown.

Outsource Homologation Management

We have found that often times certification bottlenecks can occur within a manufacturer’s organization. As a result, we offer a service to provide internal help managing regulatory certification tasks. Because G&M is not a certification body, we are in a unique position to offer valuable regulatory expertise without any conflict of interest issues. In such cases we place G&M certification experts into our customers’ organizations to manage the certification process for them. Once on the inside, our managers can leverage G&Ms collective experience to guide certification processes in an efficient and cost-effective manner. To learn more about this service see our Homologation Management Service Page.

Certificate Alert and Tracking System (CATS)

Untimely expirations of certificates can cause delays in product deliveries. Re-certification of products will generally be treated as new submittals instead of certificate renewals. This can be time-consuming and costly. G&M provides a web-based certification tracking system that alerts users when expirations are coming, provides on-line storage of important certification documentation, and is searchable by certification specific criteria. For more information on this system see our CATS page.