Explanation of EN 18031 Standard Testing Items

en 18031 certification is a mandatory standard formulated by the European Union for the cybersecurity of radio equipment. This standard is divided into three sub-standards (EN 18031-1 / -2 / -3), which correspond to the protection requirements for network assets, privacy assets, and financial assets, respectively. The following is a detailed analysis of the testing items:

General Testing Items (Applicable to all sub-standards)

• Authentication Mechanism: Verify whether the equipment has a unique identity identifier (e.g., certificates, digital signatures). The use of default passwords is prohibited, and users are required to change the password upon their first use of the equipment.

• Secure Update Mechanism: Check whether firmware updates are transmitted through a secure channel (e.g., encrypted communication). Ensure that the update package contains a digital signature to prevent tampering.

• Resilience Mechanism: Evaluate the recovery capability of the equipment when subjected to cyberattacks (e.g., DDoS attacks). Verify whether the logging function is complete to support audit trail operations.

EN 18031-1: Protection of Network Assets

• Scope of Application: Connected radio equipment (e.g., routers, smart home devices).

• Core Testing Items:

• Traffic Control: Restrict abnormal traffic (e.g., bandwidth abuse) to prevent the malicious occupation of network resources.

• Network Monitoring: Real-time detection of abnormal behaviors (e.g., unauthorized access) to trigger alerts or execute blocking operations.

• Service Interruption Protection: Ensure that critical services (e.g., emergency communication services) can still operate normally during an attack.

EN 18031-2: Protection of Privacy Assets

• Scope of Application: Equipment that processes personal data (e.g., smartwatches, children's toys).

• Core Testing Items:

• Data Encryption: Implement end-to-end encrypted transmission for sensitive information (e.g., location data, health records).

• Access Control: Children's equipment must support parental control permissions (e.g., content filtering, usage time limits).

• Privacy Data Minimization: Only collect strictly necessary data; excessive data collection is prohibited.

EN 18031-3: Protection of Financial Assets

• Scope of Application: Equipment involving virtual currency or payment functions (e.g., cryptocurrency wallets, payment terminals).

• Core Testing Items:

• Transaction Verification: Mandatory adoption of multi-factor authentication methods (e.g., biometrics + dynamic passwords).

• Software Integrity: Verify whether the equipment firmware has anti-tampering mechanisms (e.g., hash verification).

• Fraud Protection: Detect abnormal transaction patterns (e.g., large-amount transfers) and trigger a manual review.

Differences from Other Standards (e.g., ETSI EN 303 645)

• Stricter Requirements: EN 18031 introduces mechanisms such as access control and logging, and these mechanisms are unconditionally mandatory.

• Higher Flexibility: Allows certain clauses to be marked as "Not Applicable" (N/A), provided that a reasonable and valid justification is given.

Testing Process and Cycle

• Prototype Preparation: Prototypes capable of being debugged must be provided (e.g., equipment with Root privileges).

• Evaluation Phase:

• Conceptual Evaluation: Document review (approximately 4–8 weeks).

• Functional Evaluation: Laboratory testing (approximately 6–8 weeks).

• Rectification and Retesting: If the testing is not passed, the design must be modified according to the report and the equipment must be retested.

Compliance Path Selection

• Self-Declaration: Only applicable in cases where there are no password exemptions and children's equipment features parental control functions.

• Third-Party Certification: High-risk equipment (e.g., financial equipment, children's toys) is strictly required to undergo third-party certification.