ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Evaluation Assurance Level

Evaluation Assurance Level or EAL is a system for measuring how safe and secure a computer or electronic device is. Just like how we have different levels in a video game, EAL also has levels from 1 to 7.

Let's say you have a toy car. If you want to know how much it can do (like go fast or turn), you have to test it. Similarly, EAL tests how secure and reliable a computer or electronic device is.

The highest level of EAL is 7, and it means that the device has the strongest security features and has been rigorously tested to make sure that it is extremely secure. Lower levels like EAL 1 means that the device is not as secure as EAL 7.

When people want to buy a secure device for important things, they choose the device with a high EAL level because it means it has been tested and proven to be very safe and secure. It's like choosing the best toy car for a race, you want one that is fast and has been tested to make sure it can handle the race.