What is Traffic Light Protocol (TLP)?

Traffic Light Protocol (TLP) is a system for classifying sensitive information created in the early 2000s in order to facilitate greater sharing of information.

“TLP is a set of designations used to ensure that sensitive information is shared with the appropriate audience. It employs four colors to indicate expected sharing boundaries to be applied by the recipient(s).”[1]

TLP is “optimized for ease of adoption, human readability and person-to-person sharing”.[1]

It is to be noted that TLP is distinct from the Chatham House Rule, BUT may be used in conjunction, if deemed appropriate by the information exchange participants.

Chatham House Rule— “when a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), not that of any other participant, may be revealed”.[1]

• Notes about TLP:
  • The source is responsible for ensuring that recipients of TLP information understand and can follow TLP sharing guidance. (Meaning the recipients should obviously be trusted to a certain extent.)
  • If a recipient needs to share the information more widely than indicated by the original TLP designation, they must obtain explicit permission from the original source.

Definitions:

Color	When should it be used?	How may it be shared?
TLP: RED Not for disclosure, restricted to participants only!!!	Sources may use TLP:RED when information cannot be effectively acted upon by additional parties, and could lead to impacts on a party’s privacy, reputation, or operations if misused.	Recipients may not share TLP:RED information with any parties outside of the specific exchange, meeting, or conversation in which it was originally disclosed. In the context of a meeting, for example, TLP:RED info is limited to those present at the meeting. In most circumstances, TLP:RED should be exchanged verbally or in person.
TLP: AMBER Limited disclosure, restricted to participants’ organizations.	Sources may use TLP:AMBER when information requires support to be effectively acted upon, yet carries risks to privacy, reputation, or operations if shared outside of the organizations involved.	Recipients may only share TLP:AMBER info with members of their own organization, and with clients or customers who need to know the information to protect themselves or prevent further harm. Sources are at liberty to specify additional intended limits of the sharing: these must be adhered to.
TLP: GREEN Limited disclosure, restricted to the community.	Sources may use TLP:GREEN when information is useful for the awareness of all participating organizations as well as with peers within the broader community or sector.	Recipients may share TLP:GREEN info with peers and partner organizations within their sector or community, but not via publicly accessible channels. Info in this category can be circulated widely within a particular community. TLP:GREEN information may not be released outside of the community.
TLP: WHITE Disclosure is not limited.	Sources may use TLP:WHITE when information carries minimal or no foreseeable risk of misuse, in accordance with applicable rules and procedures for public release.	Subject to standard copyright rules, TLP:WHITE information may be distributed without restriction.

• Sources:
  • [1] CISA–https://www.cisa.gov/tlp
  • [2] Wikiedia–https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_Light_Protocol
  • [3] ResearchGate–https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-Traffic-Light-Protocol-TLP_fig3_339757901 (image)