Traffic Light Protocol (TLP) v2.0

Every intelligence output from this platform MUST have a TLP designation. This is enforced by platform rules and validated by hooks.

TLP Definitions

TLP:RED — Named Recipients Only

When to use: Information that would cause significant harm if shared beyond the named recipients. Sources may face risk.

• Share with: Only the named recipients, in person or via secure channels
• Do NOT share with: Anyone not explicitly named, even within the same organisation
• Examples: Active zero-day exploitation details shared to a specific CISO; source-identifying intelligence; ongoing law enforcement operation details

TLP:AMBER+STRICT — Organisation Only

When to use: Information that requires support to be effectively acted upon, limited to the recipient's organisation only.

• Share with: Members of the recipient's own organisation on a need-to-know basis
• Do NOT share with: External parties, clients, partners, or affiliated organisations
• Examples: Targeted threat intelligence specific to one organisation's infrastructure; internal investigation findings

TLP:AMBER — Organisation + Need-to-Know

When to use: Information that requires support to be effectively acted upon, and may be shared with clients/partners on a need-to-know basis.

• Share with: Members of the recipient's organisation AND their clients/partners who need the information to protect themselves
• Do NOT share with: The general public, social media, or parties without a clear need-to-know
• Examples: Sector-specific threat briefings shared with ISAC members; IOCs for active campaigns affecting a supply chain

TLP:GREEN — Community

When to use: Information useful for awareness within a broader community but not for public disclosure.

• Share with: The wider community (sector peers, security community) but not via publicly accessible channels
• Do NOT share with: The general public, social media, public blogs, or news outlets
• Examples: General threat landscape updates shared at closed conferences; new TTP descriptions shared within an ISAC

TLP:CLEAR — Unrestricted

When to use: Information that carries minimal or no foreseeable risk of misuse. Public sharing is acceptable.

• Share with: Anyone, through any channel
• Examples: Published CVE details, public vendor advisories, general best practices, published threat reports

Decision Tree

Is this information source-identifying or would sharing risk the source?
  → YES → TLP:RED

Would sharing beyond the recipient's org cause harm?
  → YES → Does it need to stay within a single org?
    → YES → TLP:AMBER+STRICT
    → NO (partners/clients may need it) → TLP:AMBER

Is this useful for community awareness but not public?
  → YES → TLP:GREEN

Is this safe for public consumption?
  → YES → TLP:CLEAR

Default TLP by Product Type

Product Type	Default TLP	Rationale
Flash report (active incident)	AMBER	Often contains org-specific context
Threat actor profile	GREEN	General awareness value
Campaign report	AMBER	May contain victim-identifying information
IOC list (enriched)	GREEN	Broadly useful for detection
Threat assessment	AMBER	Often tailored to specific stakeholder
Detection rules (SIGMA/YARA/KQL)	GREEN	Broadly useful for defence
STIX bundle	GREEN	Designed for automated sharing
Strategic landscape report	GREEN	General awareness

These are defaults — always evaluate the specific content and adjust.

Implementation

In file frontmatter:

tlp: GREEN

In report headers:

TLP:GREEN — This information may be shared within the security community
but should not be published on publicly accessible channels.

Common Mistakes

• Over-classifying (TLP:RED for everything) — reduces trust and sharing
• Under-classifying (TLP:CLEAR for IOCs with victim context) — risks harm
• Not including TLP at all — violates platform rules
• Forgetting to downgrade TLP when information becomes public
• Sharing TLP:AMBER information on public Slack channels or social media