The Traffic Light Protocol (TLP) is a simple system to control sharing of potentially sensitive information.
Information sharing happens from an information source, towards one or more recipients. TLP is a set of four labels used to indicate the sharing boundaries to be applied by the recipients. The four TLP labels are: TLP:RED, TLP:AMBER, TLP:GREEN, and TLP:CLEAR.
- The source is responsible for ensuring that recipients of TLP-labeled information understand and can follow TLP sharing guidance.
- The source is at liberty to specify additional sharing restrictions. These must be adhered to by recipients.
- If a recipient needs to share information more widely than indicated by the TLP label it came with, they must obtain explicit permission from the source.
| TLP:RED | For the eyes and ears of individual recipients only, no further disclosure. | Sources may use TLP:RED when information cannot be effectively acted upon without significant risk for the privacy, reputation, or operations of the organizations involved. Recipients may therefore not share TLP:RED information with anyone else. In the context of a meeting, for example, TLP:RED information is limited to those present at the meeting. |
| TLP:AMBER | Limited disclosure, recipients can only spread this on a need-to-know basis within their organization and its clients. | Sources may use TLP:AMBER when information requires support to be effectively acted upon, yet carries risk to privacy, reputation, or operations if shared outside of the organizations involved. Recipients may share TLP:AMBER information with members of their own organization and its clients, but only on a need-to-know basis to protect their organization and its clients and prevent further harm. Note: if the source wants to restrict sharing to the organization only, they must specify TLP:AMBER+STRICT. |
| TLP:GREEN | Limited disclosure, recipients can spread this within their community. | Sources may use TLP:GREEN when information is useful to increase awareness within their wider community. Recipients may share TLP:GREEN information with peers and partner organizations within their community, but not via publicly accessible channels. TLP:GREEN information may not be shared outside of the community. Note: when “community” is not defined, assume the cybersecurity/defense community. |
| TLP:CLEAR | Recipients can spread this to the world, there is no limit on disclosure. | Sources may use TLP:CLEAR 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:CLEAR information may be distributed without restriction. Note: TLP:WHITE labels have been deprecated in TLP 2.0 and should be treated as TLP:CLEAR. |