How TLP works
The sender marks a document or message with a TLP label. Under the current version, TLP:RED is for named recipients only, TLP:AMBER limits sharing to the recipient's organization and clients who need to know, and TLP:GREEN allows sharing within the community.
TLP:CLEAR means no restriction beyond normal copyright. Older materials may use WHITE for the same purpose. TLP is a sharing convention, not an encryption or access control technology, so it depends on recipients honoring it. Labels apply to the information itself and travel with it, so an AMBER report remains AMBER when forwarded unless the original sender explicitly changes the marking.
Why it matters for Canadian organizations
Organizations are more willing to share indicators and incident details when they trust that recipients will handle them appropriately. A common label removes ambiguity and speeds up collaboration between analysts.
The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security and sector-specific sharing groups use TLP in advisories and bulletins. Canadian security teams that receive these reports should know what each label allows before forwarding anything. Clear handling rules also protect the people who share, since sources are more willing to report an incident when they know details will not be passed on to unintended audiences.
How to implement it
Adopt the current FIRST TLP specification and train analysts and staff on what each label permits. Add TLP fields to reports, tickets and your threat intelligence platform so labels travel with the data.
Define internal handling rules for each level, including storage and permitted recipients. Review intelligence before publishing externally, and never downgrade a label without the originator's permission. Many threat intelligence platforms support TLP tagging natively, which makes it easier to enforce sharing rules automatically and avoid accidental disclosure in tickets, chat tools or public reports.
Frequently asked questions
What do the TLP colours mean?
TLP:RED means named recipients only. TLP:AMBER allows sharing within your organization and with clients on a need-to-know basis. TLP:GREEN permits sharing within the wider community but not publicly. TLP:CLEAR has no sharing restriction. It is simple, but depends on trust and discipline.
Is TLP legally binding?
No. TLP is a voluntary convention based on trust. However, mishandling labelled information can damage your reputation with sharing partners and may breach separate confidentiality or contractual agreements. Respecting labels preserves your standing in sharing communities.
Who created the Traffic Light Protocol?
TLP was originally developed in the United Kingdom's government security community and is now maintained by FIRST, the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams. It is used internationally by CERTs, governments and industry groups. It remains widely used across the security community today.
Related service: Threat intelligence