Departments Choose New E-mail Classification System

The Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services (DOTARS) and the Department of Environment and Heritage (DEH) have selected new message classification systems to meet recently-updated security specifications for classified e-mails.

Both agencies have selected Titus Labs' Message Classification software to comply with recently-issued Australian government information and communications security requirements.

The Australian Defense Signals Directorate recently updated the Information and Communications Technology Security Manual (ACSI 33), which specifies an Electronic Mail Protective Marking Policy for all Australian government agencies.

The Australian Government Information and Communications Technology Security Manual (also known as ACSI 33) has been developed by the Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) to provide policies and guidance to Australian government agencies on how to protect their ICT systems. Authority

Australian government agencies are required by the Protective Security Manual (PSM) to comply with ACSI 33. Agencies must consider the security implications of their IT systems and devise policy and plans to ensure the systems are appropriately protected. Although security needs will be greatest when national security classified or non-national security classified information is being processed, even unclassified systems with no special safety, mission critical, or financial implications should have some degree of protection if a reliable or accurate service is to be maintained.

The new policy specifies all agency-originated e-mails that contain security-classified information include a protective marking that identifies the maximum classification and set of caveats for the information. Agencies must ensure all agency-originated e-mails that do not contain any classified information are marked with an appropriate protective marking such as UNCLASSIFIED or PERSONAL.

Titus Labs' Message Classification allows Australian government agencies to comply with these policies and also enables agencies to force their users to apply these markings before sending any electronic mail. Message Classification also enables Australian government agencies to quickly configure or modify the classification markings for all of their users via Titus Labs' centralized administration tools that work with Microsoft Active Directory.

"We are pleased that our Message Classification product will help the Australian government agencies meet their important new security requirements," said Charlie Pulfer, General Manager, Titus Labs. "Our software provides security and compliance solutions for governments throughout the world that are increasingly concerned with issues related to secure information exchange, as this recent policy enacted by the Australian government proves.

"In addition to the DOTARS and DEH, we continue to work with a number of other Australian government agencies to enable them to also meet these policy requirements," said Pulfer.

Titus Labs is closely monitoring the Australian government's activities regarding further regulations around e-mail classification. The company plans to address any new policies on e-mail classification in subsequent versions of its product release so as to be fully compliant with all e-mail usage regulations.