Re: [cti-stix] Applying data markings

[Patrick Maroney <Pmaroney@Specere.org>]

Jason,

I see many discussions that seem to conflate and confuse a number of topics like "Data Markings" as well.  A core tenet of the TAXII Standard has always been the following:

5.2.1 TAXII is Content Agnostic

The TAXII specifications do not provide details about the underlying content formats of records within TAXII. All content formats are a "black-box" as far as TAXII is concerned - none of the behaviors required to process TAXII at the message level require inspection of any information stored within message content. While TAXII Back-ends can have very different processing paths and requirements for different types of information, TAXII Services, Messages, and Exchanges are agnostic as to the information they convey. This allows TAXII to be usable for a wide array of sharing scenarios.

Discussions around "Back-Ends" and STIX "Repositories" are very much implementation specific details from my perspective.

Patrick Maroney

Office:  (856)983-0001

Cell:      (609)841-5104

President

Integrated Networking Technologies, Inc.

PO Box 569

Marlton, NJ 08053

From: <cti-stix@lists.oasis-open.org> on behalf of Jason Keirstead <Jason.Keirstead@ca.ibm.com>
Date: Friday, December 11, 2015 at 1:24 PM
To: John Wunder <jwunder@mitre.org>
Cc: "Chernin, Aharon" <achernin@soltra.com>, "cti-stix@lists.oasis-open.org" <cti-stix@lists.oasis-open.org>, Jason Keirstead <Jason.Keirstead@ca.ibm.com>, Marlon Taylor <Marlon.Taylor@hq.dhs.gov>, Sean Barnum <sbarnum@mitre.org>
Subject: RE: [cti-stix] Applying data markings

There is something I still to this day don't grock about partial makings, especially the ill-defined "TLP". I feel like not enough thought is placed into how the consumer, specifically a TAXII server, is supposed to implement support for the markings.

If I have a STIX document and it is marked in such a way that I can see 1/2 of that document but not the other, when that document is published to a TAXII channel that I am privy to, what do I receive as a consumer? Do I receive a partial document? Do I not receive the document at all?

If it is the former, then what is the point of having Level 2 markings, and furthermore, how can we ensure the document is not incomplete (for example what if an Indicator I have access to has an observable reference that I do not)?

If it is the latter, how can that be done by the TAXII server without changing the digital signature of the document?

-
Jason Keirstead
Product Architect, Security Intelligence, IBM Security Systems
www.ibm.com/security | www.securityintelligence.com

Without data, all you are is just another person with an opinion - Unknown