Topic

Sending fax messages

Applicable to

all

History

Priority

must

Dec 2021

When sending fax messages, the fax message is encrypted to an appropriate level to be communicated over unsecured telecommunications infrastructure.

Miscellaneous changes were made to rationale and security controls throughout the publication. This included:

• A review from the Using the Information Security Manual chapter through to the Guidelines for Media chapter.

• Security controls suitable for all audiences have been identified with the ‘All’ applicability marking while additional security controls suitable for just government audiences have been identified with the O, P, S and TS applicability markings.

• Security controls suitable for specific classifications have been amended to include their classification(s) in the wording of the security controls to reduce the reliance on applicability markings to confer suitability.

• Tables in security controls have been converted into prose to allow for inclusion in the SSP annex template and the XML list of security controls.

• The use of ‘official’ and ‘highly classified’ terminology has been replaced with specific classifications to remove ambiguity.

• Security controls relating to high assurance ICT equipment have had their applicability narrowed to ‘S, TS’ reflecting that they are intended for the protection of SECRET and TOP SECRET systems and data.

2015

Agencies sending sensitive or classified fax messages must ensure that the fax message isencrypted to an appropriate level when communicated over unsecured telecommunicationsinfrastructure or the PSTN.

2010

Agencies sending classified fax messages must ensure the fax message is encrypted to an appropriate levelwhen communicated over unsecured telecommunications infrastructure or the public switched telephonenetwork.

2008

Agencies intending to use fax functionality to send classified information must ensure that: a. all requirements for the use of telephone systems are met at both ends for the level of classification to be sent b. the sender makes arrangements for the receiver to: 1) collect the information from the receiving machine as soon as possible after it is received 2) notify the sender if the fax does not arrive within an agreed amount of time.