ETSI Releases the First Group Report on Encrypted Traffic Integration, Protecting End Users from Malicious Attacks
ETSI’s Industry Specification Group on Encrypted Traffic Integration (ISG ETI) has concluded the early part of its work, by identifying problems arising from pervasive encrypted traffic in communications networks. In the group’s first report, ETSI GR ETI 001, entitled Encrypted Traffic Integration (ETI); Problem Statement, ISG ETI identifies the impact of encrypted traffic on stakeholders and how these stakeholders' objectives interrelate. The rise of the use of encryption places networks and users at risk, whilst offering promises of security.
Encryption protects traffic flowing through a network from unauthorized inspection. Nevertheless, encryption does not protect the communicating end points from attack and reduces the ability of firewalls, in combination with other network management systems, to remove malicious traffic. Without being over-dramatic, the rise of a pervasive encryption model allows many of the worst elements of societal and human behavior to go unobserved, because trusted networks are not able to help to protect users. The role of ETSI ISG ETI is to enable all the positive attributes of pervasive encryption to be enhanced, whilst allowing the networks to operate. This requires a deeper understanding of the problem, as evidenced in the GR ETI 001.