ITU-T Recommendations

Recommendation ITU-T X.1236 specifies requirements for security features to block inbound and outbound email attacks in the form of multilevel management that includes countermeasures against targeted email attacks. This approach is necessary to integrate or deploy a new framework to improve Internet user defence against such attacks. Recommendation ITU-T X.1236 forms a reference on the direction and objectives of designing an email security diagnostic framework or developing email security solutions with those security functional requirements for information technology (IT) security managers, especially in those countries beginning to be actively engaged in IT development and implementation.
Targeted email attacks are designed to damage or compromise information assets of an entity by establishing a connection with the targets after gathering sufficient resources to conduct an attack and then enticing them to take certain actions that eventually create a security loophole. These targeted attacks used in inbound and outbound emails are evolving into more sophisticated and unknown types, such as using unknown malicious files or capitalizing on the target's social relationships. However, so far there are no security requirements proposed to effectively prevent or block them.