Summary - X.1560 (03/2026) - Security framework for network storage protection against malware attacks

Public institutions and businesses commonly use network storage to centrally store and share data. However, malware attacks are increasingly targeting network storage in addition to attacking local storage on PCs or servers, because the scale of damage from an attack on network storage is much larger than that of an attack on local storage.
Recommendation ITU-T X.1560 describes a framework to protect network storage against malware attacks which comprises two entities: a host and a network storage protection (NSP) system. The NSP system comprises a network file server, a NSP server, storage, and an operational mode selection application. After providing logical storage mapped with real storage to the network file server, the NSP system grants administrators and users control over its actions. Depending on the chosen mode, it processes or blocks file creation, reading, modification and deletion requests on the network file server based on the operational mode settings of the NSP server:
–In read–write mode, it operates as usual, allowing files to be created, read, modified and deleted.
–In read-only mode, all existing files become read-only, preventing any new creation, modification or deletion.
–In WORM (write once read many) mode, new files can be created and read but cannot be modified or deleted.
–In add-only mode, new files can be created, preventing reading, modification or deletion.
–In list-only mode, it permits viewing the listing of the names and extensions of existing files, while restricting creating, reading, modification or deletion.