diff --git a/status/const.go b/status/const.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1e8adedf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/status/const.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+package status
+
+// Definitions of Security and Status Levels
+const (
+	SecurityLevelOff      uint8 = 0
+	SecurityLevelDynamic  uint8 = 1
+	SecurityLevelSecure   uint8 = 2
+	SecurityLevelFortress uint8 = 3
+
+	StatusOff     uint8 = 0
+	StatusError   uint8 = 1
+	StatusWarning uint8 = 2
+	StatusOk      uint8 = 3
+)
diff --git a/status/get.go b/status/get.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7666b2f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/status/get.go
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+package status
+
+import (
+	"sync/atomic"
+
+	"github.com/Safing/portbase/config"
+)
+
+var (
+	currentSecurityLevel  *uint32
+	selectedSecurityLevel *uint32
+	threatLevel           *uint32
+	portmasterStatus      *uint32
+	gate17Status          *uint32
+)
+
+func init() {
+	var (
+		currentSecurityLevelValue  uint32
+		selectedSecurityLevelValue uint32
+		threatLevelValue           uint32
+		portmasterStatusValue      uint32
+		gate17StatusValue          uint32
+	)
+
+	currentSecurityLevel = &currentSecurityLevelValue
+	selectedSecurityLevel = &selectedSecurityLevelValue
+	threatLevel = &threatLevelValue
+	portmasterStatus = &portmasterStatusValue
+	gate17Status = &gate17StatusValue
+}
+
+// GetCurrentSecurityLevel returns the current security level.
+func GetCurrentSecurityLevel() uint8 {
+	return uint8(atomic.LoadUint32(currentSecurityLevel))
+}
+
+// GetSelectedSecurityLevel returns the selected security level.
+func GetSelectedSecurityLevel() uint8 {
+	return uint8(atomic.LoadUint32(selectedSecurityLevel))
+}
+
+// GetThreatLevel returns the current threat level.
+func GetThreatLevel() uint8 {
+	return uint8(atomic.LoadUint32(threatLevel))
+}
+
+// GetPortmasterStatus returns the current Portmaster status.
+func GetPortmasterStatus() uint8 {
+	return uint8(atomic.LoadUint32(portmasterStatus))
+}
+
+// GetGate17Status returns the current Gate17 status.
+func GetGate17Status() uint8 {
+	return uint8(atomic.LoadUint32(gate17Status))
+}
+
+// GetConfigByLevel returns whether the given security level dependent config option is on or off.
+func GetConfigByLevel(name string) func() bool {
+	activatedLevel := config.GetAsInt(name, int64(SecurityLevelDynamic))
+	return func() bool {
+		return uint8(activatedLevel()) <= GetCurrentSecurityLevel()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/status/get_test.go b/status/get_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e4348e2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/status/get_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+package status
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestGet(t *testing.T) {
+
+	// only test for panics
+	GetCurrentSecurityLevel()
+	GetSelectedSecurityLevel()
+	GetThreatLevel()
+	GetPortmasterStatus()
+	GetGate17Status()
+	option := GetConfigByLevel("invalid")
+	option()
+
+}
diff --git a/status/set.go b/status/set.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..65a29a47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/status/set.go
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+package status
+
+import "sync/atomic"
+
+// SetCurrentSecurityLevel sets the current security level.
+func SetCurrentSecurityLevel(level uint8) {
+	sysStatusLock.Lock()
+  defer sysStatusLock.Unlock()
+  sysStatus.CurrentSecurityLevel = level
+  atomicUpdateCurrentSecurityLevel(level)
+}
+
+// SetSelectedSecurityLevel sets the selected security level.
+func SetSelectedSecurityLevel(level uint8) {
+	sysStatusLock.Lock()
+  defer sysStatusLock.Unlock()
+  sysStatus.SelectedSecurityLevel = level
+  atomicUpdateSelectedSecurityLevel(level)
+}
+
+// SetThreatLevel sets the current threat level.
+func SetThreatLevel(level uint8) {
+	sysStatusLock.Lock()
+  defer sysStatusLock.Unlock()
+  sysStatus.ThreatLevel = level
+  atomicUpdateThreatLevel(level)
+}
+
+// SetPortmasterStatus sets the current Portmaster status.
+func SetPortmasterStatus(status uint8) {
+	sysStatusLock.Lock()
+  defer sysStatusLock.Unlock()
+  sysStatus.PortmasterStatus = status
+  atomicUpdatePortmasterStatus(status)
+}
+
+// SetGate17Status sets the current Gate17 status.
+func SetGate17Status(status uint8) {
+	sysStatusLock.Lock()
+  defer sysStatusLock.Unlock()
+  sysStatus.Gate17Status = status
+  atomicUpdateGate17Status(status)
+}
+
+// update functions for atomic stuff
+
+func atomicUpdateCurrentSecurityLevel(level uint8) {
+	atomic.StoreUint32(currentSecurityLevel, uint32(level))
+}
+
+func atomicUpdateSelectedSecurityLevel(level uint8) {
+	atomic.StoreUint32(selectedSecurityLevel, uint32(level))
+}
+
+func atomicUpdateThreatLevel(level uint8) {
+	atomic.StoreUint32(threatLevel, uint32(level))
+}
+
+func atomicUpdatePortmasterStatus(status uint8) {
+	atomic.StoreUint32(portmasterStatus, uint32(status))
+}
+
+func atomicUpdateGate17Status(status uint8) {
+	atomic.StoreUint32(gate17Status, uint32(status))
+}
diff --git a/status/set_test.go b/status/set_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..626882ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/status/set_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+package status
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestSet(t *testing.T) {
+
+	// only test for panics
+	SetCurrentSecurityLevel(0)
+	SetSelectedSecurityLevel(0)
+	SetThreatLevel(0)
+	SetPortmasterStatus(0)
+	SetGate17Status(0)
+
+}
diff --git a/status/status.go b/status/status.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5939e400
--- /dev/null
+++ b/status/status.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package status
+
+import "sync"
+
+var (
+	sysStatusLock sync.RWMutex
+	sysStatus     *SystemStatus
+)
+
+func init() {
+	sysStatus = &SystemStatus{}
+}
+
+// SystemStatus saves basic information about the current system status.
+type SystemStatus struct {
+	// database.Base
+	CurrentSecurityLevel  uint8
+	SelectedSecurityLevel uint8
+
+	ThreatLevel  uint8  `json:",omitempty" bson:",omitempty"`
+	ThreatReason string `json:",omitempty" bson:",omitempty"`
+
+	PortmasterStatus    uint8  `json:",omitempty" bson:",omitempty"`
+	PortmasterStatusMsg string `json:",omitempty" bson:",omitempty"`
+
+	Gate17Status    uint8  `json:",omitempty" bson:",omitempty"`
+	Gate17StatusMsg string `json:",omitempty" bson:",omitempty"`
+}
+
+// FmtSecurityLevel returns the current security level as a string.
+func FmtSecurityLevel() string {
+	current := GetCurrentSecurityLevel()
+	selected := GetSelectedSecurityLevel()
+	var s string
+	switch current {
+	case SecurityLevelOff:
+		s = "Off"
+	case SecurityLevelDynamic:
+		s = "Dynamic"
+	case SecurityLevelSecure:
+		s = "Secure"
+	case SecurityLevelFortress:
+		s = "Fortress"
+	}
+	if current != selected {
+		s += "*"
+	}
+	return s
+}
diff --git a/status/status_test.go b/status/status_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3ae7ae27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/status/status_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package status
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestStatus(t *testing.T) {
+
+	SetCurrentSecurityLevel(SecurityLevelOff)
+	SetSelectedSecurityLevel(SecurityLevelOff)
+	if FmtSecurityLevel() != "Off" {
+		t.Error("unexpected string representation")
+	}
+
+	SetCurrentSecurityLevel(SecurityLevelDynamic)
+	SetSelectedSecurityLevel(SecurityLevelDynamic)
+	if FmtSecurityLevel() != "Dynamic" {
+		t.Error("unexpected string representation")
+	}
+
+	SetCurrentSecurityLevel(SecurityLevelSecure)
+	SetSelectedSecurityLevel(SecurityLevelSecure)
+	if FmtSecurityLevel() != "Secure" {
+		t.Error("unexpected string representation")
+	}
+
+	SetCurrentSecurityLevel(SecurityLevelFortress)
+	SetSelectedSecurityLevel(SecurityLevelFortress)
+	if FmtSecurityLevel() != "Fortress" {
+		t.Error("unexpected string representation")
+	}
+
+	SetSelectedSecurityLevel(SecurityLevelDynamic)
+	if FmtSecurityLevel() != "Fortress*" {
+		t.Error("unexpected string representation")
+	}
+
+}