When sensitive information leaks, it’s important to take swift action. Delays can exacerbate the damage and risk tipping off the source of the leak. A structured, measured response also helps preserve evidence, maintain privilege and legal defensibility, and minimise regulatory exposure.
Regardless of whether it’s accidental or malicious, document leaks are damaging to brand reputation and business integrity. They can also lead to lawsuits, fines and other repercussions that affect your bottom line.
Employees can be careless when sharing data online, unwittingly exposing confidential documents to the public. This could happen if an employee doesn’t properly configure their permissions on a file sharing platform or email client. Alternatively, they might use a file-sharing link that allows anyone to view the content.
If someone does leak confidential information, it’s important to take responsibility and apologise to those who have been affected. This can be a hard thing to do but it’s crucial to restore trust and demonstrate you’re taking preventative measures to avoid similar incidents in future.
One of the most famous examples of document leakage was Edward Snowden’s trove of US intelligence documents, shared with the Guardian and Washington Post, which revealed details about the secretive National Security Agency’s data collection operations. He was charged with espionage but is currently in exile in Russia. The leaks provided a rare window into the inner workings of the US government and were some of the most significant leaks in history. The documents also shed light on the nature of US surveillance on allies like South Korea and Israel.