A document leak is an unfortunate occurrence for any company, but it can also be a costly one. Whether a result of an internal or external security breach, the process by which sensitive information is publicly disclosed can have devastating implications for businesses and government agencies alike.
The Pentagon is working to determine what was leaked in recent days and how it came to be, a spokesperson said. The department’s legislative affairs, public affairs, policy, general counsel and intelligence and security departments are collaborating on the investigation, the spokesperson added.
Among the documents that circulated were photographs of printed pages of two sets of classified foreign intelligence documents — one related to Israel, and the other about Russia’s military buildup in Ukraine, including assessments of casualties on both sides. Some of the material was altered, not least in a casualty assessment that appeared on pro-Russia Telegram channels to magnify Russian losses and minimize Ukrainian ones.
While some of the information in the documents was widely available, the leaking was serious because it revealed the process by which it had moved from secure to public — known as the chain of custody. Investigators are now working to trace that chain, which typically involves several steps involving a mix of technologies and tools, such as private email applications, USB drives, mobile phones, home or office printers and cloud storage.
For example, it’s typical for employees to use personal devices in the workplace, and that can pose an issue when those devices contain sensitive data. It’s also common for individuals to print confidential or regulated materials at home or on public printers, and that can present a risk as well. In such cases, it’s important to take steps to preserve all relevant data by suspending deletion cycles on email servers and repositories and other systems until an investigation can be conducted.