A document leak is a company’s worst nightmare. It’s a situation that can be extremely damaging to your reputation, and it can have serious financial consequences. As a result, it’s important to move quickly to mitigate the damage and find out what caused the leakage so that you can prevent future incidents.
If you haven’t yet heard of the Pentagon documents that appeared online this week, you might be surprised to learn that some are marked top secret — the highest level of classified information. In some cases, the documents are accompanied by photos of crumpled documents or other items like Zip-close bags and Gorilla Glue that look as though they were hastily folded up or shoved into pockets before being taken from secure locations.
Those who work with sensitive information know that there are many ways it can end up in the wrong hands, and it is easy to lose control of it. Many of the most famous leaks in US history changed politics and landed their culprits in prison for years. The Pentagon Papers, Watergate and the Barclays Affair are among the most well-known examples.
The process of investigating a leak starts with initial fact-finding and can involve gathering the leaked information, reviewing how it surfaced and mapping who had access. It’s also important to avoid escalating the crisis unnecessarily, as that may alert the suspect and make the investigation more difficult. Instead, only make the incident public once an investigation is underway.