Classified 'How to Stop Leaks' Document Leaks Onto Internet

 MolelThese days, it's critical to keep secrets off the Internet. At least that's what the UK's Ministry of Defense (MoD) concluded in its Defence Manual of Security, a 2,400-page, restricted document designed to help government officials "maintain information security in the face of hackers, journalists, foreign spies and others." And we would know, because it just leaked onto the Internet. How could this happen? Let's consult the Defence Manual!

The What

According to our friends at the MoD, "leaks usually take the form of reports in the public media which appear to involve the unauthorised disclosure of official information (whether protectively marked or not) that cause political harm or embarrassment to either the UK Government or the Department concerned." Oh, so that's what this thing is! Good to know.

The Who

Well, since the MoD singles out the Chinese for having "a voracious appetite for all kinds of information; political, military, commercial, scientific and technical," it was probably them. But hey, it's all good: Chinese agencies tend to "make friends" instead of "running agents." So they probably leaked it out of kindness.

The Why

Information usually leaks via "disaffected members of staff, or as a result of the attentions of an investigative journalist, or simply by accident or carelessness." In this case, I'm hoping it's the first option—because, really, if you're a "disaffected" employee, can you think of a more hilariously ironic way to screw your boss?


As detailed in other MoD documents, which leaked last week, "the UK MoD has a dedicated Internet monitoring unit...which as part of its activities monitors Wikileaks," the site that published the Defence Manual. Better luck next time.

[via UK Telegraph]

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