Counter Intelligence Lessons - WikiLeaks (Disclosure of State Secrets: Caveat )

[Vivek Raghuvanshi]

Disclosure of State Secrets: Caveat

http://corporaterisks.info/blog/?p=765

State secrets, if known, should not be discussed on the internet, even under encryption.  The internet is not a safe medium.  Once you shoot out information you no longer control what it hits or where it goes.  Why give an enemy the bullets to shoot you with?

State secrets belong to the State and if disclosed publically there would First have to be an Authorized Command that makes Sense, that has a known Reason and Purpose (such as doctored misinformation), and there must also be an Understanding of, and an Allowance made for:  The Consequences.  When not in the battlefield, Dangerous orders need Querying.  If you are Ordered to disclose, it is proper to ask Why the Person who gave the Order is not Themselves doing the act.  Is it in your job description to disclose secrets?

Important State secrets can have a Stress of knowing, they are heavy weights to bear.  Stress should be eternally watched: as it could psychologically push through fatigue for an exposure, just to lessen the internal pressure, especially if there is an egotistical need to feel important.  Unless you were involved in a matter’s development, it may also contain false, or even worse, inaccurate information.

Let sleeping Dragons lie.  Nightmares should stay caged.  A caretaker’s Duty should not be shirked just because it may be difficult.  If it was thought too much for you to handle: it certainly wouldn’t have been placed in your protective hands in the first place.

Those who leak, pee on their own shoes.

- By Stephen Cheney

[Glenn A. Deacon]

Hullo Vivek

Cannot agree more. Although sometimes (maybe more often?), we as public don't agree with the politians/government, there is a valid reason to "blanket" certain/sensitie information. Remember during service in the S.A. National Defence Force we had the following (also extract from the Protection of Information Bill):

Secret = classification given to information that may be used by malicious/opposing/hostile elements to disrupt the objectives and functions of an institution and/or state. Information must be classified as secret when the compromise thereof:
(a) can disrupt the effective execution of information or operational planning and/or plans;
(b) can disrupt the effective functioning of an institution;
(c) can damage operational relations between institutions and diplomatic relations between states;
(d) can endanger a person's life.

Top Secret = classification given to information that can be used by malicious/opposing/hostile elements to neutralise the objectives and functions of institutions and/or state. Information must be classified top secret when the compromise thereof:
(a) can disrupt the effective execution of information or operational planning and/or plans;
(b) can seriously damage operational relations between institutions;
(c) can lead to the discontinuation of diplomatic relations between states;
and
(d) can result in the declaration of war.

With regard to the last-mentioned, as you correctly stated "Why give an enemy the bullets to shoot you with?"

Lets leave the sensitive information within government circles and rather keep to the need-to-know principle.

Regards
Glenn

[Vivek Raghuvanshi]

Yes Glenn,

Counter Intelligence section was caught napping.

Similarly the corporates need to have counter intelligence in place.

[Glenn A. Deacon]

Hi Vivek

For sure. Your last statement is often overlooked by management. What do I need to protect? Either too difficult to define/ID or sometimes they don't want to go down that way because of budget/costs. Physical security normally the "answer". Ask them bout IT, personnel, info sec etc. Often not in place. The IT issue scares me the most. Wonder even if some Co's would know if they are being hacked/attempted hacking, let alone what info the hackers were after.

Cheers
Glenn