A document leak can expose sensitive information to public view – potentially damaging a company’s reputation, and jeopardizing the security of sensitive or proprietary data. It’s important to act swiftly, and take steps to contain the breach and identify potential vulnerabilities. Delays or missteps can lead to additional damage, compromise evidence, and tip off the source. Ideally, an investigation can start within hours of the initial leak. In this case, the investigative team worked to glean as much information as possible and establish a clear chain of custody for the documents.
Initially, the leak surfaced on Discord, a messaging platform popular with gamers. A 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, identified as Jack Teixeira, began posting the images on a private server this winter, according to investigators. From there, they spread to the 4chan political imageboard /pol/ and pro-Russian Telegram channels before making their way to Twitter and major media outlets.
The documents reveal details of US operations in Ukraine, and intelligence on the nation’s allies like South Korea and Israel. While some analysts see the documents as legitimate, others question their authenticity. Regardless, the leak has left senior officials at the Pentagon and intelligence community scrambling to assess the damage, find the original source of the leaked materials, and determine how many classified documents are still circulating online. They are also facing tough questions from allies about why it took so long to detect the breach and investigate.