WikiLeaks, working with newspapers including The Guardian, The New York Times, Der Spiegel, Le Monde, and El País, began publishing classified US diplomatic cables. The cache contained more than 250,000 messages from US embassies around the world.
What happened
- The cables included candid assessments of foreign leaders and sensitive discussions on security issues.
- The White House condemned the release, saying it put diplomats and intelligence professionals at risk.
- The material had been obtained from US military networks; Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning was later convicted in 2013 of leaking it.
- Payment firms and hosting providers later cut off services to WikiLeaks, prompting retaliatory cyber attacks.
Why it mattered
It was one of the largest leaks of classified material in history and showed how a single insider with broad access could extract vast quantities of sensitive data. It also prompted US government agencies to tighten controls on access to classified networks.
Lessons for organisations
Apply least-privilege access, monitor bulk downloads, and control removable media, particularly for staff with access to sensitive repositories. Insider risk should be part of every information security risk assessment.
Sources: Al Jazeera, TechRadar
Part of our Top stories archive of headline-making events in information security, privacy, and AI. If you would like help applying the lessons to your organisation, contact us.
