Which of the Following is True of Spillage?

Which of the Following is True of Spillage?

A. It can be either inadvertent or intentional.
 

B. It refers to classified information that has been downgraded.
 

C. It refers specifically to classified information that becomes publicly available.
 

D. It describes when unclassified information is processed on a classified network to avoid disclosure under the Freedom of Information (Act FOIA).
 

Correct Answer: A. It can be either inadvertent or intentional.
 

Explanation: Unauthorised transfer of classified or sensitive information into an unclassified system, or into a system not cleared for handling that level of information, is what is known as a spillage. Spillage is possible in any of several ways, notably either accidentally (by error), as the transmission of classified information over an insecure email is an example, or on purpose (wilfully), as with an intentional release of sensitive information. It is the fact that the information is placed into an environment not cleared for the protection of such information that makes A the right choice.
 

Option B is incorrect as spillage is more a matter of mishandling classified information rather than declassifying it. Option C is also incorrect as not all instances of spillage equate with public disclosure but simply with exposure in unauthorized environments. Option D is incorrect too as it is not a matter of processing unclassified information over classified networks but more a matter of classified amounts ending up in less secure or unauthorized environments. Thus, the correct and all-encompassing definition is best expressed in Option A.

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