The unauthorised disclosure of classified or sensitive information to someone who has no need to know it.
Definition based on the CIA glossary; in Poland, disclosing information classified as “secret” or “top secret” is an offence under Article 265 of the Criminal Code.1,2
The 2009 ODNI guide defines unauthorised disclosure as the communication of classified information, orally or physically, to a person not authorised to receive it.3
Sources
- CIA, Spy Speak Glossary
- Standardy Prawa, Penal Code, Article 265 (reprint of the statutory text) (in Polish)
- Office of the Director of National Intelligence (USA), National Intelligence: A Consumer’s Guide, April 2009
Checked: 4 November 2026