Which action would be a breach of confidentiality policy?

Which action would be a breach of confidentiality policy?

• A. Store confidential documents in a secure location with access limited to authorized personnel.
• B. Discuss non-sensitive information with a colleague who does not require it.
• C. Share confidential information with a supervisor who requires it.
• D. Disclose sensitive information to the public.

Answer: (D)

The key idea is to protect confidential information by sharing it only with people who need to know for legitimate work. Disclosing sensitive information to the public goes beyond authorized channels and breaks that rule, creating harm to individuals or the organization and potentially exposing you to policy violations or legal consequences. Storing confidential documents securely with access limited to authorized personnel aligns with this principle. Sharing confidential information with a supervisor who requires it is appropriate because it follows the need-to-know chain. As for discussing non-sensitive information with someone who doesn’t require it, that isn’t inherently a breach if the information truly isn’t sensitive, but it’s best to keep even non-sensitive details within appropriate boundaries to minimize unnecessary exposure.

The key idea is to protect confidential information by sharing it only with people who need to know for legitimate work. Disclosing sensitive information to the public goes beyond authorized channels and breaks that rule, creating harm to individuals or the organization and potentially exposing you to policy violations or legal consequences. Storing confidential documents securely with access limited to authorized personnel aligns with this principle. Sharing confidential information with a supervisor who requires it is appropriate because it follows the need-to-know chain. As for discussing non-sensitive information with someone who doesn’t require it, that isn’t inherently a breach if the information truly isn’t sensitive, but it’s best to keep even non-sensitive details within appropriate boundaries to minimize unnecessary exposure.