Whether it’s secret government documents, internal company data, or confidential chat histories — a leak involves the unauthorized release of sensitive information, which can have far-reaching legal, economic, political, and social consequences. This article explains the different types of leak and how each type can occur. You’ll also learn how a password manager can help you improve the protection of your online accounts and personal data from falling into the wrong hands.
What are internet leaks?
The term “internet leak” refers to the unauthorized release of confidential and/or sensitive information or content on the internet — such as via social-media, forums, leak sites, news portals, or file-sharing platforms. Such information or content can include trade secrets, sensitive political documents, or unpublished media content. A leak can be caused either unintentionally through carelessness or as a result of system vulnerabilities, or intentionally as a result of a cyberattack or insider action.
A leak, also referred to as an information leak, happens when information from confidential conversations or emails, messaging chat histories, or text, image, video, or audio files is made public without the owner’s consent. In some cases, it’s used specifically to describe the intentional act of an insider disclosing or exposing confidential information. Known as whistleblowers, they usually turn to the press or whistleblowing platforms such as WikiLeaks to draw attention to grievances like illegal or unethical practices by companies, organizations, or governments. The highest-profile whistleblower of them all is probably Edward Snowden, who paid a significant personal price for exposing the global surveillance and espionage practices of intelligence agencies.
Hacktivists like the Anonymous Collective pursue similar goals to whistleblowers, but instead of the information they leak coming from insider knowledge, they obtain it through cyberattacks. Aside from that, there can be a wide range of reasons to deliberately leak information, ranging from the aim to exert political or economic influence; inflict targeted damage on companies, organizations, or state institutions; discredit individuals; or gain attention.
Leaks vs data leaks vs data breaches
You can’t always tell the terms apart, and they often overlap depending on the definition and context. In everyday terms , a leak typically refers to the targeted, deliberate release of confidential information or content. Sometimes, though, the term “leak” is also used as a generic term for various types of data breaches or security incidents — or as shorthand for a data leak, although it is something entirely different.
The terms “data breach” and “data leak” also have different definitions and are sometimes used synonymously. Some sources describe data leaks as accidental breaches caused internally, where unauthorized people gain access to confidential, personal, or sensitive data — with data breaches encompassing deliberate data theft by third parties. One example of this is hacker attacks on companies, where cybercriminals steal sensitive customer data such as login credentials, personal information, or payment details. Depending on the type of data, they then use it to take control of user accounts, perform online transactions, or engage in identity theft. In some cases, the data is also sold on the dark web or used to blackmail companies with the threat to release the data.
Other sources, however, do not make this distinction. They use the term “data leak” or “data breach” to describe any incident where confidential information is intentionally or accidentally disclosed or ends up in the hands of those who have no right to access it. By contrast, under the EU’s GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), the term data breach only relates to personal data — it doesn’t distinguish between intentional and unintentional breaches. Here is the exact wording: “A personal data breach means a breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure of, or access to, personal data transmitted, stored or otherwise processed.”
Types of leak and examples
Leaked information can originate from a wide variety of sources and reach the internet or the wider public through many different ways. In principle, any type of data and content can be affected, particularly if it is of public interest or in some way sensitive, relevant, or sensational.
Leaking of sensitive corporate information
This type of leak involves the unauthorized publication of internal corporate documents, financial data, corporate strategies, or other confidential information on the internet. This can cause reputational harm, economic damage, competitive disadvantages for the company, or even have criminal consequences.
Here’s an example: In the case of the Uber files leak in 2022, a former chief lobbyist of the company leaked over 124,000 files (internal documents, emails, chats, memos, presentations, and invoices) to the British daily newspaper The Guardian. To enable a worldwide investigation, The Guardian made the data available to 180 journalists from over 40 media organizations via the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The data gave a fascinating insight into Uber’s global business practices, revealing how the company has flouted the law, influenced politicians, and hoodwinked authorities.
Leaking of secret government information
This involves the unauthorized publication of secret or top secret documents, plans, and reports. Such leaks can expose national security interests, military operations, or diplomatic strategies and have serious political and security consequences.
Here are some examples: In 2023, a 21-year-old US Air Force National Guardsman hit the headlines for sharing hundreds of top-secret documents on the Ukraine war in a private chat group on the Discord platform. Other group members then shared these documents on other Discord servers, resulting in them finding their way onto social media platforms and into the public sphere.
Similarly sensational was the Signalgate affair. It happened in 2025 and involved a journalist from the US magazine The Atlantic being accidentally added to a group chat of high-ranking US government officials. They had exchanged information on the Signal messaging service about the impending US attack on the Houthis in Yemen. After the journalist had reported on the incident, and representatives of the Trump administration denied that the information had been classified, The Atlantic published the full transcript — a move that put those involved under political pressure, but which Donald Trump ultimately played down resulting in it having no political consequences.
Leaking of research and scientific data
This type of leak involves the publication of confidential university or lab research results, raw data, analyses, and other documents. Such leaks can undermine trust in research results or reveal sensitive information about test subjects.
Here are some examples: In 2009, Climategate saw the theft by hackers of thousands of emails and documents from the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia, with excerpts leaked to the press. The publication was intended to prove an alleged manipulation of climate data, but several studies confirmed that the scientific findings were correct. The leak primarily served to discredit climate research politically and to support the claim that global warming is a conspiracy.
Leaking of IT vulnerabilities
If third parties discover previously unknown vulnerabilities in an app or software system, details about the vulnerabilities — and any exploits that take advantage of them — may be made public. Such leaks pose a significant security risk, as attackers can compromise systems, steal confidential data, or carry out large-scale malware attacks.
Here’s an example: The EternalBlue leak of 2017 concerned an exploit that the NSA had developed for an existing vulnerability in Microsoft Windows, allowing foreign computer networks to be penetrated undetected. Through unknown means, the exploit found its way into the hands of a hacker group, which published it on its own leak sites and in hacker forums, enabling attacks worldwide — including those carried out using WannaCry ransomware. Although Microsoft fixed the vulnerability before the leak, many organizations had not yet installed the security patch for it.
Tip: This case vividly demonstrates how important it is to perform regular updates. Avira Software Updater for Windows can help you detect outdated programs and update them quickly and easily — allowing you to fix security flaws and protect your device from exploits and cyberattacks.
Leaking of confidential financial and corporate data
This involves the publication of internal financial documents, tax data, or confidential business information, providing insights into opaque financial structures or business practices. Such leaks can involve companies, law firms, or wealthy individuals and are often politically or socially sensitive as they bring to light questionable or unlawful practices.
Here’s an example: In 2016, the famous Panama Papers case involved the publication of a dataset of a Panamanian law firm. The approximately 11.5 million documents gave an insight into a global network of offshore and PO-box companies, revealing how politicians, business leaders, and prominent figures use complex offshore structures to minimize their tax exposure, hide money, and conceal assets. An anonymous source had leaked the material to one of Germany’s leading national daily newspapers, the Süddeutsche Zeitung, which then forwarded it to the ICIJ. The consortium then coordinated a year-long data analysis and global research investigation, earning the Pulitzer Prize in 2017 for exposing the global tax haven infrastructure.
Source code leaks
These leaks involve the unauthorized publication of the source code of an online game, program, or operating system, so anyone can see its architecture. This allows attackers to specifically search for potential vulnerabilities, jeopardizing the security and integrity of the system. Such a leak can also lead to the theft of intellectual property and a loss of trust among customers and partners.
Here’s an example: In 2024, a Microsoft employee accidentally uploaded hundreds of files containing the source code of the PlayReady copy protection technology to a developer forum. The files contained, among other things, confidential implementation details that third parties could theoretically have used to bypass the security mechanisms of major streaming platforms. Thankfully, though, this didn’t happen thanks to Microsoft’s rapid countermeasures.
Leaking of unpublished media content or products
In this case, information or materials relating to products or media content are made public before the official release date. Such leaks often come from internal sources — such as employees, beta testers, or production partners.
- Here’s an example of a gameplay leak: In 2025, Battlefield 6 footage was leaked before its official launch. It happened during testing conducted through Battlefield Labs, a closed community testing program. Even though players were under an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) to keep all discussions within the Labs environment, several testers uploaded footage to a range of social media platforms almost immediately.
- Here’s an example of a music leak: In 2024, a Google Drive link with 17 songs from Taylor Swift’s album The Tortured Poets Department circulated on social media ahead of the album’s official release. The same happened in 2025, when some songs from the album The Life of a Showgirl appeared online shortly before the album’s official release.
- Here’s an example of a book leak: The final book in the Harry Potter series was distributed via torrents a few weeks before its release in 2007. Apparently, the pages of a printed edition were photographed by an unknown person and posted online.
- Here’s an example of a movie leak: In 2009, a near-complete copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was uploaded to several file-sharing websites a month before the movie’s release, with indications that it originated from within the production studio.
- Here’s an example of a series leak: In 2015, the first four episodes of Game of Thrones season five were leaked onto multiple file‑sharing platforms one day before the official premiere. These likely came from pre-release DVDs that had been distributed to members of the press.
- Here’s an example of a product leak: In 2025, Apple sued a YouTuber and his accomplices for the theft of trade secrets after they leaked confidential details about iOS 26 ahead of its official release. They were accused of illegally gaining access to an Apple employee’s company iPhone, which had an early test version of the operating system installed on it. This led, among other things, to images of the new Liquid Glass redesign being made public.
Leaking of private content
In this scenario, private photos, videos, messages, emails, or other confidential information of public figures are published on the internet. Such leaks can significantly violate the privacy, cause personal harm, or jeopardize the reputation of those affected.
When personal data on someone is deliberately harvested and published on the internet with the express intention of harming that person, this is called doxing.
Here’s an example: In 2014, private, and to some degree intimate photos of many public figures were published online. An investigation by Apple revealed that hackers had gained access to the iCloud accounts of those affected through a targeted attack on usernames, passwords, and security questions.
Fake leaks
These involve the spreading of information that is presented as a genuine leak, but is actually fabricated or misleading. This is often done to sow confusion, generate attention, or promote certain narratives. They can be based on false documents, manipulated images or videos, as well as on deliberately spread rumors.
Here’s an example: In 2025, during the Indo-Pakistani conflict, supposedly secret documents on the operational readiness of the Indian Army were spread on social media, which later turned out to be fake. In times of heightened tensions between two countries, such fake news can have serious consequences.
How do leaks happen?
As the examples illustrate, information can reach the public sphere in various ways. Often, two parties are involved in a leak: One who possesses the information or data and passes it on (unintentionally or intentionally), and one who publishes it on the internet or makes it accessible to a wider public. However, the same person or group could perform both roles.
Data leaks: The most common causes of data leaks are technical in nature. These include software flaws, vulnerabilities, weak encryption, or an incorrectly configured system. However, human error — such as unintentionally forwarding emails containing confidential information or careless handling of devices — can also lead to unwanted exposure. If third parties gain access to information through a data leak, they can publish it on the internet and leak it.
Unintentional leaks: Unwanted leaks can occur even without a prior data breach. This happens when someone who has access to confidential information accidentally uploads it to a publicly accessible area.
Insider leaks: Whether motivated by anger towards their employer, a desire for recognition, or ideological reasons, leaks are often deliberately caused by employees within an organization. In such cases, the data or information is intentionally published or passed on for publication — for example, to harm the company, to gain attention, or to expose wrongdoing.
Social engineering: In some cases, third parties also attempt to deceive employees to obtain access credentials for protected areas or otherwise gain access to confidential information and then leak it. They often employ social engineering techniques as well as spear phishing attacks to do so.
Cyberattacks: External attackers, such as hacktivists, often exploit vulnerabilities in systems, networks, or apps to gain access to confidential data. If the stolen information obtained in this way is then intentionally published, this unauthorized access is classified as a leak.
Physical theft: Third parties can steal documents or data storage devices such as laptops or USB sticks containing confidential information and then pass them on to the media or publish them themselves.
How to protect yourself from leaks
Ordinary users are generally less likely to be affected by targeted leaks and more commonly impacted by broader data leaks or data breaches. However, even in this case, their data can not only fall into the wrong hands and be misused but also be made public, as the example of Qantas shows. In 2025, an attack on the platform of one of the airline’s service providers resulted in the theft of the personal data of approximately five million customers, including in some cases names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and frequent flyer numbers. The hackers published the data on the dark web after their ransom demand was not met. That said, cybercriminals who hack companies’ IT systems are usually not interested in publishing the stolen data but rather in selling or using this data for fraudulent purposes.
The best protection for your online accounts and sensitive data are strong and unique passwords. That’s because if the login details for one of your user accounts are compromised as a result of a data leak, none of your other accounts are at risk. A password manager like Avira Password Manager can help you generate strong passwords and store them securely. And as it’s available for Android and iOS devices as well as a range of browsers, you can access your passwords across devices.
Make sure you also use two-factor authentication (2FA) to shield your online accounts with an additional layer of protection. In doing so, even if third parties know your login details, they won’t be able to access your account without the second factor. Avira Password Manager also includes an authenticator so you can generate 2FA codes. In addition, you can upgrade at any time to the Pro version and unlock additional helpful features. Among them, you’ll get notified if one of your online accounts has been hacked and be alerted if your passwords are weak or you’ve reused them.
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