How should information obtained from confidential sources be handled?

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Confidential information must be protected and disclosed only on a need-to-know basis to authorized personnel, in compliance with privacy laws and agency policies. This approach preserves individuals’ privacy, maintains trust, and ensures the information is used only for legitimate purposes. By limiting access to those with a legitimate role, you minimize the risk of leaks, protect the integrity of investigations, and support consistent, lawful handling of sensitive data. Sharing with everyone, publishing publicly, or discussing with colleagues who aren’t authorized would breach privacy obligations and could lead to harm, distrust, and disciplinary consequences. So the correct practice is to keep it confidential, share only with authorized personnel, and follow privacy and policy guidelines.