Confidentiality, like most of the characteristics of information, is interdependent with other characteristics and is most closely related to the characteristic known as privacy. The relationship between these two characteristics is covered in more detail in Chapter 3, “Legal and Ethical Issues in Security.”
The value of confidentiality of information is especially high when it is personal information
about employees, customers, or patients. Individuals who transact with an organization expect that their personal information will remain confidential, whether the organization is federal agency, such as the Internal Revenue Service, or a business. Problems arise when companies disclose confidential information. Sometimes this disclosure is intentional, but there are times when disclosure of confidential information happens by mistake for example, when confidential information is mistakenly e-mailed to someone outside the organization rather than to someone inside the organization. Several cases of privacy violation are outlined in Offline: Unintentional Disclosures.