Leaks

A leak is the unintentional release of fluids, gases, or information from a system or container. Leaks can involve physical substances such as water, natural gas, or chemicals, or intangible data and secrets that escape through unauthorized channels. Leaks can occur in small devices, buildings, pipelines, aircraft, and information networks.

Material leaks include plumbing leaks, roofing leaks, gas leaks, and chemical leaks. Causes include deteriorating seals, corrosion, manufacturing defects, improper installation, temperature and pressure changes, and physical damage. Consequences range from minor staining to structural damage, mold growth, fire hazards, or environmental contamination.

Detection and measurement: For fluids and gases, methods include visual inspection, moisture sensors, acoustic leak detection, infrared thermography, and fixed or portable gas detectors. In pressurized systems, pressure and flow monitoring can identify leaks. For information leaks, unauthorized data exfiltration is detected via access controls, audit trails, anomaly detection, and disclosure channels.

Prevention and response: Regular maintenance, timely repairs, proper sealing, leak testing, and using leak-detection systems or automatic shutoffs. In information security, data loss prevention, encryption, least-privilege access, and incident response plans reduce leak risk. Emergency response addresses safety hazards, containment, and cleanup.

Notable examples include historical information leaks such as the Watergate disclosures, and various whistleblowing cases that revealed confidential practices. Leaks play a role in safety, environmental protection, corporate governance, and national security, and are often subject to legal and regulatory frameworks.