what is spillage in cyber security

In cybersecurity, spillage refers to the transfer of classified or sensitive information to an unaccredited or unauthorized system, individual, application, or media. It is a security incident that occurs whenever classified data is spilled either onto an unclassified information system or to an information system with a lower level of classification or different security category. Data spillage occurs when confidential information is released into an untrusted or unauthorized environment. Such transfers usually happen not out of malice and criminal action but due to improper handling of compartments, release-ability controls, privacy data, or proprietary information. Data spills are becoming more common because the trend towards increased information sharing has weakened access controls, giving users without a need-to-know access to large volumes of sensitive or classified data. Organizations need to implement robust controls to prevent and mitigate such leaks.