Data breaches are usually produced by hackers looking for financial gain. Data leaks, on the other hand, are usually published by whistleblowers or perhaps accidentally disclosed via negligence. Journalists today are inundated by such data leaks – to the point where specialized tools and techniques are required to parse through the piles of digital detritus to ascertain the value and import that they may represent. Micah Lee has been performing this function for The Intercept for many years, including analyzing the Snowden documents. And he has just released a book that outlines the tools, techniques and procedures he uses for this arduous process. Today we discuss the importance and impact of whistleblowers, the state of data leaks today, and how it has impacted modern journalism.

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