First off, yes, I know– if someone leaks information online to a bunch of strangers, their Battalion Intelligence Sergeant isn’t going to be the one conducting the initial investigation interview. It will be someone much higher than that. But this does allow me to streamline things into a single panel.

That said, security leaks are no small thing. Usually people have particular motivations to give away state secrets; they may have adopted a new ideology, they may have been blackmailed in some manner, they may even think they are handing over secrets out of a peculiar interpretation of patriotism. Some just want money.

But some just want to look important. Pride and prestige can be big motivators.

“Pride” and “prestige” can mean many different things. Feeling important and pivotal to some greater cause makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is being satisfied with the “prestige” of “winning an argument on the internet”, especially when you’re arguing against random, unimportant street-level mooks whose names you don’t even know, can’t really act on the information, and will forget the exchange entirely within a few hours (or even sooner, depending on the Adderall-to-Red Bull ratios in their bloodstream).

A lot of secrets have been leaked on various forums, particularly online wargaming & strategy forums, by people who want to win arguments on the internet. I guess, looking at the bright side, you’ll end up paying so many fines that you’ll probably qualify for a tax break, so there’s that.