Under what basis may you disclose non-public information in response to a general inquiry?

• A. Only with explicit consent or when legally authorized.
• B. When the information is already public and non-sensitive.
• C. If the recipient claims a need to know, please share.
• D. Only with explicit consent or when legally authorized, and always verify the recipient's need-to-know.

Answer: (D)

Disclosing non-public information hinges on two safeguards: explicit consent or a legal authorization, and a verified need-to-know. You should share only when the person has clear permission or when law requires or permits disclosure, and you must confirm that the recipient actually needs the information to perform their duties. This protects privacy and prevents unnecessary exposure. Simply yielding to a claimed need to know or sharing because the data might be public doesn’t apply to non-public information, and trusting a requester’s claim without verification isn’t appropriate.