What should you do if you discover information suggesting human trafficking during a security assessment?

• A. Ignore the information and continue the assessment.
• B. Immediately stop work and contact the proper legal authorities.
• C. Document privately and notify the client, then continue.
• D. Share the information with the project sponsor only.

Answer: (B)

When you uncover evidence of a serious crime like human trafficking during a security assessment, the immediate priority is to stop the work and involve the proper legal authorities. This ensures victims can be protected and the incident is handled within the law, rather than risking further harm or liability by continuing or concealing the information. Preserving any evidence and following the organization’s incident response and legal guidance are important next steps, but the crucial action is escalation to law enforcement so they can take appropriate action.

Ignoring the information or continuing without reporting could enable ongoing harm and expose you and your client to legal risk. Documenting privately and notifying only the client or sponsor would bypass authorities and fail to address the crime, which is inappropriate and often unlawful. Sharing with the sponsor alone similarly avoids the necessary legal channel and could create conflicts or delays in a response.