Which statement about confidentiality in professional practice is most accurate?

• A. Confidentiality applies only to financial data.
• B. Information obtained in the course of engagement should be kept confidential unless disclosure is authorized or legally required.
• C. Confidentiality applies only to written records, not verbal conversations.
• D. Confidentiality means you should share information with your team even if not necessary.

Answer: (B)

Confidentiality means protecting information learned through your work from unauthorized disclosure. Information obtained in the course of engagement should be kept confidential unless disclosure is authorized or legally required. This applies to all types of information, not just financial data or written records—verbal conversations, electronic data, notes, and any other form of information related to the engagement all fall under confidentiality. Sharing should occur only with those who have a legitimate need to know and only with proper authorization or when legally required. The other statements miss key aspects: confidentiality isn’t limited to financial data, not limited to written records, and sharing with the team without a real need breaks the protection that confidentiality is meant to provide.