Such leaks typically occur when P2P client tools are improperly installed on computers containing sensitive data. Such improper installation has caused accidental data leaks at numerous organizations in recent years. The leaks have prompted banning the use of P2P software on government systems.

According to Tiversa and other security companies, P2P networks have become a treasure trove of information for data thieves and data harvesters. In most cases, all it takes to harvest the information is entering a few search terms. Often, such scavenging for information is not illegal because the data is already publicly available to anyone on the networks, Harrer said.

The key issue is not how WikiLeaks may have sourced its information but rather what it can do with it, said Eric Johnson, a professor of operations management at Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business.

"I can totally believe that P2P stuff ends up on WikiLeaks," said Johnson who has testified on the issue before Congress. However, he added that the most important "thing is that Wikileaks is offers a whole new channel for these kinds of leaks."

"For the CIO of a Fortune 500 company, it doesn't matter how WikiLeaks gets the information," Johnson said. What really matters is that "WikiLeaks can amplify that information a thousand times."