The problem here is that had she encrypted their file, only she would have been the victim (of a raid), but because she didn't, not only was she a victim of a raid but now other people will be victims of persecution. It's telling of how much she values those sources as people. Ignorance is not an excuse in this case; "I think I could learn how to do something securely but I won't because { it's too much time and hassle | the other people aren't worth that much | the risk is too small anyway | substitute-your-own-reason }" simply doesn't fly. If I were a whistleblower, I'd see it as a betrayal of trust. If she can't protect her sources, she shouldn't be doing the job.