What is WikiLeaks?

For 11 years, an organization called WikiLeaks has rocked the world with releases of sensitive and secret files.

On Tuesday, WikiLeaks published thousands of documents it said revealed software tools the CIA used to break into smartphones, computers and TVs.

WikiLeaks claims the CIA Center for Cyber Intelligence "lost control of the majority of its hacking arsenal," more than several hundred million lines of code that provide "the entire hacking capacity of the CIA."

USA TODAY has not yet confirmed the authenticity of the documents. The CIA issued a statement declining comment on the authenticity of the release.

Here is a look at the group behind the latest document dump:

What is WikiLeaks?

WikiLeaks is an international, non-profit organization that publishes secret information, including news leaks, from anonymous sources. It was founded in 2006 in Iceland by Julian Assange. The group says it specializes in the analysis and publication of large amounts of censored or restricted information "involving war, spying and corruption" and claims to have published more than 10 million documents and analyses.

Who is Julian Assange?

Assange is an Australian computer programmer and journalist who is the editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks.  Assange has been holed up in the Embassy of Ecuador in London since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is accused of sexual assault, and the United States, where he fears possible espionage charges. Assange has said he fears he could already be named in a sealed U.S. indictment.

He said in January that would be willing to go to the U.S. "provided my rights are respected."

WikiLeaks: CIA hacks into phones, TVs — everything

How did WikiLeaks make a name for itself?

Even though WikiLeaks was founded in 2006, it didn't explode into international view until 2010 when the organization published a series of leaks from Bradley Manning, a U.S. Army intelligence analyst.The documents included videos of airstrikes in Iraq and Afghanistan, diplomatic cables and other material. Manning was convicted of fraud and espionage charges and sentenced in 2013 to 35 years in prison.

President Obama commuted Manning's sentence before leaving office. Manning, who now identifies as a woman named Chelsea, will be released May 17.

How do U.S. officials view WikiLeaks?

When the Manning documents were published in 2010, U.S. officials and lawmakers expressed alarm, saying WikiLeaks posed a threat to national security by divulging information about U.S. military and diplomatic operations.

"WikiLeaks presents a clear and present danger to the national security of the United States," said Rep. Pete King, R-N.Y, who urged the Obama administration to "use every offensive capability of the U.S. government to prevent further damaging releases."

The whistle-blowing site has been cited with numerous awards, however, including The Economist's New Media Award in 2008.

Contributing: John Bacon, Jim Michaels

Follow Miller on Twitter @susmiller