Rudd complained to the US Department of Homeland Security and other intelligence branches about leaks to US media of details of the probe into the deadly Monday attack and the bomber's identity that had not yet been made public.
Soon after her warning, the New York Times again scooped British authorities and other media by publishing photographs from the scene of remnants of the bomb, apparently taken by police investigators.
"British police have been very clear that they want to control the flow of information in order to protect operational integrity... the element of surprise," Rudd told BBC radio.
"So it is irritating if it gets released from other sources and I have been very clear with our friends that that should not happen again."
Photos from the New York Times story Source: The New York Times
Asked if the US authorities had compromised the investigation, she said: "I wouldn't go that far.
"But I can say that they are perfectly clear about the situation and that it shouldn't happen again."
Bomber identity leaked
Twenty-two people were killed on Monday night when a bomb went off at a concert by US pop star Ariana Grande in Manchester, northwest England, among them children.
British-born Salman Abedi was identified as the suspected suicide bomber responsible. His name first surfaced in US media reports Tuesday, based on briefings given to US officials by their counterparts in London.
Earlier, US media, also quoting US security sources, identified the assailant as a suicide bomber, well before British authorities confirmed that publicly.
Department of Homeland Security spokesman David Lapan confirmed that Rudd, who spoke with DHS Secretary John Kelly by phone Wednesday, had raised the matter.
"They communicated to DHS as well as other US government agencies their concern over leaks about their investigation into the incident in Manchester -- information that's gotten into the press and public through US sources when the UK was leading the investigation and wants to protect the information," Lapan said
"They've asked all of us to better protect the information that we have so as not to impede their investigation. We'll do whatever we can to honor that."
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Trump's intel sharing
DHS and intelligence agencies contacted by AFP would not comment on whether they were the ones who leaked the information.
The US government has come under criticism from foreign counterparts in recent weeks after President Donald Trump reportedly divulged to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov top secret information on the Islamic State group that was sourced from a US partner, apparently Israel.
On Tuesday former Central Intelligence Agency chief John Brennan said that if Trump did indeed leak the information, he would have violated crucial rules on handling intelligence designed to protect sources.
"It appears, at least from the press reports, that neither did it go in the proper channels nor did the originating agency have the opportunity to clear language for it," he said.
