Using Work Email for Personal Use is Dangerous – 5 Reasons Why?

Key Takeaway

Using your work email for personal use could be dangerous. This article explains the reasons behind this, such as privacy concerns, security risks, professionalism, and legal implications, giving you a comprehensive understanding of the importance of separating work and personal communications.

Introduction

Bob works in a postal services company. He signed up for a health advising web portal’s monthly free newsletters using his work email ID a few months ago. He received a newsletter from them last week; nothing to worry about. But it wasn’t from the health advisory website. Hackers made it look like it was from that site. This scam completely fooled Bob. He clicked on a link in the newsletter, which led to his computer being hacked.

Why Not to Use Work Mail for Personal Matters?

An email is an excellent tool for communication at work. We occasionally use our work email for personal reasons. However, it is precarious for obvious reasons. It might cost you more than just your job. The story of Bob here is just an example of that. Here are 5 reasons you should not use company email for personal reasons:

1. Using work email for personal use is not only unethical but also unlawful

Companies prohibit employees from using work email for personal use. It shouldn’t come as surprising, given that the email account is the property of the company, not the employee. As a result, anything done with it holds the company accountable. And above all, it is unethical to use a work email for sending personal emails.

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2. Using company email for personal use makes you a prime target of spear-phishing

Using a business email address to register on social media sites or other online services is a serious offense. Cybercriminals know that you are likely to fall for a phishing email if you have used your work email address to sign up for social media or other sites. Furthermore, it makes it easy for them to develop a social portrait of you by collecting information from your social media activities. Then all they have to do is disguise their message as a genuine notification from a service on which you are registered. 

If you fall into their trap, sensitive information could be leaked or stolen. It may give hackers a way into your organization’s network and cause more damage than you can imagine.

Recommended reading: Can You Use Personal Email For Business Purposes? | 5 Reasons You Should Never Do That!

3. Your work email isn’t private

You have reasons to worry if you are getting personal emails on your work email!

Emails sent or received through a work email account are not private; they can be read by your IT or even your boss. At least,/they have the right to do so as long as they serve a legitimate business purpose. Some companies allow an outgoing employee’s replacement access to their mailbox. 

Many businesses strengthen this privilege by informing employees in writing (for example, in an employment agreement). Even if your company does not have a written email policy, it has the legal authority to read employee emails sent or received from an official email.

So, now it’s up to you to decide if you’d share something very private with your friends or family through your work email.

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4. If you leave your job, it can be difficult to recover an account or information

There is no such thing as a permanent job. You may decide to leave your current job at any point. You will lose access to your work email account if this occurs. So, if you use a company email address for personal communication, e.g., use it to sign up for a site like LinkedIn, you’ll find it challenging to restore the password if you forget it. Password reset requests are usually delivered to your registered email address. Furthermore, your account-related important notifications, e.g., unusual sign-in activities, are also sent to the registered email address; you’ll miss those too!

Let me share another scenario. Suppose you have used work email in other areas like bank account opening. You will also miss their communication once you leave the job unless you update the email address.

5. Corporate email accounts are prime targets for spam and viruses

Corporate email accounts tend to have high activity levels, which means more opportunities for spammers and viruses to find and take advantage of. Furthermore, corporate email accounts have access to a company’s various services and records, making them an attractive target for hackers. So, why put your personal accounts at risk by connecting them to such sensitive business emails?

To summarize, using business email for personal purposes is illegal, makes you a prime target for spear-phishing, is not private, is difficult to retrieve if you leave your employment, and is a prime target for spam and viruses.

So, think again if you’re considering using your work email for personal business. It’s not worth the risks.

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