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

Key Takeaway
Using your work email for personal use can lead to privacy issues, increased risk of cyberattacks, loss of personal data upon job exit, and an influx of spam. Stick to professional communication with your work email, keeping personal topics and sensitive information such as finances, health, and relationships out of your work inbox. Adopt good email habits to maintain professionalism and safeguard both your personal and professional digital life.

Bob works in a postal services company. He signed up for a health advising web portal’s monthly free newsletters using his work email 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.

We’ve all been there. A funny cat video, a flash sale, a quick message to a friend – the temptation to use your work email for personal stuff can be real. But before you hit send, let’s pause and consider why keeping your work and personal emails separate is like separating your socks from your salad – essential for a healthy, organized life (and career!).

Why You Should Not 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:

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.

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.

Your work email isn’t private

Keep your personal relationships out of your work email. Avoid discussing relationship drama or personal matters that could raise eyebrows in the office.

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. 

Recommended reading: How to Show Working Elsewhere in Outlook Calendar and 4 Ideal Scenarios for Its Use.

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 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!

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.

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?

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

On the contrary, you should not use personal email for business purposes.

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