Data leakage: Field formations directed to use official email addresses only

ISLAMABAD: To ensure data security, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has directed its field formations to only use official email addresses for official correspondences to avoid data leakage.

In this regard, the FBR has issued instructions to the field formations.

According to the FBR, a letter has been received from Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication.

It is requested to ensure that the directives may be disseminated to all subordinate offices for implementation in letter and spirit without fail. Any lapse in security resulting from the use of non-official communication channels shall be the responsibility of the officer/entity concerned, FBR added.

It has been observed with concern that several government officials continue to utilize non-official and personal email addresses for official communication and the exchange of official/ government documents. This practice poses a significant risk to data integrity confidentiality, and national cyber security.

The Ministry of Information Technology has repeatedly issued advisories regarding the vulnerabilities associated with using private mail servers for official movement communication. Personal email services are outside the government’s secure infrastructure and are susceptible to unauthorized access, data breaches, and cyber-espionage, IT Ministry added.

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