Customs & GST Officers Need to Stop Using Public Email IDs & to Use gov.in/nic.in Email IDs for all Official Communication from 01.02.2024
Direction to Stop using Public Email IDs for Official Communications: In a recent move to bolster cybersecurity, the Directorate General of Systems & Data Management of the central government of India has issued a crucial circular to all customs & GST field formations, directorates, and officers. The directive urges them to promptly transition from using public Email IDs such as Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail for official communication to the more secure gov.in/nic.in Email IDs.
The circular highlights the vulnerability in the security architecture of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), citing concerns related to privacy theft, credential dumping, and targeted attacks like phishing. It emphasizes that the security policy of the All-in-Ones (AIOs) used for official work currently allows access to any public Email IDs, posing a potential risk to the digital footprint of CBIC.
The analysis of the usage of public Email IDs on AIOs reveals a lack of traceability and the inability to establish a mail trail. This raises concerns about the authenticity of emails originating from public Email IDs, as they cannot be tracked and may contain malicious links and files that go undetected by CBIC’s mail gateway.
To address these security challenges, the circular mandates the immediate switch to gov.in/nic.in Email IDs for all official communication. These government-managed Email IDs adhere to the security protocols outlined in the E-mail policy of the Government of India. The circular underscores that it is mandatory for all government employees, both at the central and state levels, to use e-mail services provided by the government, specifically nic.in or gov.in.
While acknowledging that the use of public Email IDs was unavoidable in the past due to the unavailability of gov.in or nic.in e-mail IDs, the circular points out that NIC has now provisioned personal name-based gov.in IDs to all officers. Additionally, departments/sections can apply for generic e-mail IDs representing their entities, and officers can have designation-based e-mail IDs for continuity and knowledge transfer.
In conclusion, the circular emphasizes that, to safeguard the digital environment of CBIC, all Customs & GST Field formations, directorates, and officers are required to transition to gov.in/nic.in Email IDs for all official communication by the set deadline of 01.02.2024.
This proactive measure aims to enhance the overall cybersecurity posture of the government’s tax and customs authorities, ensuring secure and traceable communication channels for all official correspondence.
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