Dubai government warns staff against using personal email on work devices

Dubai: Employees across Dubai are being urged to stop using their personal email accounts on their work devices and office networks in a community advisory by Dubai Customs.

The government authority issued the new cybersecurity warning on X on Oct 22. It added that while it’s common practice, it comes with severe risks for both the individual and the company.

The authority said that using personal email accounts on company systems can open the door to cyberattacks.

It warned that if the personal email account or device is hacked, it jeopardises the integrity of the whole network. This can lead to major (embarrassing) data breaches.

Even something as basic as opening your personal inbox from a work laptop can create a security hole, the advisory warned. It’s a risk not just to individual privacy, but to the entire company network.

A digital weak spot

The problem stems from the fact that personal email accounts usually don’t have the same level of protection as corporate systems. They’re often more vulnerable to phishing, malware, and password theft.

If a personal account is compromised, hackers can use it to move deeper into company networks, bypassing many of the usual security barriers. “It’s like leaving the back door unlocked,” one cybersecurity specialist explained.

Security reminders

To close that gap, Dubai Customs is asking employees to stick to three key rules:

• Avoid personal email on work devices or networks.

• Keep personal and work accounts separate.

• Never save work passwords on browsers tied to personal emails.

Dubai Customs also reminded staff to report anything unusual right away, whether it’s a suspicious email, login alert, or system glitch. Quick reporting, it said, can make the difference between a minor issue and a serious breach.