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Do you use your company email for personal purposes? If so, think twice. Then stop.
Your company owns the servers and the emails that are stored in them, which means they can be accessed by your employer at any time. This could lead to serious consequences if you are not careful with what information is shared over email.
In this article, I will discuss why using a company email account for personal reasons is risky and how it can affect you legally. I'll also look at how companies store emails and what measures they take to protect their data from being misused or abused. Finally, I will provide some tips on how to stay safe when sending emails through a corporate server.
Your company email is not private
Having a company email is like having a public diary; everything you communicate can be accessed and monitored by your employer. Emails sent from the company account are not private, so what you write, who you send it to, and even the way you address emails should all reflect positively on you and the company. The same applies to messages sent via Slack or other messaging services provided by your company.
Your company emails are not private, are archived, and can be monitored and disclosed. Any data, images, or documents attached to an email could be seen by a host of fellow team members, including:
- Your supervisor;
- Human resources;
- Compliance;
- External compliance, legal, or IT consultants;
- Executive leadership team;
- Federal, state, and self-regulatory agencies; and
- Law enforcement agencies.
Your personal information is no longer confidential when it is sent from or received to your company email. A good way to protect yourself is to keep any personal information separate from your work emails and only send emails related to work matters. Additionally, use caution when communicating with colleagues as well as personal contacts about confidential material related to the workplace. Understanding how your company monitors emails will make sure you do not violate any corporate policies.
Deleting an email on your computer does not remove it from the server. Your employer can still access an email that you have deleted.
Conduct in company emails
An email can be written in haste without considering potential implications, but be aware of how this reflects on you and your employer, as emails can live on indefinitely. This is equally important with attachments to your emails. Email attachments are archived and as discoverable as the email that contained the attachment. To ensure professionalism with every email you send, remember that any conversation could become public knowledge at any given time. If you would not want to recite the content in front of the entire firm, then it is best to re-examine the email.
Company emails are discoverable in legal cases. Emails sent via your company email are admissible in court. This includes corporate and personal communications. While you may think that those emails are private, they can be subpoenaed. All your messages and attachments can be disclosed in a legal deposition, open court, or even become part of the public record.
This can lead to legal exposure for the firm and possibly you as the employee. A disparaging comment about a colleague or client may be considered slander if disclosed in a legal case. This can lead to a defamation case against the firm or you. Exercise professionalism when sending emails over the company's network, as they could still be accessed in the future. By keeping this in mind while corresponding via your organization's accounts, you can avoid any potential legal trouble down the line.
All of your emails are stored in email and archiving systems
Wealth-management firms take their regulatory responsibilities and data security seriously. Firms use email archiving solutions for compliance, with the bonus that all corporate emails are stored in the archiving system for years as a backup. That includes all emails you send or receive while at the company with their attachments.
Email archiving makes organization and compliance review easier. The compliance and human resources teams can access important documents or conversations. It also allows your employer to ensure that even if someone leaves the company, their emails are still available as a reference and retained for any potential audit purposes.
Be mindful of the privacy and security of emails sent from company accounts. Emails are not private. They can be accessed and monitored by employers, and in some cases be used in legal cases. Remain aware of how emails are seen by both colleagues and outsiders. Personal information and opinions not required to directly support your work should never be communicated using your company email. Remembering this article will reduce risk for you and your employer.
John O’Connell, founder and chief executive officer for The Oasis Group, specializes in helping wealth management and technology firms solve their most complex challenges. His newest online training courses serve as a leading source of education for financial professionals at all levels in their careers. With modules ranging from cybersecurity to custodian markets and more, The Oasis Group enables firms and enterprises to upskill, learn at their own pace and rewatch lessons to reinforce specific learning objectives. Get an additional 20% off any course with coupon code ADVISORPERSPECTIVES.
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