GST Officials Urged to Ditch Public Emails For Official Communication Amid Rising Phishing Threats

CBIC Issues Circular Mandating Transition to Gov.in/Nic.in Email IDs for Customs & GST Officials

In a move aimed at bolstering cybersecurity measures, the office of the Directorate General of Systems & Data Management of the central government has issued a circular instructing all customs and GST field formations, directorates, and officers to transition from public Email IDs like Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail to official gov.in/nic.in Email IDs for their official communications. The circular, accessed by FPJ, highlights concerns over the vulnerability of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)'s digital footprint when using public Email IDs.

The circular underscores that the usage of public Email IDs on the All-in-Ones (AIOs) provided for official work poses a security risk, allowing access to any public Email IDs on these devices. An analytical study revealed that such Email IDs cannot be tracked, establishing no mail trail, and malicious links and files associated with these emails cannot be scanned, posing threats like privacy theft, credential dumping, and targeted attacks like phishing.

To address these concerns, the CBIC emphasizes the mandatory use of Gov.in/Nic.in Email IDs, maintained by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and adhering to the security protocols outlined in the Government of India's Email policy. The circular points out that 95 customs, CGST formations, and numerous officers are currently using public Email IDs for official correspondence. However, with the availability of personal name-based gov.in IDs and provisions for department-specific and designation-based email IDs, the circular states that the transition is now feasible.

The circular concludes by setting a deadline for the transition, stating, "It has been decided by the CBIC that in order to secure the digital environment of CBIC, all the Customs & GST Field formations/ Directorates/Officers shall immediately switch over to gov.in/nic.in E-mail IDs for all their official communication by 01.02.2024." This directive underscores the government's commitment to enhancing cybersecurity measures and ensuring the authenticity and security of official communications in the realm of customs and GST.