New policy for using official email addresses for non-official business     

The following details have been supplied by PCS DWP Group:

DWP information security risks

DWP continuously evaluates information security risks. DWP employees have been able to use their DWP email address when making private purchases over the intranet. The increasing cyber threat of phishing emails and the tendency to use the same passwords for both personal and work web sites has introduced an additional information security risk to the Department. The Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) has been amended from 1^st July 2017 to reduce such information security risks with the introduction of AUP paragraph 5.7 which states:

5.7 Only use your DWP email address for DWP business related activities and linked organisational activity (e.g. DWP discount schemes, CSL, Civil Service Jobs, HASSRA, etc.). When logging onto external web sites for personal use (e.g. for retail or internet banking purposes), DWP staff must use their personal email addresses. If you have already registered for personal services using your DWP email address you will not be disciplined but must try to change your personal details to register a personal email address as soon as possible

Change to personal email addresses

Employees may continue to access external websites for personal use, including personal shopping and banking, but must use a personal email address not their official DWP email address. Employees must change to a personal email address as soon as possible. Please note, under AUP 4.6 employees must not access personal webmail accounts on DWP equipment.