ICO Calls for Review of Government “Private” Messaging

By Stephen Pritchard for Infosecurity Magazine
Thursday, July 14, 2022

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The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has asked the UK government to review its use of “private correspondence channels,” including email, WhatsApp and other messaging services.

According to Ilia Kolochenko, founder of ImmuniWeb, the use of unofficial communications is a growing problem in the public sector, not just in the UK.

“Most governmental bodies and entities do not have a vetted replacement for instant messengers, such as WhatsApp, so people continue communicating work-related questions via insecure third-party channels,” he said.

“And it is virtually impossible to draw a straight line of demarcation between some personal and professional communications, creating a temptation to use private devices and messengers for work-related discussions. This problem has no simple solution.” Clear policies and up-to-date training, however, will minimize the risks, he added. Read Full Article