Zimbabwe’s leaders still use Gmail for state secrets

A cybersecurity professional with decades of experience has issued a stark warning regarding vulnerabilities within Zimbabwe's digital infrastructure. The expert identified two primary national security risks: numerous government websites operating without modern encryption and the widespread use of personal email accounts, such as Gmail, by high-level state officials for official business.

This practice exposes government communication to significant dangers, including storage on foreign-controlled servers and a lack of centralized security and auditing. The continued operation of unsecured websites also leaves citizen data vulnerable to interception and manipulation by malicious actors.

The professional urged the government to take immediate action by securing all official domains with recognized security protocols and implementing a unified, sovereign email system under a .gov.zw domain. Additional critical recommendations included adopting a binding national cybersecurity framework and providing comprehensive data-security training for all public officials. These steps are presented as essential for establishing digital sovereignty and protecting national interests as the country continues to digitalize its services.