Whether it's government officials or company employees, e-mail users who send messages outside their official networks could be putting their organizations at risk for legal action, regulatory compliance problems, intellectual property thefts and more.

Last week's decision by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to look at the apparent use of outside e-mail accounts by some high-ranking White House staff members illustrates such worries in government, but the issue should also be very much on the minds of corporate leaders, experts said.

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