DIY Computer Security

"Worm-proof" Your Address Book

1. In your address book, create a new contact named "!0000" (asterisk and four zeros).
   
   
2. DO NOT assign an email address to this entry!
   
   
3. Save the new contact.
   
   

How This Works:

Most Address Book worms rely on contact names with email addresses to do their damage. Once they have "read" the first entry in your Address Book and spawned an infected email to the recipient, the task is finished. The worm moves on to the next contact and repeats the task until it goes through your entire Contact List.

By creating a Contact Name "!0000" with no email address you stop this whole process before it even starts. By the very nature of how computers sort information, "!0000" automatically goes to the top of your Contact List. Without an email address to go along with the entry the worm stops dead in its tracks.

Sending/Forwarding Email to Multiple Recipients Without Revealing Their Address Information

1. In your Address Book create a new contact named "Friends and Family" (or whatever name you like).

   Assign YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS to this entry.

   Save this new contact.

2. To Send/Forward to multiple parties without revealing their address information:
   
   

   Use your "Friends and Family" entry in the "TO:" line.

   Add the other Recipient Addresses in the "BCC:" line.

   Send the Email as you normally would.

How This Works:

You are really sending an Email to yourself and including other people when you send it.

When you include the other recipients in the "BCC:" (Blind Carbon Copy) line, you effectively hide their address information from all other parties included in the mailing.

This actually accomplishes two things:

1. It preserves the identity of the Recipient
   
   
2. The Email comes addressed to them as if you had sent it to them alone.