Because the E-Mail Auto-Linking feature provides users with a way to link incoming and outgoing e-mail messages (including meeting requests and assigned tasks) automatically to any specified Account (Account: A business or organization with which you do business. If a service is being provided, such as dental or medical, an Account can also be a customer.) or Business Contact (Business Contact: A person with whom you do business at a company or organization.) record (record: A completed Account, Business Contact, or Opportunity form. The record contains Account, Business Contact, or Opportunity information, plus the other records and items that are linked to it.), these messages are accessible by anyone who can access the records in a Business Contact Manager database (Business Contact Manager database: The database that stores information about Accounts, Business Contacts, Opportunities, Business Projects, and other items.).
The following paragraphs explain the different privacy or security considerations, depending on whether you are the only user accessing your own database, or if you are one of multiple users accessing the same shared Business Contact Manager database.
If you are the only user of your database
When there is only one user of database, the security considerations are minimal—such as keeping your password secure. Any e-mail address can be enabled for e-mail auto-linking because no one else can see the messages. Note The only user can also share the Business Contact Manager database in order to use the database offline—such as on a portable computer—but there is still only one user of the database.
If there are multiple users of your database
When you share a Business Contact Manager database with other users, your E-Mail Auto-Linking settings remain the same unless you change them. This means that if any of your messages is automatically linked, any user with access to the database can see the linked message.
Note You can disable the e-mail autolinking on any or all e-mail addresses to prevent other users of the Business Contact Manager database from having access to e-mail messages that you exchange with your Business Contacts and Accounts. To make changes to your E-mail Auto-Linking settings, on the Business Contact Manager menu, click Manage E-mail Auto-linking.