Five myths about stopping unwanted mail at the route

The five myths

• It makes you anonymous
• It stops every phishing message
• It removes the need for strong authentication
• Every address should be temporary
• More addresses always mean more confusion

What is actually true

Replace the exposed route once legitimate relationships have moved. That can reduce correlation, improve context and make one exposed relationship easier to replace. It is a control surface, not an invisibility cloak.

Why the distinction matters

An old competition address receives a changing cast of promotions. The address can tell you which relationship is involved, but it cannot certify the sender or erase information shared elsewhere.

Good tools solve a named problem. Myths ask them to solve every problem.

Use the modest superpower

Do not cut off receipts, warranties or people who still need the address.

• Identify the route
• Move legitimate senders
• Disable before deleting
• Never reassign old addresses