# Your Email Address Isn't Safe

Over the past few days, several well known companies have leaked their users
email addresses for different reasons:

September 21st : [Poundhost](/Poundhost_vs_RapidSwitch)

September 23rd :
[Demon](https://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/09/23/demon_password_giveaway/)

September 23rd :
[Livejournal](https://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/09/23/livejournal_email_stealing_worm/)

You simply can't trust websites/companies to protect your email address. I think
this justifies the method I've come to use over the past several years of giving
each website/company I sign up with a different email address.

I only give my private personal email address to people I actually know.
Unfortunately, it can be leaked that way too if their machine is compromised by
malware, but if nobody knows your email address, what's the point in having one?