Do I try the impossible? Make contacts semi-private...

WimYogya · 08 May 2011

I can't find a way to make certain Outlook Contacts tailor-made-private.
Maybe it's simply not possible, maybe someone knows a workaround or so.

I use the NOTES box in an Outlook Contact form often to write confidential information about that person. such as cv details, job reports, financial details etc.
I have no problem that anyone who accesses my laptop (or smartphone) can read the general contact details of these people, such as name, (email) address, phone etc.
But I want to hide the confidential notes. Is there a way to do that?

What I already checked and does NOT give the solution I hope for:
1.
Make the whole contact PRIVATE by clicking Contact > Options Tab > Private.
As I understand this only hides the WHOLE contact record for those people who share my contact folder in a network and access it from a different computer. If someone uses my own computer and runs Outlook he can access the confidential notes as well.
2.
Write my confidential notes outside Outlook in a password protected Word document and drag that to the NOTES in Outlook. Then confidentiality is ok, but flexibility not: from within Outlook I myself can only READ the attached document, not edit it. So I must store the word attachments somewhere outside Outlook, with proper names for identification, password protect them and then edit them. As long as they keep the same name and the same location, Outlook will update the contents of the attached document. This is the best option I could find. It's still so so, to my opinion, for instance because the notes will be impossible if I am on the road with just my smartphone with me.

Any better idea/solution?

Ideal (to my opinion) would be:
Protect the contact with such attachment completely, except for the (greyed out) name and some LOCKED symbol. And/or the usual popup window asking for the password which makes this complete contact form editable again.

Possible?
Thanks

Irene · 09 May 2011

Is there anything useful here? :
Allow someone else to manage your mail and calendar - Outlook - Microsoft Office
.
.
For example...
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Change delegate access to private items

If you have assigned permissions to a delegate so that he or she can access your Outlook folders, you can hide personal information in appointments, meetings, tasks, and contacts. Open each personal item, and on the Calendar Tools tab, in the Tags group, click Private.
If you want to give a delegate access to see your private items, do the following:

Click the File tab.
Click Account Settings, and then click Delegate Access.
Click the name of the delegate for whom you want to change access to your private appointments, and then click Permissions.
Select the Delegate can see my private items check box.

Important You should not rely on the Private feature to prevent other people from accessing the details of your appointments, contacts, or tasks. To make sure that other people cannot read the items that you marked as private, do not grant them Reviewer (can read items) permission to your Calendar, Contacts, or Tasks folder.

WimYogya · 09 May 2011

Hello Irene,

I feel a bit sorry to say again that you didn't hit the point...
Your quoted solution is about delegates who can (through network) access your computer from outside and then have certain permissions/restrictions.
I am not in a network.
Normally I work alone, from home. But several people (staff, friends, partner, visitors) often are around, while my computer is still on (is always on stand-by).
Also Outlook is usually open.
How can I in such circumstances prevent people from opening confidential outlook records (complete protection) or attachments (partial protection) without loosing or restricting my own editing options too much.

Irene · 09 May 2011

I'll ask others for other ideas which might get closer to the mark. :)

Neutron16 · 09 May 2011

WimYogya, the feature, as you describing it, is not implemented in Outlook.
Probably solution with attachment is the only one,
but you can make it a little more developed.

Instead using Word file you can use Excel or Access file (export all contacts first to it) and setup it the way that it would be pulling data from Outlook contacts and constantly updating itself (excel or access file). And in that database you can create separate columns to store your private data. Make it password protect and have it attached to the contact.

As another non-related measure you can activate screen saver and make it show logon screen with your password protected Windows account and non-password guest account when on resume. So if someone decides to play around with your computer, he will only be able to get into Windows as a guest user and would not see your data.

WimYogya · 10 May 2011

@Neutron
I think the screen saver option is the best, with not too much hassle and with enough flexibility. The only disadvantage: I permanently sync my outlook with my smartphone. That phone is also password protected, but only locks itself after several hours (otherwise too disturbing). But I usually carry it in my pocket - and I found seldom people there trying to read the contents... ; )
Thanks for the help

PS How can I close this thread, mark it as solved?

Irene · 10 May 2011

I have just done that for you, WimYogya. :)

You simply touch the red triangle on the top right of you post and just type solved or resolved in the box provided - after a short period a green tick will appear against the title of your post.