Control and management of electronic messaging via authentication and evaluation of credentials

• US 10,462,084 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2015
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Inventors: Hallam-Baker, Phillip Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Boutah, Alina A
• Application Number:
  US14/789,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20150304259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 709206, 713154, 707 10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1079 of unsolicited session attempts, e.g. SPIT

Abstract

A method for controlling a message from a sender. A referee can evaluate a credential associated with a message to determine it'"'"'s desirability to the intended recipient, and take an action based upon the results of the determination. A sender that includes a trusted component can send a credential with the message, and the message can be controlled without a referee.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling a first message from a sender, the first message having an external intended recipient, comprising:

generating, at a processor associated with a first referee, a numerical desirability rating associated with at least part of a credential including a digital signature, wherein the numerical desirability rating measures a level of desirability with receiving a message;

receiving, at the processor associated with the first referee, the at least part of the credential from the external intended recipient, wherein the at least part of the credential is associated with the first message that was sent to the external intended recipient;

determining, at the processor associated with the first referee, if the first message is spam by evaluating the at least part of the credential based at least in part on the numerical desirability rating; and

performing an action with respect to the first message based upon a result of the evaluation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital signature is associated with the sender.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the credential comprises a digital certificate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises an e-mail message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises a voice message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises an instant message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises a videoconferencing message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises a fax message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein performing an action with respect to the first message comprises causing the first message to be blocked.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein performing an action with respect to the first message comprises causing a message warning to be sent.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein performing an action with respect to the first message comprises causing at least one of the numerical desirability rating or an indicator associated with the credential to be sent.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein performing an action with respect to the first message comprises:

hashing the first message; and

causing the first message to be forwarded.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the at least part of the credential further comprises verifying the digital signature.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the at least part of the credential further comprises one of:

identifying the numerical desirability rating associated with a digital certificate that includes the digital signature or

identifying an indicator associated with the digital certificate that includes the digital signature.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the numerical desirability rating or the indicator is stored in a distributed database.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the at least part of the credential further comprises verifying a Message Authentication Code associated with the first message.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the numerical desirability rating of the first message based upon at least a destination address of the first message.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the numerical desirability rating of the first message based upon at least part of a body of the first message.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the first message is spam comprises applying a message status determination rule.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising correlating the at least part of the credential with the numerical desirability rating.

21. A computer-implemented method for controlling a first message from a sender, the method comprising:

transmitting, from a processor associated with a referee, a limited-use token to the sender, wherein the limited-use token establishes that the sender is in good standing;

receiving, at the processor associated with the referee, at least part of a credential including a digital signature from an external intended recipient, wherein the at least part of the credential is associated with the first message that was sent to the external intended recipient;

determining, at the processor associated with the referee, if the first message is spam by evaluating the at least part of the credential, based at least in part on receiving the limited-use token with the at least part of the credential; and

performing an action with respect to the first message based upon a result of the evaluation.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the limited-use token limits one or both of:

a number of messages that the sender may transmit; and

a time period during which the sender may transmit messages.