Active e-mail filter with challenge-response
First Claim
1. A method for filtering electronic mail (e-mail) sent to a user comprising:
- receiving a current e-mail message from a sender address;
via e-mail, returning to the sender address a challenge that requires a correct e-mail response; and
blocking the current e-mail message from the sender address unless the correct e-mail response is received by the user system from the sender address.
25 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
When a user receives potential junk e-mail from an unknown sender address, an active filter installed in or cooperating with the user'"'"'s e-mail system sends a challenge e-mail back to the sender address. Unless the user receives a correct response e-mail from the sender address and/or a response that meets formal criteria, the active filter rejects the original e-mail and blocks future e-mail from that sender address. The challenge preferably includes a question that the sender must correctly answer in his response. The question is such that only humans can interpret and respond to it correctly. For example, the question may relate to and/or be incorporated in an image in the challenge. Lists of approved and blocked sender addresses are compiled. The user may directly enter addresses in the address lists. Addresses to which the user has sent e-mail may also be included directly in the approved list.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for filtering electronic mail (e-mail) sent to a user comprising:
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receiving a current e-mail message from a sender address;
via e-mail, returning to the sender address a challenge that requires a correct e-mail response; and
blocking the current e-mail message from the sender address unless the correct e-mail response is received by the user system from the sender address. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for filtering electronic mail (e-mail) sent to a user comprising:
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receiving a current e-mail message from a current sender address;
via e-mail, returning to the current sender address a challenge that requires a correct e-mail response, the challenge including an instruction to perform an action and the correct e-mail response requiring correct performance of the action;
if the correct e-mail response is received from the current sender address, including the current sender address in a list of approved sender addresses and accepting without challenge the current e-mail message and any e-mail message sent from an address included in the list of approved sender addresses; and
if the correct e-mail response is not received from the current sender address, including the current sender address in a list of blocked sender addresses and blocking without further challenge any e-mail message received from any address included in the list of blocked sender addresses, including the current e-mail message.
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29. A system for filtering electronic mail (e-mail) sent to a user comprising:
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a computer that is connected to a network over which e-mail is transmitted;
a computer program executing on the computer, wherein the computer program comprises computer instructions for;
receiving a current e-mail message from a sender address to a user address;
via e-mail, returning to the sender address a challenge that requires a correct e-mail response; and
blocking the current e-mail message from the sender address unless the correct e-mail response is received by the computer from the sender address. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification