Method and apparatus for managing email messages

• US 20040258044A1
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ratliff, Emily Jane, Girouard, Janice Marie
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing email messages. Outgoing packets are monitored. The outgoing packets are parsed for outgoing email messages. An identification of recipients in packets for outgoing email messages is made. A list of email addresses is updated with email addresses for the identified recipients, wherein the list of email addresses is used to accept incoming email messages. The outgoing packets also are parsed to identify Web traffic containing a user email address. A domain name of the destination is identified for Web traffic containing the user email address. The list of email messages is updated with this domain name. Incoming email messages are screened to see if the domain name is present in the email address of the sender in determining whether to accepted the email messages.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for managing email messages, the method comprising:

monitoring outgoing packets;

parsing the outgoing packets for outgoing email messages;

identifying recipients in packets for outgoing email messages to form identified recipients; and

updating a list of email addresses with email addresses for the identified recipients, wherein the list of email addresses is used to categorically accept incoming email messages.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

parsing outgoing packets for Web traffic;

determining whether a user email address is present in Web traffic;

responsive to the user email address being present in the Web traffic, identifying a domain name of a destination for the Web traffic in which the user email address is present; and

updating the list of addresses to include the domain name of the destination.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

monitoring incoming packets;

parsing the incoming packets for email messages; and

discarding incoming packets for email messages in which a sender address or domain name is absent from the list of email addresses.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented in a firewall.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is at an internet service provider.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented in one of a client email application or a web browser.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the outgoing packets are parsed to identify whether selected destination ports are present to determine whether the outgoing packets are for the outgoing email messages.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of email addresses is updated using user entered email addresses.

9. A method in a data processing system for managing email messages, the method comprising:

parsing packets for outgoing email messages;

identifying recipients in the packets for outgoing email messages to form identified recipients;

updating a list of email addresses with email addresses for the identified recipients; and

accepting incoming email messages if the sender of an email message is a previously identified recipient in the list of email addresses.

10. A method in a data processing system for managing email messages, the method comprising:

monitoring outgoing packets;

parsing outgoing packets for Web traffic;

determining whether a user email address is present in Web traffic;

responsive to the user email address being present in the Web traffic, identifying a domain name of a destination for the Web traffic in which the user email address is present; and

updating the list of addresses to include the domain name of the destination, wherein the list of addresses is used to categorically accept incoming email messages.

11. A method in a data processing system for managing email messages, the method comprising:

monitoring outgoing packets;

parsing the outgoing packets for outgoing email messages;

identifying recipients in packets for outgoing email messages to form identified recipients; and

updating a list of email addresses with email addresses for the identified recipients, wherein the list of email addresses is used to accept incoming email messages.

13. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the parsing means is a first parsing means and wherein the identifying means is a first identifying means and further comprising:

second parsing means for parsing outgoing packets for Web traffic;

determining means for determining whether a user email address is present in Web traffic;

responsive to the user email address being present in the Web traffic, identifying a domain name of destination for the Web traffic in which the user email address is present; and

second updating means for updating the list of addresses to include the domain name of the destination.

14. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the monitoring means is a first monitoring means and further comprising:

second monitoring means for monitoring incoming packets;

third parsing means for parsing the incoming packets for email messages; and

discarding means for discarding incoming packets for email messages in which a sender address or domain name is absent from the list of email addresses.

12. A data processing system for managing email messages, the data processing system comprising:

monitoring means for monitoring outgoing packets;

parsing means for parsing the outgoing packets for outgoing email messages;

identifying means for identifying recipients in packets for outgoing email messages to form identified recipients; and

updating means for updating a list of email addresses with email addresses for the identified recipients, wherein the list of email addresses is used to categorically accept incoming email messages.

15. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the monitoring means, parsing means, identifying means, and updating means are implemented in a firewall.

16. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the data processing system is at an internet service provider.

17. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the monitoring means, parsing means, identifying means, and updating means are implemented in a client email application.

18. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the outgoing packets are parsed to identify whether selected destination ports are present to determine whether the outgoing packets are for the outgoing email messages.

19. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the list of email addresses is updated using user entered email addresses.

22. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising:

fourth instructions for parsing outgoing packets for Web traffic;

fifth instructions for determining whether a user email address is present in Web traffic;

sixth instructions, responsive to the user email address being present in the Web traffic, for identifying a domain name of a destination for the Web traffic in which the user email address is present; and

seventh instructions for updating the list of addresses to include the domain name of the destination.

20. A data processing system for managing email messages, the data processing system comprising:

parsing means for parsing packets for outgoing email messages;

identifying means for identifying recipients in the packets for outgoing email messages to form identified recipients;

updating means for updating a list of email addresses with email addresses for the identified recipients; and

accepting means for accepting incoming email messages if the sender of an email message is a previously identified recipient in the list of email addresses.

21. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for managing email messages, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for monitoring outgoing packets;

second instructions for parsing the outgoing packets for outgoing email messages;

third instructions for identifying recipients in packets for outgoing email messages to form identified recipients; and

fourth instructions for updating a list of email addresses with email addresses for the identified recipients, wherein the list of email addresses is used to categorically accept incoming email messages.

23. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for managing email messages, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for parsing packets for outgoing email messages;

second instructions for identifying recipients in the packets for outgoing email messages to form identified recipients;

third instructions for updating a list of email addresses with email addresses for the identified recipients; and

fourth instructions for accepting incoming email messages if the sender of an email message is a previously identified recipient in the list of email addresses.