Method and system for transmission and processing of authenticated electronic mail

• US 20050198508A1
• Filed: 03/04/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stephen Howard Beck
• Original Assignee: Stephen Howard Beck
• Inventors: Beck, Stephen Howard
• Application Number:
  US10/795,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20050198508A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/170
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention may provide a method, systems and/or computer program products for an e-mail messaging system. This may involve providing multiple authenticated e-mail systems each controlled by programmed instructions. E-mail messages may be digitally signed and signatures may be validated. Conformance to rules may be enforced and errant accounts deactivated. Non-conforming messages may be slow tracked and abuse may be reported to a certificate authority.

Claims

1. An e-mail messaging system comprising

a first authenticated e-mail system having first programmed instructions operable to perform the actions of:

(a) receiving a signed message comprising a digital signature;

(b) verifying the digital signature to produce a determination as to whether the digital signature was generated on a second authenticated e-mail system having second programmed instructions operable to perform the actions of;

(A) checking that an unsigned message is received from a user having an account on the second authenticated e-mail system wherein the account is activated;

(B) testing to establish whether the unsigned message conforms to a set of rules wherein the set of rules prohibit spamming and

(C) responsive to a results of the checking and of the testing, performing the actions of;

deactivating the account pursuant to a breach of the set of rules and

digitally signing the unsigned message to produce the signed message and sending the signed message towards the first authenticated e-mail system pursuant to a conformance with the set of rules; and

(c) responsive to the determination, performing an action selected from a list consisting of fast-tracking at least a first part of the signed message and diverting at least a second part of the signed message.

2. The messaging system of claim 1 wherein the verifying further comprises

checking that the signed message conforms to a message specification and to a digital signature standard format.

3. The messaging system of claim 2 wherein

the message specification is selected from a list consisting of an S/MIME message specification and a MIME message specification and further wherein the digital signature standard format is selected from a list consisting of an S/MIME specification and a PKCS #7 specification.

4. The messaging system of claim 1 wherein the verifying further comprises

confirming that the second authenticated e-mail system was digitally signed into a trusted public key infrastructure.

5. The messaging system of claim 4 wherein the first programmed instructions are further operable to perform the actions of:

reporting an abuse to a certificate authority, the certificate authority having issued a digital certificate to the second authenticated e-mail system whereby a compliance is enforced.

6. The messaging system of claim 1 wherein the set of rules further prohibits exceeding an allowed message count per time interval.

7. The messaging system of claim 4 wherein the

the trusted public key infrastructure comprises a root trusted signer and further wherein the confirming further comprises ascertaining that a digital certificate issued to the second authenticated e-mail system by a certification authority subordinate to the root trusted signer has not been revoked.

12. The assemblage of claim 1 further comprising programmed instructions operable to

report an abuse to a certificate authority, the certificate authority having issued a digital certificate to the authenticated e-mail system.

8. An assemblage of computer executable codes embodied on at least one computer-readable medium for implementing an e-mail messaging system comprising:

a first set of programmed instructions operable to;

(A) check that an unsigned message is received from a user having an activated account;

(B) test whether the unsigned message conforms to a set of rules that prohibit spamming;

(C) deactivate the account pursuant to a breach of the set of rules;

(D) digitally sign the unsigned message to produce a signed message comprising a digital signature and send the signed message towards an authenticated e-mail system pursuant to a conformance with the set of rules;

(E) repeat the operations (A) through (D) and

a second set of programmed instructions operable to;

(a) receive the signed message;

(b) verify the digital signature;

(c) fast-track at least a first part of the signed message and

(d) divert at least a second part of the signed message.

9. The assemblage of claim 8 further comprising programmed instructions operable to

check that the signed message conforms to a message specification and a digital signature standard format.

10. The assemblage of claim 9 wherein

the message specification is selected from a list consisting of an S/MIME message specification and a MIME message specification and further wherein

the digital signature standard format is selected from a list consisting of an S/MIME specification and a PKCS #7 specification.

11. The assemblage of claim 8 further comprising instructions programmed operable to

confirm that the digital signature was generated on an authenticated e-mail system digitally signed into a trusted public key infrastructure.

13. The assemblage of claim 8 wherein

the set of rules prohibits exceeding an allowed message count per time interval.

14. The assemblage of claim 11 further comprising programmed instructions

wherein the trusted public key infrastructure comprises a root trusted signer and

wherein assemblage further comprises programmed instructions operable to ascertain that a digital certificate issued by a certification authority subordinate to the root trusted signer to the authenticated e-mail system has not been revoked.

15. A method for an e-mail messaging system comprising the acts of

(a) receiving a signed message comprising a digital signature;

(b) verifying the digital signature to produce a determination as to whether the digital signature was generated on an authenticated e-mail system having programmed instructions operable to perform the acts of;

(A) checking that an unsigned message is received from a user having an account on the authenticated e-mail system wherein the account is activated;

(B) testing to establish whether the unsigned message conforms to a set of rules wherein the set of rules prohibit spamming and

(C) responsive to a results of the checking and of the testing, performing the actions of;

deactivating the account pursuant to a breach of the set of rules and

digitally signing the unsigned message to produce the signed message pursuant to a conformance with the set of rules; and

(c) responsive to the determination, performing an action selected from a list consisting of fast-tracking at least a first part of the signed message and diverting at least a second part of the signed message.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the verifying further comprises

checking that the signed message conforms to a message specification selected from a first list consisting of an S/MIME message specification and a MIME message specification and

further wherein the verifying further comprises checking that the signed message further conforms to a digital signature standard format selected from a second list consisting of an S/MIME specification and a PKCS #7 specification.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the verifying further comprises

confirming that the authenticated e-mail system was digitally signed into a trusted public key infrastructure.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising

reporting an abuse to a certificate authority, the certificate authority having issued a digital certificate to the authenticated e-mail system whereby a compliance is enforced.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the set of rules further prohibits exceeding an allowed message count per time interval.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein

the trusted public key infrastructure comprises a root trusted signer and further wherein the confirming further comprises ascertaining that a digital certificate issued by a certification authority subordinate to the root trusted signer to the authenticated e-mail system has not been revoked.