System, method and computer program to block spam

• US 20050204159A1
• Filed: 03/09/2004
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jeffries, Clark Debs, Himberger, Kevin David, Davis, John Fred, Jeremiah, Garreth Joseph
• Application Number:
  US10/796,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20050204159A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management

Abstract

A system, method and program product for blocking unwanted e-mails. An e-mail is identified as unwanted. A source IP address of the unwanted e-mail is determined. Other source IP addresses owned or registered by an owner or registrant of the source IP address of the unwanted e-mail are determined. Subsequent e-mails from the source IP address and the other IP addresses are blocked. This will thwart a spammer who shifts to a new source IP address when its spam is blocked from one source IP address.

Claims

1. A method of blocking unwanted e-mails, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying an e-mail as unwanted;

determining a source IP address of the unwanted e-mail;

determining other source IP addresses owned or registered by an owner or registrant of the source IP address of said unwanted e-mail; and

subsequently blocking e-mails from said source IP address and said other IP addresses.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of determining other source IP addresses owned or registered by an owner or registrant of the source IP address of said unwanted e-mail comprises the step of determining an owner or registrant of said source IP address of said unwanted e-mail.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the step of determining other source IP addresses owned or registered by an owner or registrant of the source IP address of said unwanted e-mail is performed by querying an entity that manages registration of IP addresses.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3 wherein said entity is Internet Assigned Number Authority.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of identifying an e-mail as unwanted comprises the step of identifying an e-mail which is attempted to be sent to multiple recipients where the e-mail contains the same or substantially the same text.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of identifying an e-mail as unwanted comprises the step of identifying an e-mail which is attempted to be sent to multiple recipients where the e-mail contains the same or substantially the same subject line.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of determining a source IP address of the unwanted e-mail comprises the step of reading the source IP address from a header of the unwanted.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of subsequently blocking e-mails from said source IP address and said other IP addresses comprises the step of identifying said e-mails from said source IP address and said other IP addresses at a firewall or router, and then preventing them from passing through to a mail server(s) for their intended recipients.

9. A computer program product for blocking unwanted e-mails, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instructions to identify an e-mail as unwanted;

second program instructions to determine a source IP address of the unwanted e-mail;

third program instructions to determine other source IP addresses owned or registered by an owner or registrant of the source IP address of said unwanted e-mail; and

fourth program instructions to subsequently block e-mails from said source IP address and said other IP addresses; and

wherein

said first, second, third and fourth program instructions are recorded on said medium.

10. A computer program product as set forth in claim 9 wherein said third program instructions determine an owner or registrant of said source IP address of said unwanted e-mail.

11. A computer program product as set forth in claim 10 wherein said third program instructions determine an owner or registrant of said source IP address by querying an entity that manages registration of IP addresses.

12. A computer program product as set forth in claim 11 wherein said entity is Internet Assigned Number Authority.

13. A computer program product as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first program instructions identifies an e-mail as unwanted by identifying an e-mail which is attempted to be sent to multiple recipients where the e-mail contains the same or substantially the same text.

14. A computer program product as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first program instructions identifies an e-mail as unwanted by identifying an e-mail which is attempted to be sent to multiple recipients where the e-mail contains the same or substantially the same subject line.

15. A computer program product as set forth in claim 9 wherein said second program instructions determines a source IP address of the unwanted e-mail comprises by reading the source IP address from a header of the unwanted.

16. A computer program product as set forth in claim 9 wherein said fourth program instructions blocks e-mails from said source IP address and said other IP addresses by identifying said e-mails from said source IP address and said other IP addresses at a firewall or router, and then preventing them from passing through to a mail server(s) for their intended recipients.

17. A system for blocking unwanted e-mails, said system comprising:

means for identifying an e-mail as unwanted;

means for determining a source IP address of the unwanted e-mail;

means for determining other source IP addresses owned or registered by an owner or registrant of the source IP address of said unwanted e-mail; and

means for subsequently blocking e-mails from said source IP address and said other IP addresses.

18. A system as set forth in claim 17 wherein said means for determining other source IP addresses owned or registered by an owner or registrant of the source IP address of said unwanted e-mail comprises means for determining an owner or registrant of said source IP address of said unwanted e-mail.

19. A system as set forth in claim 18 wherein said means for determining other source IP addresses owned or registered by an owner or registrant of the source IP address of said unwanted e-mail comprises means for querying an entity that manages registration of IP addresses.

20. A system as set forth in claim 19 wherein said entity is Internet Assigned Number Authority.