Transparent security for electronic mail messages

• US 20050267939A1
• Filed: 05/17/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Davidson, Scott, Myers, Andrew S., Wray, John C., Raven, Mary E.
• Application Number:
  US10/847,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20050267939A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for the transparent security for electronic mail (e-mail) messages. A method for transparently securing an e-mail message can include producing a secured form of an e-mail message and identifying at least one designated recipient of the e-mail message for whom a secured form of the e-mail message cannot be produced and understood. Consequently, the secured form can be selectively transmitted to designated recipients able to process the secured form, while an unsecured form of the e-mail message can be transmitted to those identified recipients unable to process the secured form without first requiring confirmation from a sender of the e-mail message to transmit the unsecured form instead of the secured form.

Claims

1. A method for transparently securing an e-mail message comprising the steps of:

producing a secured form of an e-mail message;

identifying at least one designated recipient of said e-mail message for whom a secured form of said e-mail message cannot be produced and understood; and

,

selectively transmitting said secured form to designated recipients able to process said secured form, while transmitting an unsecured form of said e-mail message to said identified at least one designated recipient without first requiring confirmation from a sender of said e-mail message to transmit said unsecured form of said e-mail message instead of said secured form of said e-mail message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said producing step comprises the step of encrypting said e-mail message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said producing step comprises the step of signing said e-mail message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said producing step comprises the step of signing and encrypting said e-mail message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

presenting a set of delivery options, said delivery options comprising a secure mode, a secure if possible mode, and a do not secure mode; and

,

performing said transmitting step only if said if possible mode has been selected through said presentation.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of prompting said sender of said e-mail message for instructions whether to perform said transmitting step if said secure mode has been selected.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of transmitting only said unsecured form of said e-mail message and not said secured form if said do not secure mode has been selected.

8. A system for transparently securing an e-mail message comprising:

a mail processing system;

a transparent security processor coupled to said mail processing system; and

,

a set of security parameters configured for access by said transparent security processor, said parameters comprising a secure mode setting, a secure if possible mode setting, and a do not secure mode setting.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said set of security parameters comprise an administrative policy interface, a user preferences interface and a delivery options interface, said administrative policy interface limiting which of said parameters can be accessed in said user preferences interface and defining default settings for said user preferences interface.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said administrative policy is configured to limit available options able to be presented through said user preferences interface.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said administrative policy is configured to limit available options able to be presented through said delivery options interface.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said administrative policy configured to establish a default user preference established in said user preferences interface.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said user preferences interface is configured to specify a default delivery option presented through said delivery options interface.

14. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for transparently securing an e-mail message, the computer program comprising a routine set of instructions which when executed by a machine cause the machine to perform the steps of:

producing a secured form of an e-mail message;

identifying at least one designated recipient of said e-mail message for whom a secured form of said e-mail message cannot be produced and understood; and

,

selectively transmitting said secured form to designated recipients able to process said secured form, while transmitting an unsecured form of said e-mail message to said identified at least one designated recipient without first requiring confirmation from a sender of said e-mail message to transmit said unsecured form of said e-mail message instead of said secured form of said e-mail message.

15. The machine readable storage of claim 14, wherein said producing step comprises the step of encrypting said e-mail message.

16. The machine readable storage of claim 14, wherein said producing step comprises the step of signing said e-mail message.

17. The machine readable storage of claim 14, wherein said producing step comprises the step of signing and encrypting said e-mail message.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

presenting a set of delivery options, said delivery options comprising a secure mode, a secure if possible mode, and a do not secure mode; and

,

performing said transmitting step only if said if possible mode has been selected through said presentation.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 18, further comprising the step of prompting said sender of said e-mail message for instructions whether to perform said transmitting step if said secure mode has been selected.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 18, further comprising the step of transmitting only said unsecured form of said e-mail message and not said secured form if said do note secure mode has been selected.