System and method for an email firewall and use thereof
First Claim
1. A method for an email firewall in a client-server environment where a sender using an email client emails an email from an associated source email address to a destination email address associated with a recipient, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing the sender with a privatized recipient email address that the sender can use for emailing email to the recipient via an email networking infrastructure, said privatized recipient email address being configured to be operable, from designated source address(es), for enabling the email networking infrastructure to direct an email addressed to said privatized recipient email address to a firewalled destination email server; and
upon receiving an email addressed to said privatized recipient email address, said firewalled destination email server validating that the received email was sent from a registered sender address at least by searching a validation database for the sender'"'"'s email address and the associated privatized recipient'"'"'s email address, and if the sender'"'"'s email address and the associated privatized email address are found, replacing said privatized recipient email address with a public email address associated with the recipient and forwarding said received email for delivery to the recipient'"'"'s email server and subsequently to the recipient'"'"'s email client.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
One aspect of the present invention provides an Email Firewall system and/or method, which is a system for selective delivery of electronic mail (email), within the framework of conventional email protocols, and authentication of the source of electronic mail, with an objective of blocking unwanted email. In one embodiment of the present invention, the system resembles a firewall in the sense that the Email Firewall checks if the sender has “clearance” before forwarding the email message to the recipient and a means for providing “clearance”.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for an email firewall in a client-server environment where a sender using an email client emails an email from an associated source email address to a destination email address associated with a recipient, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing the sender with a privatized recipient email address that the sender can use for emailing email to the recipient via an email networking infrastructure, said privatized recipient email address being configured to be operable, from designated source address(es), for enabling the email networking infrastructure to direct an email addressed to said privatized recipient email address to a firewalled destination email server; and
upon receiving an email addressed to said privatized recipient email address, said firewalled destination email server validating that the received email was sent from a registered sender address at least by searching a validation database for the sender'"'"'s email address and the associated privatized recipient'"'"'s email address, and if the sender'"'"'s email address and the associated privatized email address are found, replacing said privatized recipient email address with a public email address associated with the recipient and forwarding said received email for delivery to the recipient'"'"'s email server and subsequently to the recipient'"'"'s email client. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for an email firewall in a client-server environment where a sender, having a public source email address protected by an email firewall and using an email client, emails an to a destination email address, not protected by an email firewall, associated with a recipient, the method comprising the steps of:
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a firewalled source email server checks a validation database to determine if the destination address is in the validation database;
if the destination address is not in the validation database, the email-firewall generating a privatized return address associated with the source public address and the recipient'"'"'s email address and enters them into said validation database;
if the destination address is in the validation database, the email-firewall retrieves a return private address associated with the destination address from the validation database;
replacing the public return address associated with the sender with said privatized return address, thereby enabling the email to be emailed via an email networking infrastructure to the destination address;
encrypting the public source address and inserting it into a hidden header field, said hidden header field being configured Such that said hidden header field will be ignored by all email transfer agents except for a destination email server is an email-firewall server of the present method; and
reconfiguring said return privatized email address to be operable for enabling the email networking infrastructure to direct a reply email sent from the recipient back to said firewalled source email client. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for an email firewall in a client-server environment where a sender using an email client emails an email having a public source email address protected by an email firewall to a public destination email address protected by an email firewall associated with a recipients the method comprising the steps of
a firewalled source email server checking, a first (source) validation database for the destination address; -
if the destination address is not in the validation database, the email-firewall generating a privatized return address associated comprising the source public address and the recipient'"'"'s email address;
storing said privatized return address into said validation database;
replacing the public return address associated with the sender with said privatized return address, thereby enabling the email to be emailed via an email networking infrastructure to the destination address;
encrypting the public source address and inserting it into a hidden header field, said hidden header field being configured such that said hidden header field will be ignored by all email transfer agents except for a destination email server is an email-firewall server of the present method; and
reconfiguring said return privatized email address to be operable for enabling the email networking infrastructure to direct a reply email sent from the recipient back to said firewalled source email client. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification