Bounce Management in a Trusted Communication Network

• US 20070244974A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Musarubra US LLC (Musarubra US SellCo LLC)
• Original Assignee: MXTN Incorporated
• Inventors: Chasin, C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,738,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/146 Tracing the source of attacks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0245 Filtering by information in the payload

Abstract

An embodiment of a method handles bounced messages in a private network processing hub that is configured to handle messages submitted by a plurality of member networks that are registered with the private network processing hub, and wherein the private network processing hub and the plurality of member networks form a private networks. The method may include receiving a first message from a member network or from an unregistered network within the private network processing hub, and determining whether the first message is a bounced message generated in response to an original message sent by the private network processing hub by searching the first message for a tracking identifier that was generated by the private network processing hub and inserted into the original message. The determining operation may include searching for the tracking identifier among a plurality of stored tracking identifiers. A system is described that carries out the method.

Claims

1. A system for handling bounced messages within a private network processing hub, wherein the private network processing hub is configured to receive and process messages submitted by a plurality of independent member networks that form a private network including the private network processing hub, the system comprising:

a message transfer agent configured to receive an original message from a member network, wherein the original message is sent from an original sender to a recipient, the message transfer agent further configured to create a tracking identifier indicating that the original message was routed through the private network processing hub, and insert the tracking identifier into the original message prior to sending the original message to the recipient;

a bounce management module configured to receive another message and determine that the another message is a bounced message that was generated in response to the original message, wherein the bounce management module is configured to determine that the another message is a bounced message by determining that the another message includes the tracking identifier.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the message transfer agent inserts the tracking identifier into the original message by rewriting a MAIL FROM field in the message,

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the message transfer agent rewrites the MAIL FROM field by replacing a domain name in the MAIL FROM field with a Variable Envelope Return Path address that includes the tracking identifier.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the tracking identifier comprises a hash pointer based on one or more pads of the message.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the bounce management module verifies that the another message is a bounced message generated in response to the original message by auditing a database of tracking identifiers.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the bounce management module is further configured to determine an action to take responsive to receiving a bounced message, wherein the action is specified in a policy associated with the member network of the original sender.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the action to be taken is selected from a group consisting of:

send the message back to the original sender;

submit the message to one or more specified administrative addresses in the member network;

delete the message;

store the message for later retrieval.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the bounce management module is further configured to filter the bounced message to obtain data indicative of the reason for the bounce.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the bounce management module is further configured to generate a report indicating a reason for a bounced message.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the bounce management module is further configured to aggregate a plurality of reports related to all bounced messages received in a specified period.

11. A method for handling bounced messages in a private network processing hub that is configured to handle messages submitted by a plurality of member networks that are registered with the private network processing hub, and wherein the private network processing hub and the plurality of member networks form a private network, the method comprising:

within the private network processing hub, receiving a first message from a member network or from an unregistered network,

determining whether the first message is a bounced message generated in response to an original message sent by the private network processing hub by searching the first message for a tracking identifier that was generated by the private network processing hub and inserted into the original message.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the determining operation comprises searching for the tracking identifier in a memory containing a plurality of tracking identifiers.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a second message from a registered member network,

generating a tracking identifier based on one or more parts of the second message; and

inserting the generated tracking identifier into the second message prior to sending the second message to a specified recipient of the message.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising generating a Variable Envelope Return Path (VERP) address including the generated tracking identifier.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the inserting operation comprises replacing a MAIL FROM address of the second message with the VERP address.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the VERP address further includes an identifier of the second message'"'"'s original sender and a domain name of the private network processing hub.

17. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising rejecting the first message if a tracking identifier is not found in the first message.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising utilizing content of the first message to determine a reputation metric related to a source of the first message.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the reputation metric is a measure of the source'"'"'s reputation for generating spam.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising using content of the first message to derive a spam signature.

21. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising determining a disposition for the first message if a tracking identifier is found.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein determining a disposition comprises querying a policy that specifies a disposition for bounced messages.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the disposition is selected from a group consisting of:

send the first message to the first message'"'"'s original sender;

send the first message to a specified administrator address a member network;

delete the first message;

store the first message for later analysis.

24. The method as recited in claim 21 further comprising filtering the first message to obtain information indicative of the reason that the bounced message was generated.

25. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising generating a report that provides a reason for the bounced message.