E-Mail Stamping With From-Header Validation

• US 20080005786A1
• Filed: 05/02/2007
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barracuda Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Goodmail Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Dreymann, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,877,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps

Abstract

Effective aspects of stamping outbound e-mail are combined with a registration system for e-mail senders. A mail sender participates by registering From: line information with a trusted third-party repository known as a stamp authority. When the sender sends an e-mail message, the From: line is compared against the From: line information for the sender stored in the repository. If the result is a match, the e-mail is allowed to be sent. If there is not a match, then the e-mail is prevented from being stamped.

Claims

1. A method for validating a sender of an e-mail message, the method comprising:

receiving an e-mail from a sender, the e-mail including a header, the header having a first field indicating the sender'"'"'s identity and a second field indicating that the sender is authorized to use the identity indicated by the contents of the first field; and

displaying the received e-mail to a recipient.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the received e-mail further comprises displaying indicia associated with the e-mail, the indicia signifying that the sender s authorized to use the identity indicated by the contents of the first field.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the indicia is a graphical icon.

4. A computer program product for validating a sender of an e-mail message, the computer program product stored on a computer-readable storage medium and including instructions configured to cause a processor to carry out the steps of:

receiving an e-mail from a sender, the e-mail including a header, the header having a first field indicating the sender'"'"'s identity and a second field indicating that the sender is authorized to use the identity indicated by the contents of the first field; and

displaying the received e-mail to a recipient.

5. The computer program product of claim 4 wherein displaying the received e-mail further comprises displaying indicia associated with the e-mail, the indicia signifying that the sender s authorized to use the identity indicated by the contents of the first field.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein the indicia is a graphical icon.

7. A system for validating a sender of an e-mail message, the system comprising:

a mailbox provider, adapted to receive an e-mail from a sender, the e-mail including a header, the header having a first field indicating the sender'"'"'s identity and a second field indicating that the sender is authorized to use the identity indicated by the contests of the first field; and

a user interface adapted to display the received e-mail to a mailbox owner.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the user interface is further adapted to display an indicia associated with the e-mail, the indicia signifying that the sender s authorized to use the identity indicated by the contents of the first field.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the indicia is a graphical icon.