HIERARCHICAL, TRACEABLE, AND ASSOCIATION REPUTATION ASSESSMENT OF EMAIL DOMAINS

• US 20080126344A1
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LiveRamp, Inc. (Interpublic Group of Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rapleaf, Inc. (TowerData, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shah, Manish, Lizt, Jeremy, Sodera, Vivek, Hoffman, Auren
• Granted Patent: US 7,853,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A reputability analysis system receives a domain assessment request associated with a domain and accesses a database to find a match for the domain. A reputability score is derived according to a hierarchical analysis of a matching domain in the database. Traceability, accountability, and association information associated with the domain assessment request may also be used to adjust the reputability score.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an assessment request associated with a domain;

accessing a database to find a match for the domain;

deriving a reputability score according to a hierarchical analysis of a matching domain in the database; and

sending the reputability score in reply to the assessment request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a first domain level matches the domain in the assessment request;

using a first reputability value associated with the first domain level for deriving the reputability score when the first domain level matches the domain;

determining whether a second sub-domain level of the first domain level matches the domain; and

using a second reputability value associated with the second sub-domain level for deriving the reputability score when the second sub-domain level matches the domain in the assessment request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

finding a lowest sub-domain level in the database that matches the domain in the assessment request;

using a reputability value associated with the lowest matching sub-domain level for deriving the reputability score.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, in reply to the assessment request, additional information associated with the domain.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising accepting the additional information associated with the domain from a manager.

6. A method, comprising:

identifying traceability or association information associated with the domain in the assessment request; and

deriving a reputability score according to the identified traceability and association information.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the traceability or association information includes domains used by company employees.

8. The method according to claim 6 wherein the traceability or association information includes domains that require users to provide credit card information or personal identification information.

9. The method according to claim 6 wherein the traceability or association information includes domains that require users to belong to or be associated with an organization associated with the domain.

10. A system, comprising:

a hierarchical domain search engine;

a database including a reputability score associated with a domain;

wherein, in operation, the hierarchical domain search engine, in response to a domain assessment request associated with the domain, analyzes domain hierarchies in the domain database to determine a reputability score associated with the domain, and returns, in reply to the domain assessment request, the reputability score.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the hierarchical domain search engine determines the reputability score according to a longest matching domain extension level in the database.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a domain filtering engine that uses the reputability score to determine permissions associated with the domain.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the hierarchical domain search engine adjusts the reputability score according to traceability and association information associated with the domain.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the traceability and association information identifies domains that require membership in an organization operating the domain.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the traceability and association information identifies domains that require users to enter or disclose personal address information or credit card information prior to using a domain email address.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the traceability and association information identifies domains that are used by employees of a company where the company operates the domain.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein, in operation, the hierarchical domain search engine provides feedback to the admin system regarding the domain assessment request.

18. A means for assessing reputability of email, comprising:

a database for storing email domains and sub-domains with associated reputability scores;

a means for accessing the database to derive a reputability score for;

a domain if a reputability score for a sub-domain of the domain is not found in the database;

the sub-domain if a reputability score for the sub-domain is stored in the database;

a means for providing the reputability score to an email domain assessment means.

19. The means for assessing reputability of email according to claim 18, wherein, the reputability score is adjusted according to traceability, accountability, and association information associated with the domain.

20. The means for assessing reputability of email according to claim 18, wherein, if the reputability score is for the sub-domain, the sub-domain is a highest hierarchical sub-domain of the domain for which a reputability score is stored in the database.

21. The means for assessing reputability of email according to claim 18, wherein the email domain assessment means is associated with one of the group consisting of:

a wiki, a blog, a forum, a web page, a social network, a community web site, an email client, an e-commerce site.

22. The means for assessing reputability of email according to claim 18, further comprising, a means for providing feedback regarding domains and sub-domains that are queried against the database.

23. The means for assessing reputability of email according to claim 18, further comprising, a means for providing additional information associated with the domain, if a reputability score for a sub-domain is not found in the database, or the sub-domain, if the sub-domain is stored in the database.