AUTHENTICATING AND CONFIDENCE MARKING E-MAIL MESSAGES

• US 20080189770A1
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iconix Incorporated (Matthews Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Iconix Incorporated (Matthews Group LLC)
• Inventors: Sachtjen, Scott A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,110,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/12 Transmitting and receiving encryption devices synchronised or initially set up in a particular manner

Abstract

Methods and systems for authenticating and confidence marking e-mail messages are described. One embodiment describes a method of authenticating an e-mail message. This method involves extracting a plurality of e-mail headers associated with the e-mail message, and identifying a sending edge mail transfer agent (MTA). The method then calls for determining if the sending edge MTA is authorized to send the e-mail message.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating an e-mail message, comprising:

extracting a plurality of e-mail headers associated with said e-mail message;

identifying a sending edge mail transfer agent (MTA); and

determining if said sending edge MTA is authorized to send said e-mail message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of e-mail headers comprises:

a plurality of “

Received;

”

headers;

a “

From;

”

header; and

a “

Sender;

”

header.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said identifying comprises examining said plurality of “

Received;

”

headers to identify said sending edge MTA.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining comprises performing a sender policy framework (SPF) check.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining comprises performing a Sender ID check.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said e-mail message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preparing an authentication request comprising said extracted e-mail headers; and

transmitting said authentication request to an authentication service.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

examining said extracted e-mail headers to determine if said e-mail message may have been sent by a known entity.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

examining said extracted e-mail headers to determine if said e-mail message may have been sent on behalf of a known entity.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if said sending edge MTA is authorized to send if said e-mail message, displaying a confidence icon.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

aggregating a plurality of headers associated with an e-mail message;

transmitting said aggregated plurality of headers to an authentication service;

receiving an authentication response from said authentication service; and

performing an action indicated by said authentication response.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein said plurality of headers comprises:

a plurality of “

Received;

”

headers;

a “

From;

”

header; and

a “

Sender;

”

header.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

examining said plurality of headers to determine if said e-mail message may have been sent by a known entity.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

examining said plurality of headers to determine if said e-mail message may have been sent on behalf of a known entity.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein said authentication response comprises an instruction to retrieve and display a confidence icon.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said confidence icon comprises a logo associated with a sender of said e-mail message.

17. A method of authenticating an e-mail message, comprising:

receiving an authentication request comprising a plurality of headers associated with said in a message;

identifying an edge mail transfer agent (MTA) associated with a sender of said e-mail message; and

determining if said edge MTA is authorized to send said e-mail message.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining if a known entity is involved with said e-mail message from said plurality of headers.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said determining comprises comparing one or more of said plurality of headers with a list of known entities.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said comparing comprises comparing the contents of a “

From;

”

header with said list of known entities.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said comparing comprises comparing the contents of a “

Sender;

”

header with said list of known entities.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein said identifying comprises examining a plurality of “

Received;

”

headers from said plurality of headers to identify said edge MTA.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein said determining comprises performing a sender policy framework (SPF) check.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein said determining comprises performing a Sender ID check.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

retrieving an authentication instruction corresponding to a known entity associated with said e-mail message.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said authentication instruction comprises a location of a confidence icon associated with said known entity.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said authentication instruction further comprises a display instruction for said confidence icon.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

transmitting said authentication instruction, in response to said authentication request.

29. A method of e-mail message authentication, comprising:

extracting a header from an e-mail message;

validating said e-mail message, with reference to said header;

attempting to authenticate said e-mail message; and

performing an action, in response to said attempt to authenticate.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

extracting a plurality of headers from a plurality of e-mail messages;

aggregating said plurality of headers;

transmitting said aggregated plurality of headers to a validation server;

receiving handling instructions corresponding to said plurality of e-mail messages;

attempting to authenticate each of said plurality of e-mail messages; and

performing an action, in response to each of said plurality of attempts to authenticate.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein said validating comprises comparing said header with a plurality of known entities.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

preparing a validation response, comprising an instruction to perform said action.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein said authenticating comprises:

identifying an edge mail transfer agent (MTA) corresponding to a sender identified in said e-mail message;

accessing a domain name system (DNS) record corresponding to said sender; and

determining if said edge MTA was authorized to send said e-mail message on behalf of said sender.