ELECTRONIC MESSAGE AND DATA TRACKING SYSTEM

• US 20110219086A1
• Filed: 05/18/2011
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fortinet Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fortinet Inc.
• Inventors: Xie, Michael, Lin, Kunhua
• Application Number:
  US13/110,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20110219086A1
• 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 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

Systems and methods for tracking electronic messages and data are provided. According to one embodiment, a linking object insertion routine identifies an electronic mail (email) message as a candidate for user feedback based on the email message having been previously classified as spam by a real-time email spam scanning routine associated with a commercial anti-spam service. The linking object insertion routine facilitates user submission of the user feedback regarding the email message to the commercial anti-spam service by embedding a linking object within the email message. The linking object is configured to automate communication of one or more digital signatures of the email message generated by the real-time email spam scanning routine to the commercial anti-spam service by performing out-of-band signaling with the commercial anti-spam service.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of facilitating user feedback regarding an electronic mail (email) message classified as spam by a commercial anti-spam service, the method comprising:

identifying, by a linking object insertion routine, the email message as a candidate for user feedback based on the email message having been previously classified as spam by a real-time email spam scanning routine associated with the commercial anti-spam service;

facilitating, by the linking object insertion routine, user submission of the user feedback regarding the email message to the commercial anti-spam service by embedding a linking object within the email message, wherein the linking object is configured to automate communication of one or more digital signatures of the email message generated by the real-time email spam scanning routine to the commercial anti-spam service by performing out-of-band signaling with the commercial anti-spam service; and

wherein the linking object insertion routine and the real-time email spam scanning routine are implemented in one or more processors and one or more computer-readable storage media of one or more computer systems, the one or more computer-readable storage media having instructions tangibly embodied therein representing the linking object insertion routine and the real-time email spam scanning routine that are executable by the one or more processors.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing a likelihood of submission of the user feedback by minimizing the user'"'"'s steps to initiate and complete the user submission.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user'"'"'s steps to initiate the user submission consist essentially of a single-click on the linking object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the out-of-band signaling with the commercial anti-spam service does not rely on an email client used by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the out-of-band signaling with the commercial anti-spam service comprises a browser-based connection with an email submission server of the commercial anti-spam service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the linking object is configured to automate communication of an entire contents of the email message to the commercial anti-spam service for analysis by the commercial anti-spam service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the linking object is configured to limit communication regarding the email message to the commercial anti-spam service to the one or more digital signatures and other information associated with the email message that is reasonably required to refine one or more algorithms used by the commercial anti-spam service to define spam.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the other information comprises an indication to the commercial anti-spam service that the email message has been correctly or falsely identified as spam.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the linking object comprises a Universal Resource Identifier (URI).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the linking object comprises an embedded java script.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the linking object comprises an executable file.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the linking object comprises a visual basic script.

13. A computer-implemented method of facilitating user feedback regarding an electronic mail (email) message classified as spam by a commercial anti-virus service, the method comprising:

identifying, by a linking object insertion routine, the email message as a candidate for user feedback based on the email message having been previously classified as virus-infected by a real-time email anti-virus scanning routine associated with the commercial anti-virus service;

facilitating, by the linking object insertion routine, user submission of the user feedback regarding the email message to the commercial anti-virus service by embedding a linking object within the email message, wherein the linking object is configured to automate communication of one or more digital signatures of the email message generated by the real-time email anti-virus scanning routine to the commercial anti-virus service by performing out-of-band signaling with the commercial anti-virus service; and

wherein the linking object insertion routine and the real-time email anti-virus scanning routine are implemented in one or more processors and one or more computer-readable storage media of one or more computer systems, the one or more computer-readable storage media having instructions tangibly embodied therein representing the linking object insertion routine and the real-time email anti-virus scanning routine that are executable by the one or more processors.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising increasing a likelihood of submission of the user feedback by minimizing the user'"'"'s steps to initiate and complete the user submission.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user'"'"'s steps to initiate the user submission consist essentially of a single-click on the linking object.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the out-of-band signaling with the commercial anti-virus service does not rely on an email client used by the user.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the out-of-band signaling with the commercial anti-virus service comprises a browser-based connection with an email submission server of the commercial anti-virus service.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the linking object is configured to automate communication of an entire contents of the email message to the commercial anti-virus service for analysis by the commercial anti-virus service.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the linking object is configured to limit communication regarding the email message to the commercial anti-virus service to the one or more digital signatures and other information associated with the email message that is reasonably required to refine one or more algorithms used by the commercial anti-virus service to define virus-infected email messages.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the other information comprises an indication to the commercial anti-virus service that the email message has been correctly or falsely identified as virus-infected.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the linking object comprises a Universal Resource Identifier (URI).

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the linking object comprises an embedded java script.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the linking object comprises an executable file.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the linking object comprises a visual basic script.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly embodying a set of instructions executable by one or more processors of one or more computer systems to perform a method for facilitating user feedback and submission of information regarding electronic mail (email) messages, the method comprising:

identifying, by a linking object insertion routine, an email message as a candidate for user feedback based on the email message having been previously classified as spam by a real-time email spam scanning routine associated with a commercial anti-spam service; and

facilitating, by the linking object insertion routine, user submission of the user feedback regarding the email message to the commercial anti-spam service by embedding a linking object within the email message, wherein the linking object is configured to automate communication of one or more digital signatures of the email message generated by the real-time email spam scanning routine to the commercial anti-spam service by performing out-of-band signaling with the commercial anti-spam service.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, the method further comprises increasing a likelihood of submission of the user feedback by minimizing the user'"'"'s steps to initiate and complete the user submission.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the user'"'"'s steps to initiate the user submission consist essentially of a single-click on the linking object.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the out-of-band signaling with the commercial anti-spam service does not rely on an email client used by the user.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the out-of-band signaling with the commercial anti-spam service comprises a browser-based connection with an email submission server of the commercial anti-spam service.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the linking object is configured to automate communication of an entire contents of the email message to the commercial anti-spam service for analysis by the commercial anti-spam service.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the linking object is configured to limit communication regarding the email message to the commercial anti-spam service to the one or more digital signatures and other information associated with the email message that is reasonably required to refine one or more algorithms used by the commercial anti-spam service to define spam.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the other information comprises an indication to the commercial anti-spam service that the email message has been correctly or falsely identified as spam.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the linking object comprises one or more of a Universal Resource Identifier (URI), an embedded java script, an executable file and a visual basic script.

34. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly embodying a set of instructions executable by one or more processors of one or more computer systems to perform a method for facilitating user feedback and submission of information regarding electronic mail (email) messages, the method comprising:

identifying, by a linking object insertion routine, an email message as a candidate for user feedback based on the email message having been previously classified as virus-infected by a real-time email anti-virus scanning routine associated with a commercial anti-virus service; and

facilitating, by the linking object insertion routine, user submission of the user feedback regarding the email message to the commercial anti-virus service by embedding a linking object within the email message, wherein the linking object is configured to automate communication of one or more digital signatures of the email message generated by the real-time email anti-virus scanning routine to the commercial anti-virus service by performing out-of-band signaling with the commercial anti-virus service.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the method further comprises increasing a likelihood of submission of the user feedback by minimizing the user'"'"'s steps to initiate and complete the user submission.

36. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the user'"'"'s steps to initiate the user submission consist essentially of a single-click on the linking object.

37. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the out-of-band signaling with the commercial anti-virus service does not rely on an email client used by the user.

38. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the out-of-band signaling with the commercial anti-virus service comprises a browser-based connection with an email submission server of the commercial anti-virus service.

39. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the linking object is configured to automate communication of an entire contents of the email message to the commercial anti-virus service for analysis by the commercial anti-virus service.

40. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the linking object is configured to limit communication regarding the email message to the commercial anti-virus service to the one or more digital signatures and other information associated with the email message that is reasonably required to refine one or more algorithms used by the commercial anti-virus service to define virus-infected email messages.

41. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 40, wherein the other information comprises an indication to the commercial anti-virus service that the email message has been correctly or falsely identified as virus-infected.

42. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the linking object comprises one or more of a Universal Resource Identifier (URI), an embedded java script, an executable file and a visual basic script.