IDENTIFICATION OF CONTENT BY METADATA

• US 20140059049A1
• Filed: 11/04/2013
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quest Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SonicWALL, Inc. (SonicWall Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yu, Sijie
• Granted Patent: US 8,918,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/35 Clustering; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5846 using extracted text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• 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 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

Systems and methods for identifying content in electronic messages are provided. An electronic message may include certain content. The content is detected and analyzed to identify any metadata. The metadata may include a numerical signature characterizing the content. A thumbprint is generated based on the numerical signature. The thumbprint may then be compared to thumbprints of previously received messages. The comparison allows for classification of the electronic message as spam or not spam.

Claims

1. A method for identifying content in electronic messages, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic message over a communication network;

executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor;

extracts metadata characterizing one or more images in the electronic message;

generates a numerical signature based on the extracted metadata characterizing the one or more images in the classified message, the numerical signature comprising a plurality of numerical values, each numerical value characterizing a different aspect of the one or more images, and

searches for matches to the thumbprints of the classified message; and

classifying electronic messages having matching thumbprints based on the classification of the received electronic message.