MANAGED ACCESS TO ELECTRONIC MESSAGE ADDRESSES

• US 20160028686A1
• Filed: 09/27/2015
• Published: 01/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sophos Limited (Sophos Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sophos Limited (Sophos Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Vallett, Richard K., McIssac, Joseph E., Dahllof, Marcus, Tatarsky, Bruce L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,686,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/37 E-mail addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/59 using proxies for addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0254 Stateful filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06

Abstract

A method may include receiving an outbound communication directed to one or more recipient addresses from a communications infrastructure hosting the true address for the user. A server or similar intermediary may generate an alias address for each recipient address in an outbound communication so that each recipient may communicate with the true address using a unique reply channel. A discrete security state may be assigned as a security attribute to each such alias address. The discrete security state, which can be controlled by the user and stored, e.g., at the intermediate server, establishes rules for controlling communications from one of the recipient addresses through the communications infrastructure to the true address via one of the alias addresses. Once an alias and a security state are assigned in this manner to facilitate handling of responsive communications, the outbound communication may be forwarded to recipient addresses through the communication network.

Claims

1. A method for managing communications to a true address of a user in a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving an outbound communication from a communications infrastructure hosting the true address for the user, the outbound communication directed to one or more recipient addresses;

generating an alias address for each one of the recipient addresses to communicate with the true address;

assigning a discrete security state as a security attribute to each alias address, wherein the discrete security state controls communications from one of the recipient addresses through the communications infrastructure to the true address using a corresponding one of the alias addresses, and wherein the user can alter the discrete security state after sending the outbound communication; and

forwarding the outbound communication to the one or more recipient addresses through the communication network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the discrete security state includes a public scope indicating that a corresponding one of the alias addresses is an open, sharable address.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the discrete security state includes a private scope indicating that a corresponding on of the alias addresses is not sharable.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the discrete security state includes a protected scope indicating that an incoming communication should be conditionally forwarded according to one or more rules.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the one or more rules includes a whitelist authorizing delivery from one or more predetermined sender addresses.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the one or more rules enforces domain-level sharing that authorizes delivery from any sender address within a predetermined domain.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the discrete security state for one of the alias addresses is selected from a group consisting of a first state indicative of allowing any other user coupled to the communication network to access the true address via the one of the alias addresses, a second state indicative of denying any other sender address access to the true address via the one of the alias addresses;

and a third state conditionally indicative of allowing at least one but fewer than all other users coupled to the communication network to access the true address via the one of the alias addresses if predetermined criteria are met.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning an exempt state to a sender address indicating that the sender address is exempt from processing according to any of the security attributes.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications infrastructure includes an electronic mail infrastructure.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications infrastructure includes an instant messaging infrastructure.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a dashboard to the user in a user interface of an administration site, the dashboard containing information about senders using one or more of the alias addresses.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising stripping identifiable information from a header of the outbound communication before forwarding.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the identifiable information includes the true address.

14. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause that processor to perform the steps of:

receiving an outbound communication from a communications infrastructure hosting a true address for a user, the outbound communication directed to one or more recipient addresses;

generating an alias address for each one of the recipient addresses to communicate with the true address;

assigning a discrete security state as a security attribute to each alias address, wherein the discrete security state controls communications from one of the recipient addresses through the communications infrastructure to the true address using a corresponding one of the alias addresses, and wherein the user can alter the discrete security state after sending the outbound communication; and

forwarding the outbound communication to the one or more recipient addresses through a communication network.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the discrete security state includes a public scope indicating that a corresponding one of the alias addresses is an open, sharable address.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the discrete security state includes a private scope indicating that a corresponding on of the alias addresses is not sharable.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the discrete security state includes a protected scope indicating that an incoming communication should be conditionally forwarded according to one or more rules.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the one or more rules includes a whitelist authorizing delivery from one or more predetermined sender addresses.

19. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the one or more rules enforces domain-level sharing that authorizes delivery from any sender address within a predetermined domain.

20. A server for processing electronic mail messages, the server including:

a first interface coupled to a source mail server and configured to receive inbound traffic;

a second interface coupled to a destination mail server and configured to transmit outbound traffic; and

a processor configured to create an alias address for an electronic mail message from a sender hosted at the source mail server to a recipient hosted at the destination mail server, to assign a discrete security state to the recipient for processing a return electronic mail message from the sender to the alias address, and to forward the electronic mail message to the recipient.