Apparatus and method for controlling delivery of unsolicited electronic mail

• US 6,052,709 A
• Filed: 12/23/1997
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brightmail, Inc. (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Paul, Sunil
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US08/997,692
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/206, 709/204, 709/205, 714/40, 714/49, 714/50
• US Class Current: 709/202
• 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

Abstract

In a system and method and system for controlling delivery of unsolicited electronic mail messages, one or more spam probe e-mail addresses are created and planted at various sites on the communications network in order to insure their inclusion on large-scale electronic junk mail ("spam") mailing lists. The mailboxes corresponding to the spam probe e-mail addresses are monitored for incoming mail by a spam control center. Upon receipt of incoming mail addressed to the spam probe addresses, the spam control center automatically analyzes the received spam e-mail to identify the source of the message, extracts the spam source data from the message, and generates an alert signal containing the spam source data. This alert signal is broadcast to all network servers and/or all user terminals within the communications network. A filtering system implemented at the servers and/or user terminals receives the alert signal, updates stored filtering data using the spam source data retrieved from the alert signal, and controls delivery of subsequently-received e-mail messages received from the identified spam source. The filtering system controls delivery of the unsolicited e-mail messages by discarding the messages without displaying them to the user, displaying the messages to the user with a "JUNK" or similar marker, or otherwise processing the spam mail as desired by the network provider and/or the network users. The filtering system may also filter e-mail messages sent by the user terminals.

Claims

1. A system for controlling delivery of unsolicited electronic mail, comprising:

a communications network;

a plurality of user terminals coupled to said communications network, each of said plurality of user terminals having a unique e-mail address, wherein each of said plurality of user terminals comprises a filtering application for receiving incoming electronic mail messages addressed to said unique e-mail address of said user terminal and filtering said incoming electronic mail messages based upon stored filtering data; and

a control center, comprising

a distributor for generating a probe address and transmitting said probe address to at least one site on said communications network, wherein said probe address is different from each of said unique email addresses of each of said plurality of user terminals,

a processor for receiving electronic mail messages addressed to said probe address, and for extracting source data from said received electronic mail messages, and

a database update signal generator coupled to said processor for generating and transmitting a database update signal incorporating said extracted source data;

wherein each of said plurality of user terminals receives said database update signal from said control center, updates said stored filtering data in response to said database update signal, and filters electronic mail messages received by said user terminal in accordance with said updated filtering data.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said user terminals filter electronic mail messages sent from other of said user terminals in accordance with said updated filtering data.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said probe address is transmitted to sites on said communications network that provide address information for senders of unsolicited electronic mail messages.

4. A system for controlling delivery of unsolicited electronic mail, comprising:

a communications network;

a plurality of user terminals, wherein each of said plurality of user terminals has a unique e-mail address;

a server coupled to said communications network and each of said plurality of user terminals, wherein said server comprises a filtering application for receiving incoming electronic mail messages addressed to said unique e-mail address of each of said plurality of user terminals and filtering said incoming electronic mail messages based upon stored filtering data; and

a control center, comprising

a distributor for generating a probe address and transmitting said probe address to at least one site on said communications network, wherein said probe address is different from each of said unique email addresses of each of said plurality of user terminals,

a processor for receiving electronic mail messages addressed to said probe address, and for extracting source data from said received electronic mail messages, and

a database update signal generator coupled to said processor for generating and transmitting a database update signal incorporating said extracted source data;

wherein said server receives said database update signal from said control center, updates said stored filtering data in response to said database update signal, and filters electronic mail messages addressed to each of said plurality of user terminals in accordance with said updated filtering data.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said filtering application updates said filtering data in response to said database update signal by adding said extracted source data to said filtering data stored in said server.

6. A system according to claim 4, wherein said server also filters electronic mail messages sent from each of said plurality of user terminals.

7. A system according to claim 4, wherein said probe address is transmitted to sites on said communications network that provide address information for senders of unsolicited electronic mail messages.