System and methodology for messaging server-based management and enforcement of crypto policies
DCFirst Claim
1. In a computer environment having a messaging service for transmitting messages created by clients having public key cryptographic support, a method for managing a crypto policy for messages submitted for transmission by the messaging service, the method comprising:
- defining a crypto policy comprising a set of constraints specifying one or more conditions which messages submitted to the messaging service must satisfy before being accepted for transmission by the messaging service;
receiving a particular message from a client for transmission by the messaging service;
determining whether the particular message conforms to the crypto policy by applying said set of constraints to the message;
if the particular message satisfies said set of constraints, forwarding the particular message to the messaging service, so that the message may be transmitted to its intended recipient; and
if the particular message does not satisfy said set of constraints, rejecting the particular message, so that the message is blocked from transmission by the messaging service.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A cryptographic-enabled messaging system providing a “Policy Management Agent” is described. The Policy Management Agent works in conjunction with a standard mail server, such as an SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol) mail server, to ensure that incoming and outgoing e-mail adheres to the policies that are specified for a given site. Specifically, the Agent intercepts e-mail normally bound for the mail server and checks to make sure that it conforms with policies configured for one'"'"'s site (e.g., corporate site). If the e-mail adheres to the policies for the site, it is forwarded to the mail server where it is routed to the intended recipient. If the e-mail does not adhere to the policies specified for the site, a message of one'"'"'s choosing is sent to the client indicating that the e-mail was rejected. In an exemplary embodiment (e.g., for SMTP), the Policy Management Agent may be employed to make sure that e-mail has been encrypted using certain designated recovery keys; ensure that all e-mail messages are encrypted before allowing them to be delivered; specify whether e-mail must be signed or not before it is allowed to pass the policy requirement; specify whether conventional encryption is allowed; maintain a log file listing all of the attempts to route e-mail along with a description of the outcome.
266 Citations
40 Claims
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1. In a computer environment having a messaging service for transmitting messages created by clients having public key cryptographic support, a method for managing a crypto policy for messages submitted for transmission by the messaging service, the method comprising:
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defining a crypto policy comprising a set of constraints specifying one or more conditions which messages submitted to the messaging service must satisfy before being accepted for transmission by the messaging service;
receiving a particular message from a client for transmission by the messaging service;
determining whether the particular message conforms to the crypto policy by applying said set of constraints to the message;
if the particular message satisfies said set of constraints, forwarding the particular message to the messaging service, so that the message may be transmitted to its intended recipient; and
if the particular message does not satisfy said set of constraints, rejecting the particular message, so that the message is blocked from transmission by the messaging service. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
generating an error message for a message that has been rejected.
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14. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of constraints includes a constraint specifying that if a particular message is encrypted, the message must not be encrypted to any one of a set of designated keys.
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15. The method of claim 11, wherein said crypto policy is applied to certain clients based on their network location.
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16. The method of claim 15, wherein said network locations comprise Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.
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17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
logging an entry to a log file for indicating that a particular message has been rejected.
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18. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of receiving a particular message comprises:
providing a proxy for effecting communications between clients and the messaging service.
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19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of receiving a particular message further comprises:
capturing the particular message'"'"'s message body.
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20. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining step comprises:
parsing the message body for gathering information about it.
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21. A method for managing transmission of encrypted messages received at a mail server from a plurality of clients, the method comprising:
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defining a set of constraints specifying one or more conditions which messages must satisfy before being accepted for transmission to intended recipients;
intercepting a request to transmit a particular message before the request is provided to the mail server;
automatically applying said set of constraints for determining whether the particular message should be passed to the mail server for transmission to intended recipient; and
if the particular message satisfies said set of constraints, forwarding the particular message to the mail server so that the particular message may be transmitted to its intended recipients. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
if the particular message does not satisfy said set of constraints, rejecting the message.
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23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:
displaying an error message indicating why the message has been rejected.
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24. The method of claim 21, wherein said mail server is compatible with Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP).
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25. The method of claim 21, wherein said set of constraints includes a constraint specifying whether a particular message must be encrypted, must not be encrypted, or may be encrypted.
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26. The method of claim 21, wherein said set of constraints includes a constraint specifying whether a particular message must be encrypted using at least one designated recovery key.
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27. The method of claim 21, wherein said set of constraints includes a constraint specifying whether a particular message may not be encrypted from certain sites.
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28. The method of claim 21, wherein said set of constraints includes a constraint specifying whether a particular message must be digitally signed, must not be digitally signed, or may be digitally signed.
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29. The method of claim 21, wherein said set of constraints includes a constraint specifying that if a particular message is encrypted, the message must be encrypted to one of a set of designated keys.
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30. The method of claim 21, wherein said set of constraints includes a constraint specifying whether a particular message must be rejected if it has been encrypted with a particular key.
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31. A system for managing transmission of encrypted messages received at a mail server from a plurality of clients, the system comprising:
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a configuration setting defining a policy specifying one or more conditions which message must satisfy before being accepted for transmission to intended recipients; and
an agent, responsive to a request to transmit a particular message before the request is provided to the mail server, for forwarding the particular message to the mail server only if the particular message satisfies said policy. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. The system of claim 31, wherein said policy includes a condition specifying whether a particular message must be rejected if it has been encrypted with a particular key.
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40. The system of claim 31, wherein said particular key is designated as a forbidden key.
Specification