System and method for counteracting message filtering

• US 6,643,686 B1
• Filed: 12/16/1999
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHAU T
• Application Number:
  US09/465,421
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/245, 709/219, 370/352, 370/429, 705/14, 707/10, 715/530
• 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 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

A system and method for circumventing schemes that use duplication detection to detect and block unsolicited e-mail (spam.) An address on a list is assigned to one of m sublists, where m is an integer that is greater than one. A set of m different messages are created. A different message from the set of m different messages is sent to the addresses on each sublist. In this way, spam countermeasures based upon duplicate detection schemes are foiled.

Claims

1. A method for counteracting a filtering technique based upon the detection of a duplicate, including:

selecting an address on a list;

randomly selecting a first sublist from m sublists, where m is an integer greater than 1;

determining if the selected address is substantially similar to an address on the selected first sublist;

if the selected address is not substantially similar to an address on the selected first sublist, then assigning the address to the selected first sublist;

creating m different versions of a message; and

sending a different version of the message to each sublist.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if the selected address is substantially similar to an address on the selected first sublist, then:

randomly selecting a second sublist from the m sublists;

determining if the selected address is substantially similar to an address on the selected second sublist; and

if the selected address is not substantially similar to an address on the selected second sublist, then assigning the address to the selected second sublist.

3. A method for counteracting a filtering technique based upon the detection of a duplicate, including:

assigning an address on a list to one of m sublists, where m is an integer greater than 1;

creating m different versions of a message including a second version of the message different from a first version of the message, the second version created by performing steps including creating a syntactically different version of a paragraph of the first version, and including the syntactically different version of the paragraph of the first version in the second version; and

sending a different version of the message to each sublist.

4. A method for counteracting a filtering technique based upon the detection of a duplicate, including:

assigning an address on a list to one of m sublists, where m is an integer greater than 1;

creating m different versions of a message including a second version of the message different from a first version of the message, the second version created by performing steps including creating a syntactically different version of a sentence of the first version, and including the syntactically different version of the sentence of the first version in the second version; and

sending a different version of the message to each sublist.

5. A method for counteracting a filtering technique based upon the detection of a duplicate, including:

assigning an address on a list to one of m sublists, where m is an integer greater than 1;

creating m different versions of a message including a second version of the message different from a first version of the message, the second version created by performing steps including creating a syntactically different version of a string of the first version, and including the syntactically different version of the string of the first version in the second version; and

sending a different version of the message to each sublist.

6. A method for counteracting a filtering technique based upon the detection of a duplicate, including:

assigning an address on a list to one of m sublists, where m is an integer greater than 1;

creating m different versions of a message; and

sending a different version of the message to each sublist, including sending a first version of the message to at least one address on a first sublist and sending a second version of the message to at least one address on a second sublist.

7. An apparatus for counteracting a filtering technique based upon the detection of a duplicate, comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing filter countermeasure instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to select an address on a list, to randomly select a first sublist from m sublists, m being an integer greater than 1, to determine if the selected address is substantially similar to an address on the selected first sublist, and, if the selected address is not substantially similar to an address on the selected first sublist, then to assign the address to the selected first sublist, to create m different versions of a message, and to send a different version of the message to each sublist, said memory coupled to said processor; and

a port adapted to be coupled to a network, said port coupled to said processor.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the selected address is substantially similar to an address on the selected sublist, and wherein said filter countermeasure instructions are adapted to be executed by said processor to:

randomly select a second sublist from the m sublists;

determine if the selected address is substantially similar to an address on the selected second sublist;

if the selected address is not substantially similar to an address on the selected second sublist, then to assign the address to the selected sublist.

9. A medium storing filter countermeasure instructions that are adapted to be executed by a processor to perform steps including:

selecting an address on a list;

randomly selecting a first sublist from m sublists, where m is an integer greater than 1;

determining if the selected address is substantially similar to an address on the selected first sublist;

if the selected address is not substantially similar to an address on the selected first sublist, then assigning the address to the selected first sublist;

creating m different versions of a message; and

sending a different version of the message to each sublist.

10. The medium of claim 9, wherein the selected address is substantially similar to an address on the selected sublist, and wherein said medium stores filter countermeasure instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to:

randomly select a second sublist from the m sublists;

determine if the selected address is substantially similar to an address on the selected second sublist; and

if the selected address is not substantially similar to an address on the selected second sublist, then assign the address to the selected second sublist.