Method and system for e-mail message transmission

• US 7,127,741 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2001
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Axway Incorporated (Axway Software SA)
• Original Assignee: Tumbleweed Communications Corporation (Axway Software SA)
• Inventors: Bandini, Jean-Christophe Denis, Smith, Jeffrey C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moise, Emmanuel L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CALLAHAN, PAUL E
• Application Number:
  US09/887,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20020169954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,950 Days
• Field of Search: 709/232, 709/314, 380/259, 705/50, 705/55, 713/150, 713/151, 713/153, 713/154, 713/160, 713/161, 713/164, 713/175, 726/11, 726/14
• US Class Current: 726/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials

Abstract

An e-mail firewall applies policies to e-mail messages transmitted between a first site and a plurality of second sites. The e-mail firewall includes a plurality of mail transfer relay modules for transferring e-mail messages between the first site and one of the second sites. Policy managers are used to enforce and administer selectable policies. The policies are used to determine security procedures for the transmission and reception of e-mail messages. The e-mail firewall employs signature verification processes to verify signatures in received encrypted e-mail messages. The e-mail firewall is further adapted to employ external servers for verifying signatures. External servers are also used to retrieve data that is employed to encrypt and decrypt e-mail messages received and transmitted by the e-mail firewall, respectively.

Claims

1. A method for signing an e-mail message, comprising:

receiving a plurality of e-mail messages by a security manager of an e-mail firewall, at least a first message and a second message are from different users associated with different user systems;

the security manager determining if a signature is required for at least two of the received e-mail messages by applying a signature policy which refers to policy rules to determine whether a signature is required by reference to attributes of an e-mail message;

retrieving a signing certificate for the at least two messages in response to said applying a signature policy by reference to a signature policy which refers to policy rules to identify the kind of signing certificate to retrieve by reference to attributes of an e-mail message;

applying the retrieved signing certificate to each message; and

forwarding each message for further processing by the e-mail firewall.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining if a signature is required for the message is by applying a first signature policy and said retrieving of a signature is by reference to a second signature policy.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining and said retrieving is by reference to applying of one signature policy.