Foreign network SPAM blocker

• US 7,155,608 B1
• Filed: 12/05/2001
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale, Verren, Theodore, Conner, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sandoval, Kristin D.
• Application Number:
  US10/005,641
• Time in Patent Office: 1,847 Days
• Field of Search: 713/201, 709/227
• US Class Current: 713/170
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A method involves blocking unsolicited e-mail being transmitted from a remote server when a roaming customer of the ISP logs onto the Internet through the foreign NAS. The roaming customer first logs onto the ISP through the foreign NAS by providing a user identification (USERID) and password, which are sent to the ISP. The ISP uses the USERID and the password to authenticate the roaming customer as a valid subscriber of the ISP. An IP address is assigned by the foreign NAS to the roaming customer and is dynamically added to a pool of IP addresses used by the mail server. The roaming customer can then log onto the mail server to send and receive email messages. Once the roaming customer terminates the session, the IP address assigned to the roaming customer is removed from the pool of valid IP address that can be used to access the mail server.

Claims

1. A method for blocking unsolicited e-mail transmitted to an e-mail server at an Internet Service Provider (ISP), the method comprising:

receiving a user identification (USERID) and a password associated with a customer;

retrieving a plurality of data associated with the customer based on the USERID and password;

authenticating the customer using the retrieved plurality of data;

dynamically adding an IP address assigned to the customer to a plurality of valid IP addresses associated with the ISP;

receiving outgoing SMTP traffic from the customer;

in response to receiving the outgoing SMTP traffic, determining, at the e-mail server, the e-mail server being configured to receive and maintain at least one e-mail, whether the customer is associated with a valid IP address; and

in response to determining that the customer is associated with a valid IP address, logging the customer onto the e-mail server using the IP address and the plurality of data used to authenticate the customer, and sending the outgoing SMTP traffic to a recipient, wherein the outgoing SMTP traffic is sent to the recipient only in response to determining that the customer is associated with a valid IP address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the customer comprises:

receiving the USERID and password associated with the customer to an authentication ISP;

comparing the USERID and password against at least one USERID and password associated with at least one registered user of the ISP;

generating a negative response if the USERID and password associated with the customer does not match a USERID and password associated with at least one registered customer;

generating a positive response if the USERID and password associated with the customer matches a USERID and password associated with at least one registered customer; and

receiving a START record, the START record indicating the beginning of the customer'"'"'s access to the e-mail server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of IP addresses are used only by customers registered with the ISP to access the Internet through a remote server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically adding the customer'"'"'s IP address to a pool of valid IP address comprises:

reading a START record, a timestamp, a RELAY from the database; and

forwarding a START record, USERID, password, and IP address for adding the IP address to the pool of valid IP addresses.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein logging the customer onto the e-mail server comprises:

initiating an SMTP request to send e-mail from an e-mail application server; and

validating the IP address of the customer against the pool of valid IP addresses.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising logging off the customer from a remote server.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning an IP address to the customer.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein logging off the customer, comprises:

receiving a termination signal by the customer;

transmitting the customer'"'"'s USERID to the remote server to identify the customer to be logged off; and

receiving a STOP record, wherein the STOP record is operable to identify the customer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the STOP record further comprises determining whether the customer has sent any unauthorized email messages.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising transferring the USERID to an authentication server on the ISP.

11. A method of preventing unsolicited e-mails from being transmitted via a mail server associated with the Internet Service Provider (ISP) of a customer, the method comprising:

receiving a user identification (USERID) and password, wherein the USERID and password are associated with the customer;

authenticating the customer as a registered user of the ISP;

generating a positive response if the customer is a registered user of the ISP;

receiving a START record indicating that the customer is being logged onto a Network Access Server (NAS);

writing the START record to a database;

receiving outgoing SMTP traffic from the customer for delivery to a recipient;

in response to receiving the SMTP traffic determining, at the mail server, the mail server being configured to receive and maintain at least one e-mail message, whether an IP address assigned to the customer is valid; and

in response to determining that the IP address assigned to the customer is valid, forwarding the outgoing SMTP traffic to the recipient.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating a negative response if the customer is not a registered user at the ISP.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting the USERID and password from the Internet device to the NAS.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising assigning a local IP address to the customer, the local IP address being selected from a plurality of IP addresses at the-NAS.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein generating a negative response comprises denying the customer access to the Internet through the NAS.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the START record comprises an IP address, a protocol, a port type, a User name, a called station ID, a calling station ID, an account status type, an account authentication, a service type, an account session ID, a framed protocol, an account delay time, and a start timestamp.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the database contains data organized according to a Terminal Access Controller Access Control System (TACACS) format.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising not allowing the customer to authenticate.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the START record comprises a NAS IP address, a NAS protocol, a NAS port type, a User name, a called station ID, a calling station ID, an account status type, an account authentication, a service type, an account authentication, a service type, an account session ID, a framed protocol, an account delay time, and a start timestamp.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the database has been modified to include a USERID field.

21. A method of logging on a customer of an Internet Service provider (ISP) onto a mail server while preventing the unauthorized distribution of SPAM messages via the mail server, the method comprising:

authenticating that the customer is a registered customer of the ISP;

storing a data log in a database, the data log comprising a plurality of attributes to track the customer'"'"'s usage of the network connection;

receiving outgoing SMTP traffic from the customer for a recipient;

in response to receiving the SMTP traffic, determining, at the mail server, the mail server being configured to receive and maintain at least one e-mail message, whether an IP address assigned to the customer is valid; and

in response to determining that the IP address assigned to the customer is valid, sending the outgoing SMTP to the recipient.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising removing the IP address from a list of at least one valid IP address upon receiving a command to log off the customer from mail server.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein authenticating the customer comprises:

receiving a user identification (USERID) and a password associated with the customer;

comparing the USERID and password from the customer to a list of at least one USERID and password associated with at least one registered customer of the ISP;

transmitting a positive response if the USERID and password associated with the customer matches a USERID and password associated with a registered customer from the list; and

transmitting a negative response if the USERID and password does not match a USERID and password associated with at least one registered customer of the ISP from the list of at least one USERID and password stored at the authentication server.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising, creating a data log associated with the customer, wherein the data log comprises a START identifier, the USERID and password associated with the customer, the IP address assigned to the customer, a RELAY to the mail server from a Network Access Server (NAS), and a timestamp indicating the starting time the customer logged onto the mail server.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising transferring the data log to a mail access server at the ISP.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising assigning an IP address to the customer to access the mail server.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising adding the IP address assigned to the customer to a list of a valid IP address that are allowed to access the mail server on the ISP.