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Remote e-mail scanning system and method

  • US 7,299,361 B1
  • Filed: 01/12/2004
  • Issued: 11/20/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2000
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method for protecting a user computer, comprising:

  • receiving an incoming e-mail message at a remote e-mail server over a network;

    blocking the incoming e-mail message if a sender address associated therewith is included in a list of predetermined sender addresses corresponding to a user computer;

    scanning the incoming e-mail message for a virus to determine that the incoming e-mail message is clean if the scanning fails to detect a virus in the incoming e-mail message and to determine that the incoming e-mail message is infected if the scanning detects a virus in the incoming e-mail message;

    transmitting the incoming e-mail message from the remote e-mail server to the user computer over the network, if it is not blocked; and

    attempting to clean the infected incoming e-mail message if the scanning detects a virus in the incoming e-mail message to generate a cleaned e-mail message if the attempt to clean is successful;

    wherein a text message is transmitted to the user computer if the scanning detects the virus in the incoming e-mail message, indicating results of the scanning, the text message being included in the cleaned e-mail message if the attempt to clean is successful;

    wherein the text message is inserted in a subject header of the cleaned e-mail message, the text message being inserted at a beginning of the subject header of the cleaned e-mail message or appended at an end of the subject header of the cleaned e-mail message.

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