Methods for control and management of electronic messaging based on sender information

• US 8,103,732 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2010
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Inventors: Hallam-Baker, Phillip Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US12/692,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20100306836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 726/5, 707/999.01, 713/154
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1079 of unsolicited session attempts, e.g. SPIT

Abstract

A method for controlling a message from a sender. A referee can evaluate a credential associated with a message to determine ifs desirability to the intended recipient, and take an action based upon the results of the determination. A sender that includes a trusted component can send a credential with the message, and the message can be controlled without a referee.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a message from a sender, the message having an intended recipient, including:

receiving at a referee at least part of a credential that is associated with the sender of the message;

determining at the referee if the message is spam by evaluating the at least part of the credential, wherein evaluating includes (i) transmitting a request to a Domain Name Service (“

DNS”

) server for information about the sender of the message using information contained in the credential and (ii) identifying a desirability rating or indicator associated with a digital certificate that is associated with the message; and

performing an action with respect to the message based upon the results of the evaluation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the credential includes a digital signature of the sender of the message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the credential includes a digital certificate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the message includes an e-mail message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the message includes a telephonic message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the message includes an instant message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message includes a videoconferencing message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the message includes a fax message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein performing an action with respect to the message includes causing the message to be blocked.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein performing an action with respect to the message includes causing a message warning to be sent.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein performing an action with respect to the message includes causing a message desirability rating or indicator to be sent.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein performing an action with respect to the message includes causing the message to be forwarded.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the credential includes verifying a digital signature associated with the message.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the rating or indicator associated with the digital certificate is stored in a distributed database.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the credential includes verifying a Message Authentication Code associated with the message.

16. The method of claim 1, further including determining the desirability of the message based upon at least part of the body of the message.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the desirability of the message includes applying a message status determination rule.

18. A method for controlling a message from a sender, the message having an intended recipient, including:

receiving at a referee at least part of a credential that is associated with the sender of the message;

determining at the referee if the message is spam by evaluating the at least part of the credential, wherein evaluating includes transmitting a request to a Domain Name Service (“

DNS”

) server for information about the sender of the message using information contained in the credential;

determining a desirability of the message based upon a destination address of the message; and

performing an action with respect to the message based upon the results of the evaluation.