Method and apparatus for controlling unsolicited messaging in real time messaging networks

• US 8,150,002 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2009
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WatchGuard Technologies Incorporated (Gladiator Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WatchGuard Technologies Incorporated (Gladiator Corporation)
• Inventors: Gilchrist, Rod, Fogel, Richard, Alsop, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Islam, Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US12/610,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20100046723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 379 8811- 8823, 713/168, 370/352
• US Class Current: 379/88.19
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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 65/1079 of unsolicited session attempts, e.g. SPIT
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54

Abstract

A Voice over IP (VoIP) or Real Time Messaging (RTM) firewall device is claimed that protects VoIP or RTM network traffic by identifying and controlling the delivery of such network traffic that is unsolicited and undesired by the recipient (i.e. VoIP or RTM spam). The system involves applying a unique marking to RTM messages close to a point of message origination and then at a point close to message termination for the intended recipient examining a reputation store for information on the unique marking and using that information in conjunction with a set of policy rules to decide whether to pass, reject, pass on to an RTM store or otherwise filter the RTM message. The unique marking serves to identify a source characteristic of the message such as the message originator, a corporate affiliation for the originator, or a RTM network characteristic of the originator such as a transmission gateway.

Claims

1. A method for controlling unsolicited messaging in a real time messaging (RTM) network, the method comprising:

receiving a call initiation request from a first terminal device coupled to the RTM network;

marking the call initiation request on behalf of the first terminal device to identify an origination characteristic of the initiation request, generating a marked call initiation request; and

wherein the marking comprises applying a digital signature to the call initiation request; and

, wherein the applying a digital signature to the call initiation request comprises;

creating a message digest of the call initiation request;

applying a private key of a public/private key pair to the message digest to generate the digital signature; and

providing a public key of the public/private key pair for verifying the digital signature;

verifying the marked call initiation request on behalf of at least one of the second terminal devices to determine the origination characteristics of the marked call initiation request;

determining a delivery action in response to the verifying; and

delivering the marked call initiation request in accordance with the delivery action, wherein the delivery action comprises transmitting the marked call initiation request on the RTM network for delivery to one or more second terminal devices coupled to the RTM network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the marking comprises applying an originating internet protocol (IP) address to the call initiation request or portions of the call initiation request.

3. The method of claim 2, where a set of legitimate originating IP addresses are provided via a publicly available IP address store.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the marking comprises encrypting the call initiation request.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the encrypting the call initiation request comprises:

applying a private key of a public/private key pair to the call initiation request to encrypt the call initiation request for transmitting; and

providing a public key of the public/private key pair for decrypting and verifying the call initiation request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the providing a public key comprises providing the public key to a public key store for electronic retrieval.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the origination characteristic identifies at least one of an entity associated with the call initiation requests, a message originator originating the call initiation requests, and an affiliation of the message originator.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the RTM network is configured to provide at least one of voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services, instant messaging (IM) services, and video conferencing services.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery action comprises at least one of completing the delivery of the call initiation request, rejecting the delivery of the call initiation request, and filtering the call initiation request.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the filtering the call initiation request comprises at least one of interacting with the first terminal device of the call initiation request and taking a message from the first terminal device.