Unwanted e-mail filtering system including voting feedback

• US 8,219,620 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2001
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Hart, Matthew Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOUDHURY, AZIZUL Q
• Application Number:
  US09/785,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,158 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/229, 709/223, 713/200
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages

Abstract

A filter mechanism for unwanted e-mail messages uses a downloadable central source (1, 2) of filter rule data. User reports of received unwanted e-mail messages are relayed back to the central source of the filter data and used to automatically update that filter data. An algorithmic approach to identifying characteristics of unwanted e-mail messages may be applied based upon the preponderance of predetermined words within an e-mail message or characteristics of the addressee list. If an e-mail message is identified as suspect, but not definitely unwanted, then it may be encapsulated within a HTML document and sent to its addressee together with buttons (28) allowing the recipient to provide feedback in the form of votes as to whether or not that email message is unwanted. This recipient feedback may be used to establish a new local rule.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising logic encoded in one or more non-transitory media that includes code for execution and when executed by one or more processors is operable for processing received e-mail messages for a plurality of addressees to:

(i) receive an e-mail message and to apply at least one test to identify a received e-mail message as a potentially unwanted e-mail message; and

(ii) forward said potentially unwanted e-mail message to its addressee together with a prompt for said addressee to provide feedback as to whether or not said received e-mail message is an unwanted e-mail message;

wherein a rule associated with receiving said e-mail is added if a threshold of a predetermined number of votes, received as the provided feedback from said addressees, positively identifies said potentially unwanted e-mail message as an unwanted e-mail message;

wherein a scoring algorithm responsive to identification of predetermined words within said received e-mail message and a message size of said received e-mail message is used to identify said received e-mail message as a potentially unwanted e-mail message.

2. A computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein said potentially unwanted e-mail message is forwarded encapsulated within a markup language document including a hypertext markup language document capable of being displayed utilizing a network browser, the document providing voting buttons to allow said addressee to provide said feedback.

3. A computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein said encoded logic is operable to add a new test to those applied to said received e-mail messages in dependence upon said feedback.

4. A computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein said scoring algorithm is responsive to an addressee list of said received e-mail message.

5. A computer program product as claimed in claim 1, further comprising test creating logic operable to allow creation of a new test to be added to said at least one test.

6. A computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein said e-mail message is received before said e-mail message reaches an associated target e-mail server.

7. A computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein said prompt for said addressee to provide feedback is not forwarded with said potentially unwanted e-mail if an administrator identifies said e-mail message as being wanted.

8. A computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rule associated with receiving said e-mail is confirmed manually.

10. A computer program product as claimed in claim 8, wherein said prompt for said addressee to provide feedback is not forwarded with said potentially unwanted e-mail and said rule is not added if said rule is not confirmed manually.

9. A computer program product comprising logic encoded in one or more non-transitory media that includes code for execution and when executed by one or more processors is operable for processing received e-mail messages for a plurality of addressees to:

(i) receive an e-mail message and to apply at least one test to identify a received e-mail message as a potentially unwanted e-mail message; and

(ii) forward said potentially unwanted e-mail message to its addressee together with a prompt for said addressee to provide feedback as to whether or not said received e-mail message is an unwanted e-mail message;

wherein a rule associated with receiving said e-mail is added if a threshold of a predetermined number of votes, received as the provided feedback from said addressees, positively identifies said potentially unwanted e-mail message as an unwanted e-mail message;

wherein a scoring algorithm responsive to identification of predetermined words within said received e-mail message and a message size of said received e-mail message is used to identify said received e-mail message as a potentially unwanted e- mail message.

11. A method of processing received e-mail messages for a plurality of addressees, said method comprising:

(i) receiving an e-mail message and to apply at least one test to identify a received e-mail message as a potentially unwanted e-mail message; and

(ii) forwarding said potentially unwanted e-mail message to its addressee together with a prompt for said addressee to provide feedback as to whether or not said received e-mail message is an unwanted e-mail message;

wherein a rule associated with e-mail filtering logic is added if a threshold of a predetermined number of votes, received as the provided feedback from said addressees, positively identifies said potentially unwanted e-mail message as an unwanted e-mail message;

wherein a scoring algorithm is utilized responsive to identification of predetermined words within said received e-mail message and a message size of said received e-mail message to identify said received e-mail message as a potentially unwanted e-mail message.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said potentially unwanted e-mail message is forwarded encapsulated within a markup language document including a hypertext markup language document capable of being displayed utilizing a network browser, the document providing voting buttons to allow said addressee to provide said feedback.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising adding a new test to those applied to said received e-mail messages in dependence upon said feedback.

14. Apparatus for processing received e-mail messages for a plurality of addressees, said apparatus comprising:

(i) an e-mail filter operable to receive an e-mail message and to apply at least one test to identify a received e-mail message as a potentially unwanted e-mail message; and

(ii) a message forwarder operable to forward said potentially unwanted e-mail message to its addressee together with a prompt for said addressee to provide feedback as to whether or not said received e-mail message is an unwanted e-mail message;

wherein a rule associated with e-mail filtering logic is added if a threshold of a predetermined number of votes, received as the provided feedback from said addressees, positively identifies said potentially unwanted e-mail message as an unwanted e-mail message;

wherein said e-mail filter uses a scoring algorithm responsive to identification of predetermined words within said received e-mail message and a message size of said received e-mail message to identify said received e-mail message as a potentially unwanted e-mail message.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said potentially unwanted e-mail message is forwarded encapsulated within a markup language document including a hypertext markup language document capable of being displayed utilizing a network browser, the document providing voting buttons to allow said addressee to provide said feedback.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said message filter is operable to add a new test to those applied to said received e-mail messages in dependence upon said feedback.