Control and management of electronic messaging

• US 9,083,695 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2014
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Inventors: Hallam-Baker, Phillip Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US14/276,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20140250506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/236, 709/245, 726/5, 726/12, 726/2, 370/389, 713/153, 713/170, 713/194, 713/176, 719/315
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 its 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 computer-implemented method comprising:

creating, by a processor, a velocity record for a message that indicates a rate at which digital signatures are created at a time when the velocity record is created; and

sending the velocity record to a recipient.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

invoking a trusted component of a message sending platform; and

determining the rate at which the digital signatures are created, wherein the velocity record is created by digitally signing the message with a private key stored in a memory associated with the trusted component.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the velocity record comprises an indication of a limit of a number of digital signatures that can be created for a sender for a period of time.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 3, wherein the velocity record comprises another indication of another limit of the number of digital signatures that can be created for the sender for another period of time.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the velocity record comprises a parameter that indicates a rate at which messages are sent by a sender.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 5, wherein the parameter comprises an adjustable time decay parameter that is adjustable to change a sensitivity of the parameter to the rate at which messages are being sent.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 6, wherein the parameter is expressed as c+e⁻

(p/t′

−

t) where c is a last recorded count, t′

is a current time, t′

−

t is a time interval between sending of successive messages, and p is the adjustable time decay parameter.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the velocity record is associated with a message authentication code that is used for authentication.

9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the velocity record is sent with the message.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the velocity record is sent separately from the message.

11. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the message is a telephone message and the velocity record is communicated to the receipt using a telephony or voice over Internet Protocol (IP).

12. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein the velocity record is formed as an independent signed block inside a message signature or as an attribute of the message signature.

13. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method comprising;

creating a velocity record for a message that indicates a rate at which digital signatures are created at a time when the velocity record is created; and

sending the velocity record to a recipient.

14. The device method according to claim 13, wherein the one or more processors further perform the method comprising:

invoking a trusted component of a message sending platform; and

determining the rate at which the digital signatures are created, wherein the velocity record is created by digitally signing the message with a private key stored in a memory associated with the trusted component.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the velocity record comprises an indication of a limit of a number of digital signatures that can be created for a sender for a period of time.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the velocity record comprises another indication of another limit of the number of digital signatures that can be created for the sender for another period of time.

17. The device according to claim 13, wherein the velocity record comprises a parameter that indicates a rate at which messages are sent by a sender.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the parameter comprises an adjustable time decay parameter that is adjustable to change a sensitivity of the parameter to the rate at which messages are being sent.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein the parameter is expressed as c+e⁻

(p/t′

−

t) where c is a last recorded count, t′

is a current time, t′

−

t is a time interval between sending of successive messages, and p is the adjustable time decay parameter.

20. The device according to claim 13, wherein the velocity record is associated with a message authentication code that is used for authentication.

21. The device according to claim 13, wherein the velocity record is sent with the message.

22. The device according to claim 13, wherein the velocity record is sent separately from the message.

23. The device according to claim 13, wherein the message is a telephone message and the velocity record is communicated to the receipt using a telephony or voice over Internet Protocol (IP).

24. The device according to claim 23, wherein the velocity record is formed as an independent signed block inside a message signature or as an attribute of the message signature.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which, when executed on a processor, perform a method comprising:

creating, by a processor, a velocity record for a message that indicates a rate at which digital signatures are created at a time when the velocity record is created; and

sending the velocity record to a recipient.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 25, further comprising:

invoking a trusted component of a message sending platform; and

determining the rate at which the digital signatures are created, wherein the velocity record is created by digitally signing the message with a private key stored in a memory associated with the trusted component.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 25, wherein the velocity record comprises an indication of a limit of a number of digital signatures that can be created for a sender for a period of time.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 27, wherein the velocity record comprises another indication of another limit of the number of digital signatures that can be created for the sender for another period of time.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 25, wherein the velocity record comprises a parameter that indicates a rate at which messages are sent by a sender.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 29, wherein the parameter comprises an adjustable time decay parameter that is adjustable to change a sensitivity of the parameter to the rate at which messages are being sent.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 30, wherein the parameter is expressed as c+e⁻

(p/t′

−

t) where c is a last recorded count, t′

is a current time, t′

−

t is a time interval between sending of successive messages, and p is the adjustable time decay parameter.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 25, wherein the velocity record is associated with a message authentication code that is used for authentication.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 25, wherein the velocity record is sent with the message.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 25, wherein the velocity record is sent separately from the message.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 25, wherein the message is a telephone message and the velocity record is communicated to the receipt using a telephony or voice over Internet Protocol (IP).

36. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 35, wherein the velocity record is formed as an independent signed block inside a message signature or as an attribute of the message signature.