Spam filtering system and method

• US 9,177,293 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cousins Intellectual Properties LLC
• Original Assignee: Cousins Intellectual Properties LLC
• Inventors: Gagnon, Jean, Lagassey, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao, Ranodhi
• Assistant Examiner(s): RICHARDSON, THOMAS W
• Application Number:
  US11/780,694
• Time in Patent Office: 3,028 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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

Abstract

A spam filter system and method, for maintaining at least one database of permitted email addresses; automatically communicating with an email server, and selectively downloading and storing email not corresponding to entries in the database; automatically sending a challenge message in response to messages from non-permitted email addresses; if an appropriate response is received to the challenge message, adding the non-permitted email address to the database of permitted email addresses; and automatically restoring downloaded email messages from email addresses which become permitted.

Claims

1. A spam filter method, comprising:

(a) maintaining at least one automated database of permitted email addresses, and non-permitted email addresses;

(b) automatically communicating between an automated spam filter processor and an automated email server, over a computer communication network, wherein email messages are received by the email server and email messages on the email server are available for retrieval by user email clients;

(c) selectively automatically downloading email messages from the automated email server to the automated spam filter processor over the computer communication network using a retrieve mail protocol;

(d) storing the automatically downloaded email messages from the email server, not corresponding to entries in the database of permitted email addresses in a memory associated with the automated spam filter processor;

(e) removing email messages not corresponding to entries in the database of permitted email addresses from the automated email server, wherein email messages corresponding to entries in the database of permitted email addresses are maintained on the automated email server;

(f) automatically sending a challenge email message, by the automated spam filter processor, in response to a stored email message automatically downloaded from the email server from email addresses which are not non-permitted email addresses, to the non-permitted email address;

(g) monitoring the automated email server, by the automated spam filter processor, for receipt of an appropriate response email message to the challenge email message, and if an appropriate response email message to the challenge email message is received, adding the respective email address associated with the appropriate response email message to the automated database of permitted email addresses;

(h) automatically restoring removed email messages from email addresses which become permitted, from the memory, by the automated spam filter processor, to the automated email server over the computer communication network using a send mail protocol; and

(i) analyzing email messages downloaded by the automated spam filter from the automated email server to determine presence of a system email message, distinct from any appropriate response email message, containing a valid authorization code, and if the email message is determined to contain a valid authorization code, extracting and executing a command sequence communicated in the system email message, the communicated command sequence including recognized commands adapted to at least one of;

disable at least a portion of the automated spam filter processor, and add at least one email address to the database of permitted email addresses independent of receipt of any appropriate response email message to the challenge email message.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the valid authorization code is a dynamically changing code, and the communicated command sequence includes at least one recognized command to disable the automated spam filter processor.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the challenge email message contains a code which identifies the email message which triggered the challenge email message.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein a time-dependent cryptographic process authenticates the communicated command sequence.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein a rolling code cryptographic process authenticates the communicated command sequence.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a challenge-response interactive cryptographic process authenticates the communicated command sequence.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of storing removed email messages in a database in said memory, wherein properties of individual email messages in the database can be inspected by a user.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the automated spam filter processor is implemented in a network appliance which communicates over the computer communication network using TCP/IP with the automated email server.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the network appliance further comprises a firewall, for filtering network packets.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the network appliance further comprises a network attached storage device, for filtering and archiving email messages.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the automated spam filter processor comprises a computer located remote from a corresponding automated email server.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending a confirmation email message, by the automated spam filter processor, that the communicated command sequence was executed.

13. A spam filter, comprising:

(a) at least one database of permitted email addresses and non-permitted email addresses;

(b) a hardware computer network communications port configured to communicate with an email server;

(c) a database of spam email messages;

(d) a hardware processor, configured to;

(i) automatically communicate with the email server, selectively download email messages by communicating through the computer network communications port using a retrieve mail protocol, store retrieved email messages not associated with a permitted email address to the database of spam email messages, and remove email messages not associated with a permitted email address from the email server;

(ii) automatically send a challenge email message to a source email address of an email message stored in the database of spam email messages not associated with a non-permitted email address;

(iii) automatically monitor the email server for receipt of a response email message to the challenge email message;

(iv) if an appropriate response email message is received to the challenge email message, automatically add the source email address associated with the email message which provoked the challenge email message to the database of permitted email addresses;

(v) automatically restore a respective email message from the database of spam email messages to the email server if an associated source email address is added to the database of permitted email addresses, by communicating through the computer network communications port with the email server using a send mail protocol;

(vi) automatically analyze email messages received by the email server, distinct from any response email message, for presence of an authorization code and a command for at least one of;

adding an email address to the database of permitted email addresses independent of any response email message, and disabling at least a portion of the functions of the spam filter, communicated within a respective system command email message, and upon successful verification of the authorization code, to extract and execute the communicated command.

14. The spam filter according to claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to maintain a blacklist of non-permitted email addresses to which challenge email messages are not sent.

15. The spam filter according to claim 13, wherein the challenge email message contains an identifier of a respective email message for which the challenge email message is generated.

16. The spam filter according to claim 13, wherein a time-dependent cryptographic process authenticates the communicated command.

17. The spam filter according to claim 13, wherein a rolling code cryptographic process authenticates the communicated command.

18. The spam filter according to claim 13, wherein a challenge-response interactive cryptographic process authenticates the communicated command.

19. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium, storing instructions for controlling a programmable device to implement a spam filter method, comprising:

(a) maintaining at least one database of permitted email addresses and non-permitted email addresses by a spam filter;

(b) automatically downloading a respective email message from an email server through a computer communications network using a retrieve mail protocol by the spam filter, the automated email server being available for user email clients, storing retrieved email messages not corresponding to entries in the database, and removing email messages from the email server not corresponding to entries in the database;

(c) automatically sending a challenge message by the spam filter, within a respective email message, in response to an email message stored in the database from an email address which is not a permitted email address;

(d) monitoring the automated email server by the spam filter for receipt of an appropriate response in an email message, and if an appropriate response is received to the challenge message, adding the respective email address of a sender of the respective email message for which an appropriate response is received to the database of permitted email addresses;

(e) automatically restoring removed email messages from email addresses added to the database of permitted email addresses by the spam filter, through the computer communications network. using a send mail protocol, to the email server, wherein the removed email messages are unavailable from the email server for the user email clients using the retrieve mail protocol, and the restored email messages are available from the email server for the user email clients using the retrieve mail protocol;

(f) automatically analyzing email messages downloaded from the email server distinct from any email messages containing an appropriate response, by the spam filter, to determine whether they contain an authorization code and a command communicated within a respective email message for execution by the spam filter, and upon verification of the authorization code, extracting and controlling an execution of the communicated command by the spam filter to least one of add an email address to the database of permitted email addresses independent of any appropriate response, and disable at least a portion of the functions of the spam filter.

20. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 19, the method further comprising generating a challenge message to a sender of the communicated command, receiving a confirmation message to the challenge message comprising secret information, and only if the secret information is authenticated, passing a message to an external process for execution of the communicated command.