System for eliminating unauthorized electronic mail

• US 20030191969A1
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC), Peter L. Katsikas
• Original Assignee: Peter L. Katsikas
• Inventors: Katsikas, Peter L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/12
• 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: H04L 63/0245 Filtering by information in the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network analyzes the sender address of incoming email and determines whether it is to be rejected by returning a standard “no such user” error code or accepted depending upon executing processing rules and analyzing managed lists of authorized senders. This provides an advantage over existing anti-spam filtering systems by intercepting unauthorized email before it reaches an existing email server or client. The system rejects all email unless authorized by using a standard “no such user” error code, and by redirecting the unauthorized email back to the sender or to a sender evaluation site. An ASL module captures authorized sender addresses from the user'"'"'s outgoing email and other sources in order to update “authorized senders” lists. The system may employ a WBM procedure that notifies senders of rejected email to go to a separate website and register as valid senders after passing an interaction test that precludes automatic registration by a mechanical program. A destination proxy email address procedure allows subscribers to use temporary proxy addresses for receiving email expected from unknown sources and instantiates senders as authorized upon receiving the expected email to the proxy addresses. The unauthorized-email rejection component can be readily configured as a hardware or software appliance used in tandem with a conventional email server, email gateway, or firewall to an intranet, or as a software extension to an existing firewall system.

Claims

1. A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network comprising:

(a) an email client for allowing the user to receive email sent on the network addressed to a unique email address of the user,

(b) an email-receiving server connected between the network and the email client for receiving email addressed to the unique email address of the user,

(c) an unauthorized-email rejection component having an authorized senders list (ASL) module which maintains email addresses of senders authorized to send email to the user, wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is operable with the email-receiving server for intercepting and rejecting any unauthorized email addressed to the email address of the user.

2. A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network according to claim 1, wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is positioned in the flow of incoming email upstream from the email-receiving server such that unauthorized email is intercepted and prevented from reaching the email-receiving server.

3. A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network according to claim 1, wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is configured as a hardware appliance that is positioned in the flow of incoming email physically upstream from the email-receiving server.

4. A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network according to claim 1, wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is configured as a software component operable in the flow of incoming email logically upstream of the email-receiving server.

5. A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network according to claim 1, further comprising an email proxy pre-processing module that allows users to designate a destination proxy email address for use by a sender in instances where the email address of an authorized sender is not yet known, examines incoming email and, upon recognizing the destination proxy email address of the user, accepts the email and sends it to the user.

6. A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network according to claim 1, further comprising a WBM component for sending a message to a rejected sender inviting the sender to be validated as an authorized sender.

7. A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network according to claim 6, wherein the WBM component specifies a predetermined time period for the sender of rejected email to be validated as an authorized sender.

8. A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network according to claim 6, wherein the WBM component is installed on a separate website that can be accessed by a sender of rejected email to be validated as an authorized sender.

9. A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network according to claim 6, wherein the WBM component requires a sender of rejected email to pass an interaction procedure to show that the sender is not a mechanical program attempting to automatically validate the sender.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the interaction procedure includes a display of a graphic image of a word or object, and an input for the sender to enter in a text word in response to the graphic image, whereby the system can confirm that the interaction procedure is not being performed by a mechanical program.

11. A system according to claim 6, wherein once the sender is confirmed as an authorized sender of email to the intended recipient user, the WBM component sends an appropriate update to the ASL module that allows subsequent emails from the sender to pass through normally.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein the ASL module includes an ASL database for storing ASL lists of processing rules and authorized sender addresses for respective users of the system, and a spam processor module for processing the ASL rules lists to determine if the sender is friend, spammer, or unknown.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein, upon the ASL module determining that incoming email has a sender address that is not that of an authorized sender, said unauthorized-email rejection component rejects the incoming email with an industry standard “

no such user”

error message.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein the ASL module includes an ASL list manager for analyzing email header information including FROM and TO addresses of email sent by users to dynamically update the ASL lists of authorized senders.

15. A system according to claim 1, wherein the ASL module includes a rules processor for processing authorized sender addresses for updating the ASL lists using data from an email address source selected from the group of email address sources consisting of:

received email;

sent email;

user inputs to email service functions on the email client;

inputs from user browsing of web sites;

user desktop organizer and other contact lists; and

third party address email management programs.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein the ASL module includes a rules processor for processing analysis rules for updating the ASL lists using data from an analysis source selected from the group of analysis sources consisting of:

user email log analysis;

expiration date analysis;

low/high email volume analysis;

fuzzy logic analysis; and

third party data analysis.

17. A system according to claim 1, wherein the ASL module maintains the ASL lists using a designation of sender-address status selected from the group of sender-address status designations consisting of:

always authorized as a friend;

authorized as a friend over a date range;

authorized as a friend before an expiration date;

authorizing all email for a given domain name;

authorizing all email for a domain or any subdomain;

always rejected as a spammer;

rejected as a spammer matching a black list;

status returned by executing a 3^rd party email software; and

rejected as a spammer sent with an error message.

18. A method for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving incoming email addressed to the unique email address of the user,

(b) maintaining an authorized senders list (ASL list) of email addresses of external users authorized to send email to the user,

(c) processing the sender'"'"'s email address on incoming email by comparing it to the ASL list, and

(d) rejecting the receipt of incoming email before the email can be accepted for delivery to the user if the results of processing the ASL list returns with a result of “

unauthorized sender”

by returning an industry standard “

no such user”

error code.

19. A method for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving incoming email addressed to the unique email address of the user,

(b) maintaining an authorized senders list (ASL list) of email addresses of external users authorized to send email to the user,

(c) processing the sender'"'"'s email address on incoming email by comparing it to the ASL list, and

(d) rejecting the receipt of incoming email before the email can be accepted for delivery to the user if the results of processing the ASL list returns with a result of “

unauthorized sender”

, sending a message inviting the sender of the rejected email to confirm that the sender is an authorized sender of email to the intended recipient by passing an interaction procedure to show that the sender is not a mechanical program attempting to automatically validate the sender, and thereupon adding the validated sender'"'"'s email address to the ASL list.

20. A method for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving incoming email addressed to the unique email address of the user,

(b) maintaining an authorized senders list (ASL list) of email addresses of external users authorized to send email to the user,

(c) processing the sender'"'"'s email address on incoming email by comparing it to the ASL list,

(d) rejecting the receipt of incoming email before the email can be accepted for delivery to the user if the results of processing the ASL list returns with a result of “

unauthorized sender”

, and

(e) allowing a user to designate a destination proxy email address for use by a sender in instances where the email address of an authorized sender is not yet known, wherein if the destination proxy email address is recognized on incoming email, the incoming email is accepted and sent to the user.

21. A method for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving incoming email addressed to the unique email address of the user,

(b) maintaining an authorized senders list (ASL list) of email addresses of external users authorized to send email to the user,

(c) processing the sender'"'"'s email address on incoming email by comparing it to the ASL list, and

(d) rejecting the receipt of incoming email before the email can be accepted for delivery to the user if the results of processing the ASL list returns with a result of “

unauthorized sender”

,

wherein the ASL module includes an ASL list manager for analyzing email header information including FROM and TO addresses of email sent by users to dynamically update the ASL list of authorized senders.

22. A method for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving incoming email addressed to the unique email address of the user,

(b) maintaining an authorized senders list (ASL list) of email addresses of external users authorized to send email to the user,

(c) processing the sender'"'"'s email address on incoming email by comparing it to the ASL list, and

(d) rejecting the receipt of incoming email if the results of processing the sender'"'"'s email address with the ASL list returns with a result of “

unauthorized sender”

, wherein the rejection of the incoming email is performed in a physical or logical operation before the email can be accepted for delivery to the user.

23. An unauthorized-email rejection component for use with an email-receiving server for receiving email sent to a user on a network comprising an authorized senders list (ASL) module which maintains an ASL list of email addresses of senders authorized to send email to the user, wherein said unauthorized-email rejection component intercepts and rejects any incoming email addressed to the email address of the user if the processing results of the ASL list returns with an “

unauthorized sender”

result, wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is a hardware or software appliance positioned for operation in the flow of incoming email physically or logically upstream from the email-receiving server to prevent any unauthorized email from reaching the email-receiving server.

24. An unauthorized-email rejection component for use with an email-receiving server for receiving email sent to a user on a network comprising an authorized senders list (ASL) module which maintains an ASL list of email addresses of senders authorized to send email to the user, wherein said unauthorized-email rejection component intercepts and rejects any incoming email addressed to the email address of the user if the processing results of the ASL list returns with an “

unauthorized sender”

result, wherein the ASL module includes an ASL list manager for analyzing email header information including FROM and TO addresses of email sent by users to dynamically update the ASL lists of authorized senders.

25. An unauthorized-email rejection component for use with an email-receiving server for receiving email sent to a user on a network comprising an authorized senders list (ASL) module which maintains an ASL list of email addresses of senders authorized to send email to the user, wherein said unauthorized-email rejection component intercepts and rejects any incoming email addressed to the email address of the user if the processing results of the ASL list returns with an “

unauthorized sender”

result, and further including a proxy address module for allowing a user to designate a destination proxy email address for use by a sender in instances where the email address of an authorized sender is not yet known, and if the destination proxy email address is used on incoming email, for accepting the incoming email and sending it to the user.

26. An unauthorized-email rejection component for eliminating unauthorized email according to claim 25, wherein upon receipt of incoming email using the destination proxy address, an entry for the email address of the sender thereof is dynamically created in the ASL module as an authorized sender.

27. An unauthorized-email rejection component for eliminating unauthorized email according to claim 25, wherein said unauthorized-email rejection processes the incoming email using the destination proxy address according to rules that permit email to be accepted from a specific user, domain, and/or subdomain represented in the proxy address.

28. An unauthorized-email rejection component for use with an email-receiving server for receiving email sent to a user on a network comprising an authorized senders list (ASL) module which maintains an ASL list of email addresses of senders authorized to send email to the user, wherein said unauthorized-email rejection component intercepts and rejects any incoming email addressed to the email address of the user if the processing results of the ASL list returns with an “

unauthorized sender”

result, and further including a redirector module for sending a message inviting the sender of the rejected email to confirm that the sender is an authorized sender of email to the intended recipient by passing an interaction procedure to show that the sender is not a mechanical program attempting to automatically validate the sender, whereupon the validated sender'"'"'s email address can be added to the ASL list.

29. An unauthorized-email rejection component for use with an email-receiving server for receiving email sent to a user on a network comprising an authorized senders list (ASL) module which maintains an ASL list of email addresses of senders authorized to send email to the user, wherein said unauthorized-email rejection component intercepts and rejects any incoming email addressed to the email address of the user if the processing results of the ASL list returns with an “

unauthorized sender”

result and returns an industry standard “

no such user”

error code before the email can be accepted for delivery to the user.

30. A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network comprising:

(a) an email client for allowing the user to receive email sent on the network addressed to a unique email address of the user,

(b) an email-receiving server connected between the network and the email client for receiving email addressed to the unique email address of the user,

(c) an unauthorized-email rejection component having an authorized senders list (ASL) module which maintains email addresses of senders authorized to send email to the user, wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is operable with the email-receiving server for intercepting and rejecting any unauthorized email addressed to the email address of the user,

wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is positioned for operation in the flow of incoming email physically or logically upstream before the email-receiving server such that unauthorized email is intercepted and prevented from reaching the email-receiving server.

31. A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network comprising:

(a) an email client for allowing the user to receive email sent on the network addressed to a unique email address of the user,

(b) an email-receiving server connected between the network and the email client for receiving email addressed to the unique email address of the user,

(c) an unauthorized-email rejection component having an authorized senders list (ASL) module which maintains email addresses of senders authorized to send email to the user, wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is operable with the email-receiving server for intercepting and rejecting any unauthorized email addressed to the email address of the user,

wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is positioned for operation in the flow of incoming email physically or logically upstream before the email-receiving server such that unauthorized email is intercepted and prevented from reaching the email-receiving server, and

wherein, upon the ASL module determining that incoming email has a sender address that is not that of an authorized sender, said unauthorized-email rejection component rejects the incoming email with an industry standard “

no such user”

error message.

32. A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network comprising:

(a) an email client for allowing the user to receive email sent on the network addressed to a unique email address of the user,

(b) an email-receiving server connected between the network and the email client for receiving email addressed to the unique email address of the user,

(c) an unauthorized-email rejection component having an authorized senders list (ASL) module which maintains email addresses of senders authorized to send email to the user, wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is operable with the email-receiving server for intercepting and rejecting any unauthorized email addressed to the email address of the user,

wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is positioned for operation in the flow of incoming email physically or logically upstream before the email-receiving server such that unauthorized email is intercepted and prevented from reaching the email-receiving server, and

wherein the ASL module includes an ASL list manager for analyzing email header information including FROM and TO addresses of email sent by users to dynamically update the ASL list of authorized senders.

33. A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network comprising:

(a) an email client for allowing the user to receive email sent on the network addressed to a unique email address of the user,

(b) an email-receiving server connected between the network and the email client for receiving email addressed to the unique email address of the user,

(c) an unauthorized-email rejection component having an authorized senders list (ASL) module which maintains email addresses of senders authorized to send email to the user, wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is operable with the email-receiving server for intercepting and rejecting any unauthorized email addressed to the email address of the user,

wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is positioned for operation in the flow of incoming email physically or logically upstream before the email-receiving server such that unauthorized email is intercepted and prevented from reaching the email-receiving server, and

wherein said unauthorized-email rejection component includes a redirector module for sending a message inviting the sender of the rejected email to confirm that the sender is an authorized sender of email to the intended recipient by passing an interaction procedure to show that the sender is not a mechanical program attempting to automatically validate the sender.

34. A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network comprising:

(a) an email client for allowing the user to receive email sent on the network addressed to a unique email address of the user,

(b) an email-receiving server connected between the network and the email client for receiving email addressed to the unique email address of the user,

(c) an unauthorized-email rejection component having an authorized senders list (ASL) module which maintains email addresses of senders authorized to send email to the user, wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is operable with the email-receiving server for intercepting and rejecting any unauthorized email addressed to the email address of the user,

wherein said system includes a proxy address module for allowing a user to designate a destination proxy email address for use by a sender in instances where the email address of an authorized sender is not yet known, and if the destination proxy email address is used on incoming email, said unauthorized-email rejection component accepts the incoming email and sends it to the user.

35. A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network comprising:

(a) an email client for allowing the user to receive email sent on the network addressed to a unique email address of the user,

(b) an email-receiving server connected between the network and the email client for receiving email addressed to the unique email address of the user,

(c) an unauthorized-email rejection component having an authorized senders list (ASL) module which maintains email addresses of senders authorized to send email to the user, wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is operable with the email-receiving server for intercepting and rejecting any unauthorized email addressed to the email address of the user,

wherein said unauthorized-email rejection component includes a redirector module for sending a message inviting the sender of the rejected email to confirm that the sender is an authorized sender of email to the intended recipient by passing an interaction procedure to show that the sender is not a mechanical program attempting to automatically validate the sender,

wherein the interaction procedure includes a display of a graphic image of a word or object, and a request to the sender to enter a text word in response to the graphic image, whereby the system can confirm that the interaction procedure is not being performed by a mechanical program, and thereupon add the validated sender'"'"'s email address to the ASL list.