Email filtering system and method

• US 20060129644A1
• Filed: 12/14/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Go Daddy Operating Company LLC (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Go Daddy Group Incorporated (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Owen, Brad, Steiner, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 7,580,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods of the present invention allow filtering out spam and phishing email messages based on the links embedded into the email messages. In a preferred embodiment, an Email Filter extracts links from the email message and obtains desirability values for the links. The Email Filter may route the email message based on desirability values. Such routing includes delivering the email message to a Recipient, delivering the message to a Quarantine Mailbox, or deleting the message.

Claims

1. A system for filtering email messages, comprising:

a) a Sender, having an ability to send an email message,

b) a Recipient, having an ability to receive said email message,

c) an Email Filter, having an ability to intercept said email message sent from said Sender to said Recipient, having an ability to extract a link from said email message, and having an ability to route said email message, and

d) a Link Characterization Means, having an ability to produce a desirability value for said link.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said Email Filter comprises a computer program.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said Email Filter comprises a computer device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said Email Filter is located at the Recipient'"'"'s client level.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said Email Filter is located at the Recipient'"'"'s mail server level.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said Email Filter is located at the network gateway.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said Email Filter is located at the Mail Transfer Agent.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said link refers to a resource.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said resource is a webpage or a website.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said resource is an image.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said resource is an object.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said link is a URL.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said link is an IP address.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said link is a domain name.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said Email Filter includes an ability to route said email message based on said desirability value.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said ability to route said email message includes an ability to deliver said email message to said Recipient.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said ability to route said email message includes an ability to delete said email message.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said Link Characterization Means comprises a computer program.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said Link Characterization Means comprises a computer device.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said Link Characterization Means comprises a database, wherein said database includes an ability to store said desirability value for said link.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein said Link Characterization Means comprises a web crawler, wherein said web crawler includes an ability to download content of a resource referred to by said link.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein said Link Characterization Means comprises an analytical means, wherein said analytical means includes an ability to analyze a content of a resource referred to by said link and generate said desirability value.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said analytical means includes an ability to generate said desirability value by finding keywords in said content of said resource.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein said analytical means includes an ability to generate said desirability value by applying probability algorithms to said content of said resource.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein said email message travels from said Sender to said Recipient via a computer network.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said computer network is the Internet.

27. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

e) a Quarantine Mailbox, having an ability to receive said email message.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said Email Filter includes an ability to deliver said email message to said Quarantine Mailbox.

29. A system for filtering email messages, comprising:

a) a Sender, having an ability to send an email message,

b) a Recipient, having an ability to receive said email message, and

c) a Filtering Means, having an ability to intercept said email message sent from said Sender to said Recipient, having an ability to extract a link from said email message, having an ability to produce a desirability value for said link, and having an ability to route said email message.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said Filtering Means comprises a computer program.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein said Filtering Means comprises a computer device.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein said Filtering Means is located at the Recipient'"'"'s client level.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein said Filtering Means is located at the Recipient'"'"'s mail server level.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein said Filtering Means is located at the network gateway.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein said Filtering Means is located at the Mail Transfer Agent.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein said link refers to a resource.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein said resource is a webpage or a website.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein said resource is an image.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein said resource is an object.

40. The system of claim 29, wherein said link is a URL.

41. The system of claim 29, wherein said link is an IP address.

42. The system of claim 29, wherein said link is a domain name.

43. The system of claim 29, wherein said Filtering Means includes an ability to route said email message based on said desirability value.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein said ability to route said email message includes an ability to deliver said email message to said Recipient.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein said ability to route said email message includes an ability to delete said email message.

46. The system of claim 29, wherein said Filtering Means comprises a database, wherein said database includes an ability to store said desirability value for said link.

47. The system of claim 29, wherein said Filtering Means comprises a web crawler, wherein said web crawler includes an ability to download content of a resource referred to by said link.

48. The system of claim 29, wherein said Filtering Means comprises an analytical means, wherein said analytical means includes an ability to analyze a content of a resource referred to by said link and generate said desirability value.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein said analytical means includes an ability to generate said desirability value by finding keywords in said content of said resource.

50. The system of claim 48, wherein said analytical means includes an ability to generate said desirability value by applying probability algorithms to said content of said resource.

51. The system of claim 29, wherein said email message travels from said Sender to said Recipient via a computer network.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein said computer network is the Internet.

53. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

d) a Quarantine Mailbox, having an ability to receive said email message.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein said Email Filter includes an ability to deliver said email message to said Quarantine Mailbox.

55. A method, comprising the steps of:

a) receiving an email message,

b) extracting a link from said email message,

c) obtaining a desirability value for said link, and

d) routing said email message based on said desirability value.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein said link refers to a resource.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein said resource is a webpage or a website.

58. The method of claim 56, wherein said resource is an image.

59. The method of claim 56, wherein said resource is an object.

60. The method of claim 55, wherein said link is a URL.

61. The method of claim 55, wherein said link is an IP address.

62. The method of claim 55, wherein said link is a domain name.

63. The method of claim 55, wherein said routing said email message comprises delivering said email message to a Recipient.

64. The method of claim 55, wherein said routing said email message comprises deleting said email message.

65. The method of claim 55, wherein said routing said email message comprises delivering said email message to a Quarantine Mailbox.

66. A method, comprising the steps of:

a) a Sender transmitting an email message addressed to a Recipient,

b) an Email Filter receiving said email message,

c) said Email Filter extracting a link from said email message,

d) a Link Characterization Means determining a desirability value for said link, and

e) said Email Filter routing said email message based on said desirability value.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein said Email Filter comprises a computer program.

68. The method of claim 66, wherein said Email Filter comprises a computer device.

69. The method of claim 66, wherein said Email Filter is located at the Recipient'"'"'s client level.

70. The method of claim 66, wherein said Email Filter is located at the Recipient'"'"'s mail server level.

71. The method of claim 66, wherein said Email Filter is located at the network gateway.

72. The method of claim 66, wherein said Email Filter is located at the Mail Transfer Agent.

73. The method of claim 66, wherein said link refers to a resource.

74. The system of claim 73, wherein said resource is a webpage or a website.

75. The system of claim 73, wherein said resource is an image.

76. The system of claim 73, wherein said resource is an object.

77. The method of claim 66, wherein said link is a URL.

78. The method of claim 66, wherein said link is an IP address.

79. The method of claim 66, wherein said link is a domain name.

80. The method of claim 66, wherein said routing said email message comprises delivering said email message to said Recipient.

81. The method of claim 66, wherein said routing said email message comprises deleting said email message.

82. The method of claim 66, wherein said routing said email message comprises delivering said email message to a Quarantine Mailbox.

83. The method of claim 66, wherein said Link Characterization Means comprises a computer program.

84. The method of claim 66, wherein said Link Characterization Means comprises a computer device.

85. The method of claim 66, wherein said Link Characterization Means comprises a database, wherein said database includes an ability to store said desirability value for said link.

86. The method of claim 66, wherein said Link Characterization Means comprises a web crawler, wherein said web crawler includes an ability to download content of a resource referred to by said link.

87. The method of claim 66, wherein said Link Characterization Means comprises an analytical means, wherein said analytical means includes an ability to analyze a content of a resource referred to by said link and generate said desirability value.

88. The method of claim 87, wherein said analytical means includes an ability to generate said desirability value by finding keywords in said content of said resource.

89. The method of claim 87, wherein said analytical means includes an ability to generate said desirability value by applying probability algorithms to said content of said resource.

90. The method of claim 66, wherein said email message travels from said Sender to said Recipient via a computer network.

91. The method of claim 90, wherein said computer network is the Internet.