System and method for providing business continuity through secure e-mail

• US 20080189372A1
• Filed: 02/07/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AcXess, Inc. (Innovative Software Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AcXess, Inc. (Innovative Software Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leitz, Raymond Francis, Solberg, Helge, Elowson, Thomas John, Naples, Russell Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,751,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks

Abstract

A method for processing electronic communications is described. The method includes receiving electronic communications from a plurality of sources and processing the communications for delivery to intended addressees. The processing includes ensuring validity of sender, verifying operation of exchange mailbox corresponding to said addressee and routing the communication along a particular path based on the validation and verification.

Claims

1. A method of ensuring delivery of electronic communications, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving electronic communications from a plurality of sources; and

processing said communications for delivery to intended addressees, wherein said processing comprises;

ensuring validity of sender;

verifying operation of exchange mailbox corresponding to said addressee, and

routing the communication along a particular path based on said validation and verification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic communications comprise electronic mail messages.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said plurality of sources comprise SMTP servers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the SMTP servers are accessible over a public network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the public network is the internet.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said plurality of sources comprise trusted sources.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said trusted sources are accessible via a private network.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said trusted sources are accessible via a secure connection.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein said messages are routed via a message routing module.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said message routing module validates an incoming message by comparing domain of said communication with a pre-designated collection of valid domains.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said message routing module rejects messages originating from an invalid domain.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said message routing module submits validated messages to an exchange mailbox if a server corresponding to the exchange mailbox is operational.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said message routing module submits validated messages to a message queuing module if a server corresponding to an exchange mailbox of addressee is not operational.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein said messages are processed by a message screening module.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the message screening module validates an incoming message by performing the further steps of:

validating domain of the incoming messages;

validating addressee by comparing address of the addressee with a pre-designated collection of addressees; and

sending the message to a message queuing module if either of the validation steps above are not satisfied.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the message screening module sends the message to a message unwrapping module if the validation steps above are satisfied.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the pre-designated collection of addressees corresponds to at least one addressee permitted by an organization of a plurality of addresses to receive messages during an emergency.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the messages from the queuing module are processed by a message reviewing module, said processing comprising:

reading a message in queue; and

saving the message for later retrieval if a timestamp of said message is not older than a predetermined number of days.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said processing further comprises:

discarding the message if a timestamp of said message is older than a predetermined number of days.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said message reviewing module sends a validated message to a message unwrapping module.

21. A system for ensuring delivery of electronic communications to intended addresses, said system comprising:

means for receiving electronic communications from a plurality of sources;

means for ensuring validity of sender;

means for verifying operation of exchange mailbox corresponding to said addressee; and

means for routing the communication along a particular path based on said validation and verification.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said plurality of sources comprise SMTP servers over a network.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said means for ensuring validity of the sender compares domain of said communication with a pre-designated collection of valid domains.