ENTERPRISE E-MAIL BLOCKING AND FILTERING SYSTEM BASED ON USER INPUT

• US 20090030989A1
• Filed: 07/25/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stegner, Eric Allen, Maresh, Mark Edmund, Stegner, Kimberly Irene
• Granted Patent: US 8,082,306 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]

Abstract

Incoming e-mails having an incoming domain are received at an e-mail server. Incoming domains are compared to a list of blocked domains to determine whether the incoming e-mail is to be delivered. Incoming domain are further compared to at least one predefined category having a distribution list. If the intended recipient is not a member of the distribution list, the incoming e-mail is not delivered. Domains within the blocked domain list and the predefined categories are user suggested domains from previously received e-mails.

Claims

1. A method for blocking and filtering e-mails at the enterprise level, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming e-mail having an incoming domain;

comparing the incoming domain to a list of blocked domains;

in response to identifying the incoming domain within the list of blocked domains, preventing delivery of the incoming e-mail to an intended recipient;

in response to not identifying the incoming domain within the list of blocked domains, comparing the incoming domain to a first predefined category having a first distribution list;

in response to identifying the incoming domain within the first predefined category, comparing the intended recipient to the first distribution list; and

in response to identifying the intended recipient within the first distribution list, delivering the incoming e-mail to the intended recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of blocked domains comprises a client recommended domain.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the client recommended domain is a previous domain from a previous e-mail delivered to a client.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predefined category comprises a client recommended domain.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the client recommended domain is a previous domain from a previous e-mail delivered to a client.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first distribution list is a list of clients that have subscribed to receive e-mails where the incoming domain is within the first predefined category.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to not identifying the incoming domain within the first predefined category, delivering the incoming e-mail to the intended recipient.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to not identifying the incoming domain within the list of blocked domains, comparing the incoming domain to a second predefined category having a second distribution list;

in response to identifying the incoming domain within the second predefined category, comparing the intended recipient to the second distribution list; and

in response to identifying the intended recipient within the second distribution list, delivering the incoming e-mail to the intended recipient.

9. A computer program product in a recordable-type medium for blocking and filtering e-mails at the enterprise level comprising:

responsive to receiving an incoming e-mail, first instructions for comparing an incoming domain of the incoming e-mail to a list of blocked domains;

responsive to the first instructions identifying the incoming domain within the list of blocked domains, second instructions for preventing delivery of the incoming e-mail to an intended recipient;

responsive to the first instructions not identifying the incoming domain within the list of blocked domains, third instructions for comparing the incoming domain to a first predefined category having a first distribution list;

responsive to the third instructions identifying the incoming domain within the first predefined category, fourth instructions for comparing the intended recipient to the first distribution list;

responsive to the fourth instructions identifying the intended recipient within the first distribution list, fifth instructions for delivering the e-mail to the intended recipient; and

responsive to the fourth instructions not identifying the intended recipient within the first distribution list, not delivering the incoming e-mail to the intended recipient.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the list of blocked domains comprises a client recommended domain.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the client recommended domain is a previous domain from a previous e-mail delivered to a client.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the first predefined category comprises a client recommended domain.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the client recommended domain is a previous domain from a previous e-mail delivered to a client.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the first distribution list is a list of clients that have subscribed to receive e-mails where the incoming domain is within the first predefined category.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

in response to not identifying the incoming domain within the first predefined category, sixth instructions for delivering the incoming e-mail to the intended recipient.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

in response to not identifying the incoming domain within the list of blocked domains, comparing the incoming domain to a second predefined category having a second distribution list;

in response to identifying the incoming domain within the second predefined category, comparing the intended recipient to the second distribution list; and

in response to identifying the intended recipient within the second distribution list, delivering the incoming e-mail to the intended recipient.

17. A data processing system comprising:

a memory unit that contains a set of instructions; and

a processing unit, responsive to execution of the set of instructions, receiving an incoming e-mail having an incoming domain, comparing the incoming domain to a list of blocked domains, in response to identifying the incoming domain within the list of blocked domains, preventing delivery of the incoming e-mail to an intended recipient, in response to not identifying the incoming domain within the list of blocked domains, comparing the incoming domain to a first predefined category having a first distribution list in response to identifying the incoming domain within the first predefined category, comparing the intended recipient to the first distribution list, and in response to identifying the intended recipient within the first distribution list, delivering the incoming e-mail to the intended recipient.

18. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the list of blocked domains comprises a client recommended domain.

19. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein the client recommended domain is a previous domain from a previous e-mail delivered to a client.

20. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the first predefined category comprises a client recommended domain.