Automatic generation of disposable e-mail addresses

• US 7,546,349 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NortonLifeLock Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Cooley, Shaun
• Primary Examiner(s): LAZARO, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US10/979,589
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/224, 726/26
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for automatically generating disposable e-mail addresses. A method embodiment for generating disposable e-mail addresses comprises: monitoring (310) network traffic; detecting (320) the submission of a un-aliased e-mail address to a network destination; seeking (460) authorization to create a disposable e-mail address; creating (375) a disposable e-mail address; associating (380) the newly created disposable e-mail address with the corresponding network destination; and replacing (385) the un-aliased e-mail address with the disposable e-mail address.

Claims

1. A method for generating disposable e-mail addresses, comprising:

monitoring, with a computer, network traffic for HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) communications;

detecting, with the computer, an attempted submission to a network destination of a HTTP communication including an un-aliased e-mail address;

responsive to detecting the attempted submission, seeking, with the computer, authorization to create a disposable e-mail address;

responsive to receiving authorization, creating, with the computer, the disposable e-mail address;

associating, with the computer, the newly created disposable e-mail address with the corresponding network destination; and

replacing, with the computer, the un-aliased e-mail address with the disposable e-mail address in the detected HTTP communication.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the associating step comprises storing the newly created disposable e-mail address in a correlated list of disposable e-mail addresses and their corresponding network destinations.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the detecting step comprises examining the correlated list for a disposable e-mail address associated with the network destination, and upon identifying a matching disposable e-mail address with the network destination, replacing the creating, and associating steps with the step of replacing the un-aliased e-mail address with the identified disposable e-mail address.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the seeking step comprises prompting a human user for authorization to create a disposable e-mail address.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the seeking step comprises automatically communicating with a device to gain authorization to create a disposable e-mail address.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring step comprises scanning HTTP communications for content in website headers associated with an un-aliased e-mail address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring a communications port for HTTP communications likely to contain an un-aliased e-mail address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the HTTP communications comprise a form submitted to a website.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring network traffic for Network News Transport Protocol communications (NNTP) and the detecting comprises detecting an attempted submission to a network destination of a NNTP communication including an un-aliased e-mail address.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring network traffic for Internet Message Access Protocol communications (IMAP) and the detecting comprises detecting an attempted submission to a network destination of a IMAP communication including an un-aliased e-mail address.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting step comprises detecting an attempted submission to a network destination of a website form including the un-aliased e-mail address.

12. Apparatus for generating disposable e-mail addresses, the apparatus comprising:

a proxy computer interposed between a user computer and a server, the proxy computer comprising;

a detection module adapted to monitor network traffic for HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) communications, and to detect a HTTP communication attempting submission of an un-aliased e-mail address to a network destination via network traffic directed to the server;

coupled to the detection module, a disposable e-mail address creation module adapted to seek authorization to create a disposable e-mail address responsive to detection of the attempted submission of an un-aliased e-mail address and create the disposable e-mail address responsive to receiving the authorization; and

coupled to the detection module and to the disposable e-mail address creation module, a storage module adapted to maintain a correlated list of disposable e-mail addresses and their corresponding network destinations.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the creation module is adapted to associate the newly created disposable e-mail address with corresponding network destinations receiving the un-aliased e-mail address.

14. At least one computer-readable medium containing computer program instructions for generating disposable email addresses, the computer program instructions performing the steps of:

monitoring network traffic for HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) communications;

detecting an attempted submission to a network destination of a HTTP communication including an un-aliased e-mail address;

responsive to detecting the attempted submission, seeking authorization to create a disposable e-mail address;

responsive to receiving authorization, creating the disposable e-mail address;

associating the newly created disposable e-mail address with the corresponding network destination; and

replacing the un-aliased e-mail address in the HTTP communications with the disposable e-mail address.

15. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the associating step comprises storing the newly created disposable e-mail address in a correlated list of disposable e-mail addresses and their corresponding network destinations.

16. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the detecting step comprises examining the correlated list for a disposable e-mail address associated with the network destination, and upon identifying a matching disposable e-mail address with the network destination, replacing the creating, and associating steps with the step of replacing the un-aliased e-mail address with the identified disposable e-mail address.

17. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the seeking step comprises prompting a human user for authorization to create a disposable e-mail address.

18. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the seeking step comprises automatically communicating with a device to gain authorization to create a disposable e-mail address.

19. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the monitoring step comprises scanning HTTP communications for content in website headers associated with an un-aliased e-mail address.

20. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the HTTP communications comprise a form submitted to a website.

21. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring network traffic for Network News Transport Protocol communications (NNTP) and the detecting step comprises detecting an attempted submission to a network destination of a NNTP communication including an un-aliased e-mail address.

22. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring network traffic for Internet Message Access Protocol communications (IMAP) and the detecting step comprises detecting an attempted submission to a network destination of a IMAP communication including an un-aliased e-mail address.

23. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the detecting step comprises detecting an attempted submission to a network destination of a website form including the un-aliased e-mail address.