System for eliminating unauthorized electronic mail

• US 7,822,977 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC), Peter L. Katsikas
• Original Assignee: Peter L. Katsikas
• Inventors: Katsikas, Peter L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moazzami; Nasser G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reza; Mohammad W
• Application Number:
  US10/404,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20030191969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,766 Days
• Field of Search: 713/189, 713/201, 713/154, 713/162, 726/21, 709/206, 709/238
• US Class Current: 713/162
• 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, comprising:

one or more hardware processors and one or more computer memories together providing;

(a) an email client for allowing receipt of email sent on a network addressed to a primary email address;

(b) an email-receiving server for connection between the network and the email client for receiving email addressed to the primary email address;

(c) an unauthorized-email rejection component having an authorized senders list (ASL) module to maintain email addresses authorized to send email to the primary email address, wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is for operation with the email-receiving server for intercepting and rejecting any email addressed to the primary email address received from an email address not on the authorized senders list; and

(d) an email proxy pre-processing module that allows designation of a proxy email address that is associated with the primary email address but distinct from the primary email address to receive email from email addresses not on the authorized senders list,

wherein, upon receiving incoming email addressed to the proxy email address from an email address not on the authorized senders list, the unauthorized-email rejection component accepts the email and adds the email address from which the incoming email was received to the authorized senders list,

wherein said email proxy pre-processing module includes a control parameter to limit usage of the proxy address and terminate acceptance of email sent to the proxy address from email addresses not on the authorized senders list and prevent addition to the authorized senders list, whereby said unauthorized-email rejection component thereafter rejects email from a different unknown email addresses and prevents the different unknown email address from being added to the authorized senders list.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is adapted to be positioned in the flow of incoming email upstream from the email-receiving server such as to intercept unauthorized email and such as to prevent unauthorized email from reaching the email-receiving server.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is configured as a hardware appliance for positioning in the flow of incoming email physically upstream from the email-receiving server.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is configured as a software component for operation in the flow of incoming email logically upstream of the email-receiving server.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a WBM component to send a message to an email address from which rejected email is received inviting to validate the email address from which rejected email is received as an authorized sending email address.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the WBM component is adapted to specify a predetermined time period for the email address from which rejected email is received to be validated as an authorized sending email address.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the WBM component is adapted to require an interaction procedure to be passed to show that a mechanical program is not seeking to automatically validate the email address from which rejected email is received.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the interaction procedure includes a display of a graphic image of a word or object, and an input 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.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said unauthorized-email rejection component is adapted to, upon the ASL module determining that incoming email is received from an email address that is not on the authorized senders list, reject the incoming email with an industry standard “

no such user”

error message.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein, when the email proxy pre-processing module receives incoming email addressed to the proxy email address from an email address not on the authorized senders list, the unauthorized-email rejection component is configured to add to the authorized senders list an entry indicating all email addresses of the same domain as the email address from which the incoming email is received.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control parameter is a maximum number of different email addresses from which email sent to the proxy address will be accepted.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control parameter is a maximum period of time after the most recent email from an email addresses not on the authorized senders list was accepted that the next email from an email addresses not on the authorized senders list may be accepted.

13. A method, comprising:

(a) receiving incoming email addressed to a primary email address;

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

(c) processing a sender email address on incoming email by comparing it to the ASL list;

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

unauthorized sender”

;

(e) enabling designation of a proxy email address that is associated with the primary email address but distinct from the primary email address to receive email from email addresses not on the authorized senders list, and upon receiving incoming email addressed to the proxy email address of the user from an email address not on the authorized senders list, accepting the email and adding the email address from which the incoming email was received to the authorized senders list; and

(f) further enabling presetting of a control parameter for limiting usage of the proxy address and terminating acceptance of email sent to the proxy address from email addresses not on the authorized senders list and preventing addition to the authorized senders list, and thereafter not accepting email from a different unknown email address nor adding the different unknown email address to the authorized senders list.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said unauthorized-email rejection processes the incoming email using the destination proxy address according to rules that permit only email from a predefined quantity of any email addresses or domains to be accepted without requiring WBM validation.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising, upon receiving incoming email addressed to the proxy email address from an email address not on the authorized senders list, adding to the authorized senders list an entry indicating all email addresses of the same domain as the email address from which the incoming email is received.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the control parameter is a maximum number of different email addresses not on the authorized senders list from which email sent to the proxy address will be accepted.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the control parameter is a maximum period of time after the most recent email from an email addresses not on the authorized senders list was accepted that the next email from an email addresses not on the authorized senders list may be accepted.

18. An unauthorized-email rejection system, comprising:

one or more hardware processors and one or more computer memories together providing,

(a) an unauthorized-email rejection component having an authorized senders list (ASL) module to maintain email addresses authorized to send email to a primary email address, wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is operable with the email-receiving server to intercept and reject any email addressed to the primary email address received from an email address not on the authorized senders list; and

(b) an email proxy pre-processing module that allows designation of a proxy email address that is associated with the primary email address but distinct from the primary email address to receive email from email addresses not on the authorized senders list, and upon receiving incoming email addressed to the proxy email address from an email address not on the authorized senders list, the unauthorized-email rejection component to accept the email and to add the email address from which the primary email was received to the authorized senders list, wherein said email proxy pre-processing module includes a control for enabling pre-setting of a control parameter for limiting usage of the proxy address and terminating acceptance of email sent to the proxy address from email addresses not on the authorized senders list and to not allow addition to the authorized senders list, said unauthorized-email rejection component thereafter to not accept email from a different email addresses not on the authorized senders list and to not add the different email address to the authorized senders list.

19. The unauthorized-email rejection system according to claim 18, wherein, when the email proxy pre-processing module receives incoming email addressed to the proxy email address from an email address not on the authorized senders list, the unauthorized-email rejection component is configured to add to the authorized senders list an entry indicating all email addresses of the same domain as the email address from which the incoming email is received.

20. The unauthorized-email rejection system according to claim 18, wherein the control parameter is a maximum number of different email addresses not on the authorized senders list from which email sent to the proxy address will be accepted.

21. The unauthorized-email rejection system according to claim 18, wherein the control parameter is a maximum period of time after the most recent email from an email addresses not on the authorized senders list was accepted that the next email from an email addresses not on the authorized senders list may be accepted.

22. A physical computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

(a) instructions to receive incoming messages addressed to a primary address;

(b) instructions to maintain an authorized senders list (ASL list) of sender addresses authorized to send messages to the user;

(c) instructions to process a sender address on an incoming message by comparing it to the ASL list;

(d) instructions to unconditionally reject the receipt of the incoming message before the message can be accepted for delivery if the results of processing the ASL list returns with a result of “

unauthorized sender”

;

(e) instructions to enable designation of a proxy address that is associated with the primary address but distinct from the primary address to receive messages from sender addresses not on the authorized senders list, and upon receiving incoming messages addressed to the proxy address of the user from a sender address not on the authorized senders list, accepting the message and adding the sender address from which the incoming message was received to the authorized senders list; and

(f) instructions to further enable presetting of a control parameter for limiting usage of the proxy address and terminating acceptance of messages sent to the proxy address from sender addresses not on the authorized senders list and preventing addition to the authorized senders list, and thereafter not accepting messages from a different unknown sender address nor adding the different unknown sender address to the authorized senders list.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, further comprising instructions to, upon receiving an incoming message addressed to the proxy address from a sender address not on the authorized senders list, add to the authorized senders list an entry indicating all sender addresses of the same domain as the sender address from which the incoming message is received.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the control parameter is a maximum number of different sender addresses not on the authorized senders list from which messages sent to the proxy address will be accepted.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the control parameter is a maximum period of time after the most recent message from a sender address not on the authorized senders list was accepted that the next message from another sender address not on the authorized senders list may be accepted.

26. A system comprising:

(a) means for receiving incoming messages addressed to a primary address of a user;

(b) means for maintaining an authorized senders list (ASL list) of sender addresses authorized to send messages to the user;

(c) means for processing a sender address on an incoming message by comparing it to the ASL list;

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

unauthorized sender”

;

(e) means for enabling designation of a proxy address that is associated with the primary address but distinct from the primary address to receive messages from sender addresses not on the authorized senders list, and upon receiving an incoming message addressed to the proxy address of the user from a sender address not on the authorized senders list, accepting the message and adding the sender address from which the incoming message was received to the authorized senders list; and

(f) means for further enabling presetting of a control parameter for limiting usage of the proxy address and terminating acceptance of messages sent to the proxy address from sender addresses not on the authorized senders list and preventing addition to the authorized senders list, and thereafter not accepting messages from a different unknown sender address nor adding the different unknown sender address to the authorized senders list.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising means for, upon receiving an incoming message addressed to the proxy address from a sender address not on the authorized senders list, adding to the authorized senders list an entry indicating all sender addresses of the same domain as the sender address from which the incoming message is received.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the control parameter is a maximum number of different sender addresses not on the authorized senders list from which messages sent to the proxy address will be accepted.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the control parameter is a maximum period of time after the most recent message from a sender address not on the authorized senders list was accepted that the next message from a sender address not on the authorized senders list may be accepted.