System and method for restricting access to email and attachments

• US 7,966,375 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ent Services Development Corporation LP (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Steele, Charles R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter; Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US10/878,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20050289221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,549 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/229, 726 22- 27, 726/30
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

One aspect of the invention is a method for restricting access to one or more email attachments includes receiving an email addressed to a first recipient and including at least a first attachment. The email is processed to determine whether a valid authorization code is associated with the email (and/or the attachment (s)). The valid authorization code identifies the email (and/or the attachment(s)) as an authorized communication. Access by the recipient to the first attachment is prevented if the processing of the email determined that no valid authorization code is associated with the email (and/or the attachment(s)).

Claims

1. A method for restricting access to one or more email attachments, comprising:

receiving an email addressed to a first recipient and including at least a first attachment;

processing the email to determine whether a valid authorization code is associated with the email, wherein the valid authorization code indicates that an attachment is safe to be opened or executed by the first recipient, and the processing includes;

searching for an authorization code; and

determining whether a found authorization code is valid;

preventing access by the recipient to the first attachment if the processing of the email determined that no valid authorization code is associated with the email; and

notifying a sender of the email that the email comprises an unauthorized attachment if the processing of the email determined that no valid authorization code is associated with the email.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein preventing access to the first attachment comprises:

stripping the attachment from the email; and

communicating the email without the stripped attachment to the first recipient.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein preventing access to the first attachment comprises preventing the first recipient from opening the attachment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the email to determine whether a valid authorization code is associated with the email is performed by an electronic mail gateway server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the email to determine whether a valid authorization code is associated with the email is performed by an email client application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein searching for an authorization code comprises searching for the authorization code in a file name associated with the attachment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein searching for an authorization code comprises searching data associated with the attachment, the data not ordinarily visible to the first recipient or a sender of the email.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein searching for an authorization code comprises searching for the valid authorization code in a body of the email.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein searching for an authorization code comprises searching for the authorization code in a subject line of the email.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein searching for an authorization code comprises searching data associated with the email, the data not ordinarily visible to the first recipient or a sender of the email.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein preventing access to the first attachment comprises preventing the email from leaving a gateway operable to communicate the email to the first recipient.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the valid authorization code is associated with a first enterprise network, the valid authorization code communicated to one or more additional enterprise networks external to the first enterprise network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the valid authorization code is associated with a first recipient so that only the first recipient is authorized to access the attachment.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the valid authorization code is associated with a domain in an enterprise network, the domain associated with a plurality of recipients including the first recipient, and wherein the valid authorization code identifies the attachment as an authorized communication accessible to recipients within the domain.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a found authorization code is valid comprises:

comparing the found authorization code to at least one authorization code in a registry of authorization codes.

16. A system for restricting access to one or more unhealthy portions of an email, comprising:

a computer operable to receive an email addressed to a first recipient and including at least a first attachment; and

security software stored on the computer and operable to;

process the email to determine whether a valid authorization code is associated with the email, wherein the valid authorization code indicates that an attachment is safe to be opened or executed by the first recipient, and the process includes;

search for an authorization code; and

determine whether a found authorization code is valid;

prevent access by the recipient to the first attachment if the processing of the email determined that no valid authorization code is associated with the email; and

notify a sender of the email that the email comprises an unauthorized attachment if, when processing the email, the security software determined that no valid authorization code is associated with the email.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the security software is operable to prevent access to the first attachment by stripping the attachment from the email.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer is further operable to communicate the email without the stripped attachment to the first recipient.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the computer comprises an electronic mail gateway server, the security software stored on the electronic mail gateway server.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the computer comprises the first recipient'"'"'s computer; and

the security software processing the email to determine whether a valid authorization code is associated with the email comprises an email client application stored on the first recipient'"'"'s computer.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the security software is operable to search for an authorization code by searching for the authorization code in a file name associated with the attachment.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the security software is operable to search for an authorization code by searching for the authorization code in a body of the email.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the security software is operable to search for an authorization code by searching for the authorization code in a subject line of the email.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the security software is operable to search for an authorization code by searching data associated with the email, the data not ordinarily visible to the first recipient or a sender of the email.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the valid authorization code is associated with a first enterprise network, the valid authorization code communicated to one or more additional enterprise networks external to the first enterprise network.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the valid authorization code is associated with a domain in an enterprise network, the domain associated with a plurality of recipients including the first recipient, and wherein the valid authorization code identifies the email as an authorized communication accessible to the recipients within the domain.

27. A method for restricting access to one or more email attachments, comprising

receiving an email addressed to a first recipient and including at least a first attachment;

processing the email to determine whether a valid authorization code is associated with the email, wherein the valid authorization code identifies an attachment as an authorized attachment;

preventing access by the recipient to the first attachment if the processing of the email determined that no valid authorization code is associated with the email; and

notifying a sender of the email that the first recipient did not receive a complete message if the processing of the email determined that no valid authorization code is associated with the email.

28. A method for restricting access to an email, comprising:

receiving an email addressed to a first recipient;

processing the email to determine whether a valid authorization code is associated with the email, wherein the valid authorization code indicates that the email is safe to he opened or executed by the first recipient, and the processing includes;

searching for an authorization code; and

determining whether a found authorization code is valid;

preventing access by the recipient to the email if the processing of the email determined that no valid authorization code is associated with the email; and

wherein the preventing prevents the recipient from all possibility of accessing the email; and

notifying a sender of the email that the email is an unauthorized email if the processing of the email determined that no valid authorization code is associated with the email.