Foreign network SPAM blocker

• US 8,090,778 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2006
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Verren, Theodore, Conner, William, Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): TOWFIGHI, AFSHAWN M
• Application Number:
  US11/609,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20070083606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,849 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 709203-207, 709223-237
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A method involves blocking unsolicited e-mail being transmitted from a remote server when a roaming customer of the ISP logs onto the Internet through the foreign NAS. The roaming customer first logs onto the ISP through the foreign NAS by providing a user identification (USERID) and password, which are sent to the ISP. The ISP uses the USERID and the password to authenticate the roaming customer as a valid subscriber of the ISP. An IP address is assigned by the foreign NAS to the roaming customer and is dynamically added to a pool of IP addresses used by the mail server. The roaming customer can then log onto the mail server to send and receive email messages. Once the roaming customer terminates the session, the IP address assigned to the roaming customer is removed from the pool of valid IP address that can be used to access the mail server.

Claims

1. A method for blocking unsolicited e-mail being transmitted to an e-mail server at an Internet Service Provider (ISP) from a remote server when a roaming customer of the ISP logs onto the Internet through the remote server, comprising:

receiving a USERID and password associated with the roaming customer;

authenticating the remote customer to access the Internet provided by the ISP through the remote server, wherein authenticating the roaming customer comprises;

transmitting the USERID and password associated with the roaming customer to an authentication server at the ISP;

comparing the USERID and password against each USERID and password associated with every registered user of the ISP;

generating a negative response if the USERID and password associated with the roaming customer does not match a USERID and password associated with any of the registered customers and sending the negative response to a foreign network access server;

generating a positive response if the USERID and password associated with the roaming customer matches a USERID and password associated with at least one of the registered customers; and

generating a START record, the START record indicating the beginning of the roaming customer'"'"'s access to the mail server, the start record including an Internet protocol (IP) address of the network allocation server, a network access server protocol, a network access server port type, a name of the roaming customer, an identification of a station, an account status type, an account authentication, a service type, an account session identification, a frame protocol, an account delay time, and a beginning time stamp;

determining whether the authenticated remote customer has been provided with a valid IP address;

logging the remote customer onto a mail server at the ISP from the remote server using the IP address, wherein only the remote customer may accesses the mail server using the assigned IP address from the remote server; and

in response to determining that the remote customer is associated with a valid IP address, sending to a recipient, simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) data received from the remote customer; and

in response to determining that the remote customer is not associated with a valid IP address, denying transmission of the SMTP data received from the remote customer and deleting the SMTP data such that it appears to the remote customer that the SMTP data was sent to the recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning the remote customer a valid IP address from a plurality of IP addresses, wherein the plurality of IP addresses associated with the ISP are used only by roaming customers registered with the ISP to access the Internet through the remote server.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically adding the roaming customer'"'"'s IP address to a pool of valid IP addresses, which includes:

reading a START record, timestamp, and RELAY from an AAA database; and

forwarding the START record, a USERID, a password, and the IP address to the mail server for adding the IP address to the pool of valid IP addresses.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein logging the remote user onto the mail server comprises:

initiating an SMTP request to send e-mail from an e-mail application server; and

validating the IP address of the roaming customer against the pool of valid IP addresses.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising logging off the roaming customer from the remote server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein logging off the roaming customer, comprises:

generating a termination signal by the roaming customer;

transmitting a USERID for the roaming customer to the remote network to identify the roaming customer to be logged off;

transferring the USERID to an Authentication server on the ISP;

generating a STOP record and transferring the STOP record to the AAA Server ISP, wherein the STOP record is operable to identify the roaming customer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the STOP record is further operable for determining whether the roaming customer has sent any unauthorized email messages.

8. A system for blocking unsolicited e-mail being transmitted to an e-mail server at an Internet Service Provider (ISP) from a remote server when a roaming customer of the ISP logs onto the Internet through the remote server, comprising:

a memory component that stores logic configured to perform at least the following;

receiving a USERID and password associated with the roaming customer;

authenticating the remote customer to access the Internet provided by the ISP through the remote server, wherein authenticating the roaming customer comprises;

transmitting the USERID and password associated with the roaming customer to an authentication server at the ISP;

comparing the USERID and password against each USERID and password associated with every registered user of the ISP;

generating a negative response if the USERID and password associated with the roaming customer does not match a USERID and password associated with any of the registered customers and sending the negative response to a foreign network access server;

generating a positive response if the USERID and password associated with the roaming customer matches a USERID and password associated with at least one of the registered customers; and

generating a START record, the START record indicating the beginning of the roaming customer'"'"'s access to the mail server, the start record including an Internet protocol (IP) address of the network allocation server, a network access server protocol, a network access server port type, a name of the roaming customer, an identification of a station, an account status type, an account authentication, a service type, an account session identification, a frame protocol, an account delay time, and a beginning time stamp;

determining whether the authenticated remote customer has been provided with a valid IP address;

logging the remote customer onto a mail server at the ISP from the remote server using the IP address, wherein only the remote customer may accesses the mail server using the assigned IP address from the remote server; and

in response to determining that the remote customer is associated with a valid IP address, sending to a recipient, simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) data received from the remote customer; and

in response to determining that the remote customer is not associated with a valid IP address, denying transmission of the SMTP data received from the remote customer and deleting the SMTP data such that it appears to the remote customer that the SMTP data was sent to the recipient.

9. The system of claim 8, the memory component further storing logic to assign the remote customer a valid IP address from a plurality of IP addresses, wherein the plurality of IP addresses associated with the ISP are used only by roaming customers registered with the ISP to access the Internet through the remote server.

10. The system of claim 8, the memory component further storing logic to dynamically add the roaming customer'"'"'s IP address to a pool of valid IP addresses, which includes:

reading a START record, a timestamp, and a RELAY from an AAA database; and

forwarding the START record, a USERID, a password, and the IP address to the mail server for adding the IP address to the pool of valid IP addresses.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein logging the remote user onto the mail server comprises:

initiating an SMTP request to send e-mail from an e-mail application server; and

validating the IP address of the roaming customer against the pool of valid IP addresses.

12. The system of claim 8, the memory component further storing logic to log off the roaming customer from the remote server.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein logging off the roaming customer, comprises:

generating a termination signal by the roaming customer;

transmitting a USERID for the roaming customer to the remote network to identify the roaming customer to be logged off;

transferring the USERID to an Authentication server on the ISP;

generating a STOP record and transferring the STOP record to the AAA Server, wherein the STOP record is operable to identify the roaming customer.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein generating the STOP record is further operable for determining whether the roaming customer has sent any unauthorized email messages.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores executable instructions for blocking unsolicited e-mail being transmitted to an e-mail server at an Internet Service Provider (ISP) from a remote server when a roaming customer of the ISP logs onto the Internet through the remote server, the program, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to perform at least the following:

receiving a USERID and password associated with the roaming customer;

authenticating the remote customer to access the Internet provided by the ISP through the remote server, wherein authenticating the roaming customer comprises;

transmitting the USERID and password associated with the roaming customer to an authentication server at the ISP;

comparing the USERID and password against each USERID and password associated with every registered user of the ISP;

generating a negative response if the USERID and password associated with the roaming customer does not match a USERID and password associated with any of the registered customers and sending the negative response to a foreign network access server;

generating a positive response if the USERID and password associated with the roaming customer matches a USERID and password associated with at least one of the registered customers; and

generating a START record, the START record indicating the beginning of the roaming customer'"'"'s access to the mail server, the start record including an Internet protocol (IP) address of the network allocation server, a network access server protocol, a network access server port type, a name of the roaming customer, an identification of a station, an account status type, an account authentication, a service type, an account session identification, a frame protocol, an account delay time, and a beginning time stamp;

determining whether the authenticated remote customer has been provided with a valid IP address;

logging the remote customer onto a mail server at the ISP from the remote server using the IP address, wherein only the remote customer may accesses the mail server using the assigned IP address from the remote server; and

in response to determining that the remote customer is associated with a valid IP address, sending to a recipient, simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) data received from the remote customer, customer; and

in response to determining that the remote customer is not associated with a valid IP address, denying transmission of the SMTP data received from the remote customer and deleting the SMTP data such that it appears to the remote customer that the SMTP data was sent to the recipient.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the program further causing the computer to assign the remote customer a valid IP address from a plurality of IP addresses, wherein the plurality of IP addresses associated with the ISP are used only by roaming customers registered with the ISP to access the Internet through the remote server.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the program further causing the computer to dynamically add the roaming customer'"'"'s IP address to a pool of valid IP addresses, which includes:

reading a START record, a timestamp, and a RELAY from an AAA database; and

forwarding the START record, a USERID, a password, and the IP address to the mail server for adding the IP address to the pool of valid IP addresses.