# US 12,015,649 B2 · Hosted email authentication > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,015,649 B2 - Document ID: US12015649B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/380,306 - Filed: 2023-10-16 - Published: 2024-03-14 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-14 - Assignees: ValiMail Inc. - Applicants: ValiMail Inc. - Inventors: Peter Martin Goldstein - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12015649B2 ## CPC - H04L 63/20: {for managing network security; network security policies in general (filtering policies H04L63/0227)} - G06F 21/56: Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements - G06F 21/6218: {to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database} - H04L 51/04: Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] - H04L 51/212: using filtering or selective blocking - H04L 61/4511: using domain name system [DNS] - H04L 63/0236: {Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL} - H04L 63/08: {for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32)} - H04L 63/126: {the source of the received data} - H04L 63/14: {for detecting or protecting against malicious traffic} - H04L 63/145: {the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms} - H04L 63/1483: {service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing (detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12)} - H04L 2101/33: containing protocol addresses or telephone numbers - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A DNS server receives from a receiving email system, a DNS query for an email domain stored at the DNS server, the DNS query including identifying information of a sender of an email. The DNS server extracts the identifying information of the email sender from the DNS query and identifies one of a plurality of delivering organizations from the information. The DNS server determines whether the identified delivering organization is authorized to deliver email on behalf of the email domain. In response to determining that the identified delivering organization is authorized to deliver email on behalf of the email domain, the DNS server generates a target validation record based on the identity of the authorized delivering organization and the email domain, the target validation record including one or more rules indicating to the receiving email system whether the delivering organization is an authorized sender of email for the email domain. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable media configured to store code comprising instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors, individually or distributedly, to: receive, from a domain owner, one or more inputs for indicating that a first email system handles emails on behalf of the domain owner, wherein the domain owner is associated with a first domain; and receive, from the domain owner, one or more settings that specify one or more policies associated with how emails of the domain owner are handled; generate a domain name system (DNS) record based on the one or more policies, the DNS record being a record that provides information to inquirers on how emails associated with the domain owner should be handled; publish the DNS record, on behalf of the domain owner, at a DNS location associated with the domain owner, wherein the DNS location is managed by a party different from the domain owner; receive a DNS query from a second email system that transmits an email to or receives an email from an email address associated with the first domain, wherein the DNS query is directed to the DNS location; and return, on behalf of the domain owner, the DNS record to the second email system, wherein the DNS record provides the information to the second email system on how the email should be handled. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the DNS location has a name that includes the first domain as part of the name. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the DNS location is referenced, via an include directive, in DNS information associated with the first domain. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the information in the DNS record includes one of the IP addresses associated with the first email system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the information in the DNS record includes another IP address associated with a third email system that also handles emails on behalf of the domain owner. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the information in the DNS record includes a directive that points to another DNS record. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein DNS query includes one or more values, the one or more values being part of the first domain, and wherein the DNS record is generated based on at least one of the values. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the DNS query is a second DNS query by the second email system, and wherein the second email system generates a first DNS query directed to the first domain and, based on DNS information returned in response to the first DNS query, the second email system generates the second DNS query. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more inputs received from the domain owner are received via a graphical user interface managed by the party that is different from the domain owner. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more inputs comprises a list of email systems that handle emails on behalf of the domain owner. ### Claim 11 A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving, from a domain owner, one or more inputs for indicating that a first email system handles emails on behalf of the domain owner, wherein the domain owner is associated with a first domain; and receiving, from the domain owner, one or more settings that specify one or more policies associated with how emails of the domain owner are handled; generating a domain name system (DNS) record based on the one or more policies, the DNS record being a record that provides information to inquirers on how emails associated with the domain owner should be handled; publishing the DNS record, on behalf of the domain owner, at a DNS location associated with the domain owner, wherein the DNS location is managed by a party different from the domain owner; receiving a DNS query from a second email system that transmits an email to or receives an email from an email address associated with the first domain, wherein the DNS query is directed to the DNS location; and returning, on behalf of the domain owner, the DNS record to the second email system, wherein the DNS record provides the information to the second email system on how the email should be handled. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the DNS location has a name that includes the first domain as part of the name. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the DNS location is referenced, via an include directive, in DNS information associated with the first domain. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the information in the DNS record includes one of the IP addresses associated with the first email system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the information in the DNS record includes another IP address associated with a third email system that also handles emails on behalf of the domain owner. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the information in the DNS record includes a directive that points to another DNS record. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein DNS query includes one or more values, the one or more values being part of the first domain, and wherein the DNS record is generated based on at least one of the values. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the DNS query is a second DNS query by the second email system, and wherein the second email system generates a first DNS query directed to the first domain and, based on DNS information returned in response to the first DNS query, the second email system generates the second DNS query. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the one or more inputs received from the domain owner are received via a graphical user interface managed by the party that is different from the domain owner. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store code comprising instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors, individually or distributedly, to: receiving, from a domain owner, one or more inputs for indicating that a first email system handles emails on behalf of the domain owner, wherein the domain owner is associated with a first domain; and receiving, from the domain owner, one or more settings that specify one or more policies associated with how emails of the domain owner are handled; generating a domain name system (DNS) record based on the one or more policies, the DNS record being a record that provides information to inquirers on how emails associated with the domain owner should be handled; publishing the DNS record, on behalf of the domain owner, at a DNS location associated with the domain owner, wherein the DNS location is managed by a party different from the domain owner; receiving a DNS query from a second email system that transmits an email to or receives an email from an email address associated with the first domain, wherein the DNS query is directed to the DNS location; and returning, on behalf of the domain owner, the DNS record to the second email system, wherein the DNS record provides the information to the second email system on how the email should be handled.