Just-In-Time, Email Embedded URL Reputation Determination
AssigneeMcAfee, Inc.
InventorsNicholas Liebmann, Martin Stecher, Paul Gartside, Mike Bishop, Simon Hunt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system allows just-in-time checking of information about an email in which a hyperlink is embedded. Upon receipt of the email containing the hyperlink, the resource locator of the hyperlink is modified to allow checking the reputation of the email upon traversal of the hyperlink. At traversal of the hyperlink, the current reputation of the resource locator and the current reputation of the email are both determined, and one or more actions are performed responsive to the determination.
Claims24
A program storage device, on which are stored instructions comprising instructions for causing one or more processors to:
- receive a request to traverse a resource locator of a hyperlink from an email containing the hyperlink;
- determine a reputation of the email and a reputation of the resource locator, responsive to the request;
- and
- perform an action responsive to the reputation of the email and the reputation of the resource locator.
A program storage device, on which are stored instructions comprising instructions for causing one or more processors to:
- receive an email;
- create a message identifier for the email;
- generate meta-information corresponding to the email;
- store the meta-information in a database, keyed by the message identifier;
- and
- modify a resource locator of a hyperlink contained in the email.
A system, comprising:
- a web gateway;
- and
- an email gateway,
- wherein the web gateway comprises:
- a processor;
- a storage device, coupled to the processor, on which is stored software comprising instructions for causing the processor to:
- receive a request to make a connection to a location specified by a resource locator of a hyperlink embedded in an email;
- determine an identity of the email based on the resource locator;
- determine a current reputation of the email;
- and
- determine a current reputation of the resource locator;
- and
- perform an action responsive to a reputation of the resource locator and the email.
- wherein the email gateway comprises:
- a processor;
- a storage device, coupled to the processor, on which is stored software comprising instructions for causing the processor to:
- receive the email;
- and
- modify the resource locator in the email to identify the email.
A method, comprising:
- receiving an email, comprising:
- determining an initial reputation of the email;
- and
- modifying a first resource locator of a hyperlink embedded in the email to identify the email;
- and
- receiving a request to traverse the first resource locator, comprising;
- determining a current reputation of the first resource locator;
- analyzing the first resource locator to identify the email in which the hyperlink was embedded;
- determining a current reputation of the email;
- and
- performing an action responsive to the reputation of the first resource locator and the current reputation of the email.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.