Method and system for classifying a message based on canonical equivalent of acceptable items included in the message

A system for classifying a message comprising:

• an interface coupled to a mail sever, the interface configured to receive the message, the message including a message body;
• a processor at the mail server, the processor configured to execute instructions stored in memory for performing the steps of:
• parsing the message body to determine whether the message body includes one or more items of a certain type, wherein the one or more items of a certain type may be used to classify the message;
• identifying all instances of the items of a certain type for each of the one or more items of a certain type identified during parsing of the message body;
• reducing each of the all instances of the items of a certain type for each of the one or more items of a certain type to a canonical equivalent that identifies a group of synonymous words, numbers, symbols, or phrases, and wherein the canonical equivalent represents each of the all instances of items of a certain type regardless of individual format of each of the all instances of items of the certain type;
• determining whether the canonical equivalent of each of the all instances of the items of a certain type for each of the one or more items of a certain type meets a criterion, the criterion corresponding to an acceptable item;
• classifying the message based on whether the canonical equivalent of each of the all instances of the items of a certain type for each of the one or more items of a certain type are determined to meet the criterion;
• and
• processing the message in accordance with the classification of the message.

A computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a computer to perform a method for classifying a message, the method comprising:

• receiving a message, the message including a message body;
• parsing the message body to determine whether the message body includes one or more items of a certain type, wherein the one or more items of a certain type may be used to classify the message;
• and
• identifying all instances of the items of a certain type for each of the one or more items of a certain type identified during parsing of the message body;
• reducing each of the all instances of the items of a certain type for each of the one or more items of a certain type to a canonical equivalent that identifies a group of synonymous words, numbers, symbols, or phrases, and wherein the canonical equivalent represents each of the all instances of items of a certain type regardless of individual format of each of the all instances of items of the certain type;
• determining whether the canonical equivalent of each of the all instances of the items of a certain type for each of the one or more items of a certain type meets a criterion, the criterion corresponding to an acceptable item;
• classifying the message based on whether the canonical equivalent of each of the all instances of the items of a certain type for each of the one or more items of a certain type are determined to meet the criterion;
• and
• processing the message in accordance with the classification of the message.