System and method for regulating electronic messages
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
InventorDale W. Malik
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for regulating e-mail comprises a database of information profiling legitimate e-mail usage. When an e-mail is received at the system, it is scrutinized relative to the information in the database. If the e-mail is found to be legitimate based upon this evaluation, it is delivered to the intended recipient. If, however, the e-mail appears on the basis of the evaluation to be the last in a series of illegitimate e-mails or otherwise has characteristics inconsistent with the profile of legitimate e-mail usage, the e-mail may not be delivered and the postmaster and administrator at the source of the e-mail is contacted.
Claims16
A method for regulating electronic messages comprising:
- registering an electronic message source;
- maintaining a profile associated with the electronic message source, the profile comprising a first target statistics value associated with the electronic message source;
- receiving an electronic message from a source;
- updating a statistics value related to the source of the electronic message received;
- if the source of the electronic message received is the electronic message source that has been registered:
- comparing the statistics value updated to the first target statistics value;
- and
- taking a remedial action with respect to the electronic message received if the statistics value updated conflicts with the first target statistics value;
- and
- if the source of the electronic message received is not the electronic message source that has been registered:
- identifying a source category to which the source of the electronic message received is related;
- accessing a second target statistics value associated with the source category;
- comparing the statistics value updated to the second target statistics value;
- and
- taking a second remedial action if the statistics value updated conflicts with the second target statistics value.
A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer program instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
- registering an electronic message source;
- maintaining a profile associated with the electronic message source, the profile comprising a first target statistics value associated with the electronic message source;
- receiving an electronic message from a source;
- updating a statistics value related to the source of the electronic message received;
- if the source of the electronic message received is the electronic message source that has been registered:
- comparing the statistics value updated to the first target statistics value;
- and
- taking a remedial action with respect to the electronic message received if the statistics value updated conflicts with the first target statistics value;
- and
- if the source of the electronic message received is not the electronic message source that has been registered:
- identifying a source category to which the source of the electronic message received is related;
- accessing a second target statistics value associated with the source category;
- comparing the statistics value updated to the second target statistics value;
- and
- taking a second remedial action if the statistics value updated conflicts with the second target statistics value.
An apparatus comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
- registering an electronic message source;
- maintaining a profile associated with the electronic message source, the profile comprising a first target statistics value associated with the electronic message source;
- receiving an electronic message from a source;
- updating a statistics value related to the source of the electronic message received;
- if the source of the electronic message received is the electronic message source that has been registered:
- comparing the statistics value updated to the first target statistics value;
- and
- taking a remedial action with respect to the electronic message received if the statistics value updated conflicts with the first target statistics value;
- and
- if the source of the electronic message received is not the electronic message source that has been registered:
- identifying a source category to which the source of the electronic message received is related;
- accessing a second target statistics value associated with the source category;
- comparing the statistics value updated to the second target statistics value;
- and
- taking a second remedial action if the statistics value updated conflicts with the second target statistics value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.