E-mail authentication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10284597-B2
Application number	US-201313752149-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2013
Priority date	May 7, 2007
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A system and method for determining whether an e-mail originates from a sender authorized by an address provider to send the e-mail to an intended recipient's e-mail address. The e-mail identifies an address provider from which the intended recipient's e-mail address was obtained. The e-mail is delivered to the intended recipient only upon verification that the sender is authorized by the address provider to obtain the intended recipient's e-mail address. The system and method may also provide for determining whether an e-mail originates from a forged source. A server receives data relating to an e-mail, including a purported sender and a verification host. The server queries the verification host with information pertaining to the e-mail and requests confirmation that the e-mail originates from the purported sender. The e-mail is determined to originate from a forged source unless the verification host responds that the e-mail originates from the purported sender.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining whether at least one e-mail originates from a forged source, the method comprising:
receiving data at a client device pertaining to the least one e-mail directed to at least one intended recipient, wherein the data includes information identifying a purported sender;
sending a query from the client device to a verification host requesting confirmation that the at least one e-mail originated from the purported sender, wherein the query includes information identifying the at least one e-mail comprising at least one of at least a portion of text contained in a message body of the e-mail or a hash of the at least a portion of the text;
receiving, by the client device, a response from the verification host indicating whether or not the at least one e-mail originated from the purported sender based on whether the purported sender sent an e-mail that matches the information identifying the at least one e-mail to the intended recipient; and
determining that the at least one e-mail originates from a forged source unless the response indicates that the at least one e-mail originated from the purported sender.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information identifying the purported sender includes any one or more of the following: an e-mail address, a domain name, and an IP address.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the verification host is a server operated by the purported sender.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of querying the verification host is conducted via a two-way transmission channel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information identifying the at least one e-mail further comprises any one or more selected from the group consisting of: a hash value, a checksum, a digest of the e-mail, and an authorization code.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein delivery of the at least one e-mail to the intended recipient is prevented if the e-mail is determined to not have originated from the purported sender.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining an address for the verification host from information contained in the at least one e-mail.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of determining an identity of hosts authorized to transmit e-mails for the purported sender.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining an identity of hosts authorized to transmit e-mails for the purported sender.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein delivery of the at least one e-mail to the at least one intended recipient is prevented if the at least one e-mail is not being transmitted from an authorized host.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the verification host comprises a third party server authorized by the purported source.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one e-mail is a plurality of e-mails and wherein a single query is provided for the plurality of e-mails.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein delivery of the plurality of e-mails to the intended recipients is allowed only if every one of the plurality of e-mails is determined to have originated from the purported sender.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the response from the verification host indicates that at least one of the plurality of e-mails does not originate from the purported sender.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of dividing the plurality of e-mails into a plurality of groups.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of querying the verification host to confirm that the e-mails in the plurality of groups originates from the purported senders.

17. An apparatus comprising a processor operatively coupled to a memory, the memory holding instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:
receiving data pertaining to the least one e-mail directed to at least one intended recipient, wherein the data includes information identifying a purported sender;
sending a query to a verification host requesting confirmation that the at least one e-mail originated from the purported sender, wherein the query includes information identifying the at least one e-mail comprising at least one of at least a portion of text contained in a message body of the e-mail or a hash of the at least a portion of the text;
receiving a response from the verification host indicating whether or not the at least one e-mail originated from the purported sender based on whether the purported sender sent an e-mail that matches the information identifying the at least one e-mail to the intended recipient; and
determining that the at least one e-mail originates from a forged source unless the response indicates that the at least one e-mail originated from the purported sender.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further specify that the information identifying the at least one e- mail further comprises any one or more selected from the group consisting of: a hash value, a checksum, a digest of the e-mail, and an authorization code.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further comprise determining an address for the verification host from information contained in the at least one e-mail.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further specify that at least one e-mail is a plurality of e-mails and wherein a single query is provided for the plurality of e-mails.

Assignees

• Shuster Gary Stephen

Inventors

• Shuster Gary Stephen

Classifications

• H04L63/126

  the source of the received data · CPC title

• H04L63/1483 Primary

  service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing (detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12) · CPC title