DE102005029900A1 - Electronic mail sender identifying method, involves verifying unique and distinct identifying information of electronic mail with database, and classifying mail received by addressee based on verification result and marked correspondingly - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves providing an electronic mail (E-mail) with unique and distinct identify information before transmission, and automatically picking up the information by a database that is accessible via the Internet. The database is automatically contacted, when the E-mail reaches an addressee, and the information is verified. The received E-mail is classified according to the verification result and marked correspondingly. An independent claim is also included for a device for identifying sender of an electronic mail (E-mail).

Description

The The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for identification the sender of an e-mail and differentiation desired and unwanted E-mails before the addressee has to read and evaluate them. For this Procedure will e-mail the sender before shipping with a provided unique and unique identifier, automated by one over the internet accessible database is picked up. If the e-mail arrives at the addressee, it will be automatic the above the internet accessible Database contacted and the unique and unique identifier of Email verified. The received e-mail will be sent according to the Verification result classified and marked accordingly and for that made the addressee differentiable without him receiving the e-mail read and evaluate.

The electronic mail in private and / or commercial as well as public The area is getting stronger today used. There is the so-called e-mail process, which the uses standardized Internet protocols based on TCP / IP (IETF RFC 791), the biggest spread.

The Principal procedure is established and documented in the literature. A sender sends an e-mail with a sender address via the public Internet with the destination address of a recipient. The internet presents the e-mail based on agreed protocols and naming conventions an Internet Service Provider (ISP) e-mail server to the recipient address managed. The e-mail server puts the message in the mailbox Recipient one from which they are the recipient can pick up.

The Sender and the recipient address can a so-called alias address, which is a plain text identifier contains followed by the Internet Service Provider address (ISP address) as well as the country code, z. B. Heinz.Mustermann@Empfaenger-ISP.de

Unfortunately become the sender and recipient addresses an email is not checked or controlled. This has the consequence that an e-mail z. B. with invented Sender addresses or even provided with fake sender addresses can be.

this The circumstance is that dubious senders take advantage of an ever increasing number of internet users with unwanted To harass emails. This is an attempt to win customers through unwanted advertising. This kind of unwanted Emails are referred to as Junk Mail or SPAM. To the harassment through "SPAM" come more often too Attacks with e-mailed computer viruses.

It There are so-called virus scanners that examine emails for computer viruses and detected computer viruses harmless do. This only applies to known computer viruses, unwanted advertising (so-called SPAM) are not detected with virus scanners.

• – Positiv-/Negativlisten (White-/Blacklist) für Absenderadressen/IP-Adressen
• – Bayesian Filter für Texterkennung

There are various methods for detecting unwanted advertising e-mails on mail servers and / or e-mail clients (add-ons, proxies) (corresponding patent documents exist), which are based on the following methods:

• - Positive / negative lists (white / blacklist) for sender addresses / IP addresses
• - Bayesian filter for text recognition

Unfortunately All the methods described so far are unable to do so indeed to clearly identify an e-mail. This is in First, remember that the sender address of an e-mail is not forgery-proof is and from shippers of unwanted Promotional e-mails are usually forged as well. Thus, positive / negative lists are ineffective.

The Recognition of words and word combinations in an e-mail is also problematic because negatively classified words and word combinations can lead to email blocking, although this would have the e-mail want to receive. Typical examples are negatively classified words and Word combinations from the sexual area that are used in e-mail traffic z. B. between psychologists, doctors, criminologists, etc. just not may be filtered.

The The object of the invention is therefore to specify a method, sender clearly identify emails and classify email so that between desired and unwanted emails can be differentiated before they cause damage or waste time to lead. Other objects of the invention are a device and a public Internet accessible Service (web service) in such a way that the requirements be created to clearly identify the sender of e-mails and classify e-mails so that between desired ones and unwanted Emails can be differentiated before they cause damage or waste time to lead.

• – Ein oder mehrere web-Services verwalten in einer oder mehreren Datenbanken die an diesem Verfahren teilnehmenden Sender und Adressaten mit Namen und Adresse. Die Namen und Adressen sind in geeigneter Weise vom Betreiber der web-Services zu verifizieren, z. B. über Kopie eindeutiger Ausweisdokumente, Registereinträge, Kreditkarten und/oder Bankverbindungen. Ist der Service kostenpflichtig, werden dubiose Sender (SPAMMER) ohnehin nicht teilnehmen, da gerade der kostenlose Versand von E-Mails die Geschäftsgrundlage für diese Sender darstellt.
• – Automatisches Kennzeichnen der E-Mail beim Sender zum Zeitpunkt des Versands mit einer einmaligen und eindeutigen vom web-Service bereitgestellten Kennung, unabhängig von den beim Sender und Adressaten verwendeten E-Mail-Programmen.
• – Trifft die gekennzeichnete E-Mail beim Adressaten ein, wird automatisch der web-Service kontaktiert und die einmalige und eindeutige Kennung der E-Mail verifiziert.
• – Die eingegangene E-Mail wird entsprechend des Verifizierungsergebnisses klassifiziert sowie entsprechend gekennzeichnet und damit für den Adressaten differenzierbar gemacht, ohne dass er die E-Mail lesen und auswerten muss.

The first object is inventively ge solves with a procedure to uniquely identify the sender of an e-mail, having the following procedural steps:

• - One or more web services administer in one or more databases the sender and addressee participating in this procedure with name and address. The names and addresses are to be verified in an appropriate manner by the operator of the web services, eg. For example, copy of unique ID documents, registry entries, credit cards and / or bank details. If the service is subject to a charge, dubious channels (SPAMMER) will not participate anyway, since the free shipping of e-mails is the basis of business for these channels.
• - Automatic marking of the e-mail at the sender at the time of sending with a unique and unique identifier provided by the web service, regardless of the e-mail programs used by the sender and addressee.
• - If the marked e-mail arrives at the addressee, the web service is automatically contacted and the unique and unique identifier of the e-mail is verified.
• - The received e-mail is classified according to the verification result and marked accordingly and made differentiable for the addressee, without having to read and evaluate the e-mail.

The Classification according to the invention the e-mail is sent to the addressee at least according to the criterion whether the sender of the e-mail using the unique and unique identifier clearly identifiable.

The unique and unique identifier of the e-mail is sent by means of a web service according to the invention generated so-called. GUID made and by means of the device according to the invention entered at the sender in the e-mail. At the same time, this is unique and unique identifier in the database of the web service with the Assignment to the sender (name and address) stored.

Meets the e-mail to the addressee is inventively on the web service the registered, unique and unique identifier of E-mail by means of the invention Addressees installed device verified.

The Another object of the invention is achieved by a device for Contacting the web service, installed at the transmitter and addressees. This device works independently of the sender and addressee used e-mail programs and is between e-mail program and mail server.

each e-mail from the sender's e-mail program passes through it inventive device and solve contacting the web service of the invention. The outgoing e-mail the transmitter is delayed by the device according to the invention until the authentication is done on the web service and according to authentication sent an identifier from the web service back to the device has been. This unique and unique identifier is then used by the Device according to the invention entered in the e-mail and the delay of the sending process is terminated.

Reached the email of the addressees, triggers the device according to the invention Here the contact to the web service of the invention. The at Addressees incoming e-mail of the sender as long as the inventive device delayed until the authentication has taken place on the web service and according to the authentication ID of the e-mail was checked by the web service and the status of the Verification was sent back to the device.

Classified according to the invention the device the e-mail at least on the criterion of whether the Sender of the e-mail using the unique and unique identifier clearly identifiable with name and address and identifies the e-mail accordingly.

The Classifying marking of the e-mail is according to the invention in such a way made that independent from the e-mail programs used by broadcasters and addressees works and becomes directly apparent or the e-mail programs the possibility offers to identify the marking and to process it further.

According to one Further development of the invention is also an integration of the devices for entering the ID and verification of the ID and contact possible with the web service directly in e-mail programs.

The last object of the invention is achieved by the web service, the the so-called GUID generates this unique and unique identifier to the device according to the invention for marking the e-mails and the assignment of unique and unique identifier to the respective Sender of the marked e-mail.

On request of the device according to the invention installed at the transmitter, the web service according to the invention checks whether the transmitter is to be authenticated on the basis of the transmitted data. For this, the web service manages the addresses of senders and addressees in a database and checks the Inquiry of the sender based on a combination of access name and access password. If the web service can identify and verify the sender, it generates a so-called GUID and sends this unique and unique identifier to the device according to the invention for identifying the e-mail to the sender. At the same time stores the web service according to the invention the unique and unique identifier in combination with the sender address in a database. As a result, according to the invention, each e-mail can be uniquely assigned to a sender and this can be clearly identified.

On Inquiry of the device according to the invention installed at the addressee checks the web service based on the transmitted Data, whether the addressee is to be authenticated. Since the web service the Administer addresses of senders and addressees in a database is also the request of the addressee based on a combination of Access name and access password can be checked. can The web service identifies and verifies the addressee, he checks according to the invention of Addressees transmitted unique and unique identifier of the sender's e-mail based on the Combinations of unique and saved in the database unique identifiers in combination with the sender addresses.

Of the transmitted web service according to the invention the result of the overpushing then to the device according to the invention at the addressee by the transmitted Result classifies the e-mail.

advantageous Embodiments of the device according to the invention arise from the dependent claims.

One embodiment the invention is in the attached Drawing shown as an example. Show it:

1 : The device according to the invention for contacting the web service,

2 : the web service according to the invention,
Overall diagram: the overall process according to the invention of the route of an e-mail from the sender to the addressee.

Claims (6)

Method and device for identifying the Sender of an e-mail and differentiation of desired and unwanted E-mails before the addressee has to read and evaluate them. For this Procedure will e-mail the sender before shipping with a provided unique and unique identifier, automated by one over the internet accessible Database is picked up. If the e-mail arrives at the addressee, will automatically over the internet accessible Database contacted and the unique and unique identifier of the e-mail Verified. The e-mail received will be according to the verification result classified and marked accordingly and thus for the addressee made differentiable without reading and evaluating the e-mail got to. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the classification according to the invention the e-mail at Addressees at least according to the criterion takes place, whether the transmitter the e-mail using a unique and unique identifier unique to identify. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that this unique and unique Identification of the e-mail by means of a web service according to the invention generated so-called. GUID made and by means of the device according to the invention at the sender is entered in the e-mail. At the same time this is unique and unique identifier in the database of the web service with the assignment to the sender (name and address). Method according to claim 1, characterized in that upon reaching the e-mail at the addressee, the device according to the invention Here the contact to the web service according to the invention triggers. The at the addressee incoming e-mail of the sender is the device of the invention delayed as long as until the authentication has taken place on the web service and according to authentication the ID of the e-mail was checked by the web service and the status of the Verification was sent back to the device. Classified according to the invention the device the e-mail at least on the criterion of whether the Sender of the e-mail using the unique and unique identifier clearly identifiable with name and address and identifies the e-mail accordingly. A method according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that the classifying identifier of the e-mail is inventively made such that it works independently of the e-mail programs used at senders and addressees and becomes directly apparent or the e-mail programs offers the opportunity to recognize the label and process it further. According to one embodiment of the invention is also integrating the devices for entering the identifier and verification of the identifier and contact with the web service directly in E-mail programs possible. Method according to the preceding Claims, characterized in that the web service, the so-called. GUID generates this unique and unique identifier to the device according to the invention for marking the e-mails and the assignment of unique and unique identifier to the respective Sender of the marked e-mail. The web service according to the invention check up Request of the device according to the invention installed at the transmitter, whether the sender based on the transmitted data to authenticate. For this, the web service manages the addresses of senders and addressees in a database and verifies the request of the Sender based on a combination of access name and access password. Can the web service identify and verify the sender it generates a so-called GUID and gives it a unique and unique Identification to the device according to the invention for marking the e-mail to the sender. At the same time saves the web service according to the invention the unique and unique identifier in combination with the sender address in a database. As a result, according to the invention, every e-mail clearly attributable to a transmitter and this clearly identifiable. On Inquiry of the device according to the invention installed at the addressee checks the web service based on the transmitted Data, whether the addressee is to be authenticated. As the web service manages the addresses of senders and addressees in a database, is also the request of the addressee based on a combination of Access name and access password can be checked. can The web service identifies and verifies the addressee, he checks according to the invention of Addressee sent one-time and unique identifier of the sender's e-mail using the Database stored combinations of unique and unique Identifiers in combination with the sender addresses. The web service according to the invention transmits the result of the overpushing then to the device according to the invention at the addressee by the transmitted Result classifies the e-mail.