Method and system for classifying a message based on canonical equivalent of acceptable items included in the message
A system and method are disclosed for classifying a message. The method includes receiving the message, identifying all items of a certain type in the message, determining whether each of the items meets a criterion, and in the event that all the items are determined to meet the criterion, determining a classification of the message. The system includes an interface configured to receive the message, a processor coupled to the interface, configured to identify all items of a certain type in the message; determine whether each of the items meets a criterion; and in the event that all the items are determined to meet the criterion, determine a classification of the message.
1. A method for classifying a message, 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;
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.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more items of a certain type include a distinguishing property.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more items of a certain type include a contact point.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the contact point includes a universal resource locator (URL).
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the contact point includes a phone number.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the contact point includes an address.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein 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 further includes computing a signature based on the canonical equivalent.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein 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 meets the criterion further includes determining whether the signature exists in a database of acceptable signatures.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising updating the database of acceptable signatures through a registration process.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating a database of acceptable items through a registration process.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the registration process includes:
receiving a registration message;
checking a certificate associated with the message, the certificate confirming that the registration message is from an acceptable source;
extracting an item from the message; and
adding an entry derived from the item to the database of acceptable items.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating a database of acceptable items by aggregating user input.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein aggregating user input includes:
extracting an item from a user classified message; and
updating the state of the item based on the user classification.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating a database of acceptable items by post-processing stored messages.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the message in accordance with the classification of the message includes delivering the message to an intended recipient of the message if the message is classified as non-spam.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the message in accordance with the classification of the message includes further analysis of the message if the classification of the message is indeterminate.
17. 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.
18. 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.