Automatic generation of disposable e-mail addresses

1. A method for generating disposable e-mail addresses, comprising:

monitoring, with a computer, network traffic for HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) communications;

detecting, with the computer, an attempted submission to a network destination of a HTTP communication including an un-aliased e-mail address;

responsive to detecting the attempted submission, seeking, with the computer, authorization to create a disposable e-mail address;

responsive to receiving authorization, creating, with the computer, the disposable e-mail address;

associating, with the computer, the newly created disposable e-mail address with the corresponding network destination; and

replacing, with the computer, the un-aliased e-mail address with the disposable e-mail address in the detected HTTP communication.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the associating step comprises storing the newly created disposable e-mail address in a correlated list of disposable e-mail addresses and their corresponding network destinations.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the detecting step comprises examining the correlated list for a disposable e-mail address associated with the network destination, and upon identifying a matching disposable e-mail address with the network destination, replacing the creating, and associating steps with the step of replacing the un-aliased e-mail address with the identified disposable e-mail address.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the seeking step comprises prompting a human user for authorization to create a disposable e-mail address.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the seeking step comprises automatically communicating with a device to gain authorization to create a disposable e-mail address.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring step comprises scanning HTTP communications for content in website headers associated with an un-aliased e-mail address.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring a communications port for HTTP communications likely to contain an un-aliased e-mail address.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the HTTP communications comprise a form submitted to a website.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring network traffic for Network News Transport Protocol communications (NNTP) and the detecting comprises detecting an attempted submission to a network destination of a NNTP communication including an un-aliased e-mail address.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring network traffic for Internet Message Access Protocol communications (IMAP) and the detecting comprises detecting an attempted submission to a network destination of a IMAP communication including an un-aliased e-mail address.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting step comprises detecting an attempted submission to a network destination of a website form including the un-aliased e-mail address.

12. Apparatus for generating disposable e-mail addresses, the apparatus comprising:

a proxy computer interposed between a user computer and a server, the proxy computer comprising:

a detection module adapted to monitor network traffic for HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) communications, and to detect a HTTP communication attempting submission of an un-aliased e-mail address to a network destination via network traffic directed to the server;

coupled to the detection module, a disposable e-mail address creation module adapted to seek authorization to create a disposable e-mail address responsive to detection of the attempted submission of an un-aliased e-mail address and create the disposable e-mail address responsive to receiving the authorization; and

coupled to the detection module and to the disposable e-mail address creation module, a storage module adapted to maintain a correlated list of disposable e-mail addresses and their corresponding network destinations.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the creation module is adapted to associate the newly created disposable e-mail address with corresponding network destinations receiving the un-aliased e-mail address.

14. At least one computer-readable medium containing computer program instructions for generating disposable email addresses, the computer program instructions performing the steps of:

monitoring network traffic for HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) communications;

detecting an attempted submission to a network destination of a HTTP communication including an un-aliased e-mail address;

responsive to detecting the attempted submission, seeking authorization to create a disposable e-mail address;

responsive to receiving authorization, creating the disposable e-mail address;

associating the newly created disposable e-mail address with the corresponding network destination; and

replacing the un-aliased e-mail address in the HTTP communications with the disposable e-mail address.

15. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the associating step comprises storing the newly created disposable e-mail address in a correlated list of disposable e-mail addresses and their corresponding network destinations.

16. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the detecting step comprises examining the correlated list for a disposable e-mail address associated with the network destination, and upon identifying a matching disposable e-mail address with the network destination, replacing the creating, and associating steps with the step of replacing the un-aliased e-mail address with the identified disposable e-mail address.

17. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the seeking step comprises prompting a human user for authorization to create a disposable e-mail address.

18. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the seeking step comprises automatically communicating with a device to gain authorization to create a disposable e-mail address.

19. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the monitoring step comprises scanning HTTP communications for content in website headers associated with an un-aliased e-mail address.

20. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the HTTP communications comprise a form submitted to a website.

21. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring network traffic for Network News Transport Protocol communications (NNTP) and the detecting step comprises detecting an attempted submission to a network destination of a NNTP communication including an un-aliased e-mail address.

22. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring network traffic for Internet Message Access Protocol communications (IMAP) and the detecting step comprises detecting an attempted submission to a network destination of a IMAP communication including an un-aliased e-mail address.

23. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the detecting step comprises detecting an attempted submission to a network destination of a website form including the un-aliased e-mail address.