Method and apparatus for simulating end user responses to spam email messages
View Patent ↗A method and system for simulating end user responses to spam email messages are described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a probe email message indicative of spam and identifying a seeding component in the probe email message. The method further includes activating the seeding component utilizing a selected email address. The selected email address may then appear to the originator of the probe email message as an active email account.
1. A method, comprising:
a computer system receiving an email message addressed to a first probe email address;
the computer system determining whether a web beacon is present in the email message;
in response to determining that a web beacon is present in the email message, the computer system identifying the first probe email address in a name string of the web beacon;
the computer system replacing the identified first probe email address in the name string of the web beacon with a second, different probe email address; and
the computer system activating the web beacon, wherein activating the web beacon provides an indication that the second probe email address is active.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second probe email address is selected from a plurality of previously utilized probe email addresses.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication is provided to
an originator of the email message.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second probe email address is selected based on previous email address use.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second probe email address is selected based on email address age.
6. A computer system, comprising:
a processor;
a memory storing program instructions executable to cause the computer system to: receive an email message addressed to a first probe email address;
determine whether a web beacon is present in the email message;
in response to determining that a web beacon is present in the email message, identify the first probe email address in a name string of the web beacon;
replace the identified first probe email address in the name string of the web beacon with a second, different probe email address; and
activate the web beacon, wherein activating the web beacon provides an indication that the second probe email address is active.
7. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions executable on a processing system to cause said processing system to:
receive an email message addressed to a first probe email address;
determine whether a web beacon is present in the email message;
in response to determining that a web beacon is present in the email message, identify the first probe email address in a name string of the web beacon;
replace the identified first probe email address in the name string of the web beacon with a second, different probe email address; and
activate the web beacon, wherein activating the web beacon provides an indication that the second probe email address is active.
8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the indication is provided to an originator of the email message.
9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the second probe email address is selected from a plurality of previously utilized probe email addresses.
10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the second probe email address is selected based on previous email address use.
11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the second probe email address is selected based on email address origin.
12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the second probe email address is selected based on email address age.
13. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second probe email address is selected based on email address origin.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the web beacon includes using an ISP dialup account to disassociate the indication from IP addresses that are traceable to the computer system.
15. The system of claim 6 , wherein the indication is provided to an originator of the email message.
16. The computer system of claim 6 , wherein the second probe email address is selected from a plurality of previously utilized probe email addresses.
17. The computer system of claim 16 , wherein the second probe email address is selected based on previous email address use.
18. The computer system of claim 16 , wherein the second probe email address is selected based on email address origin.
19. The computer system of claim 16 , wherein the second probe email address is selected based on email address age.