E-mail policy compliance techniques
According to the described embodiments, an intermediate electronic messaging service is inserted into a message delivery path connecting to an e-mail entity such as an ISP. A database is provided in the intermediate service, the database having user profiles associated with the users of the ISP or other e-mail entity. The intermediate service receives email message over the electronic message delivery path into which it has been inserted, where the e-mail messages comprise at least content and IP routing information. Within the intermediate service, at least one of the content and the IP routing information of the received e-mail message is examined, and the e-mail message is then delivered to a destination based on the examination and in accordance with a user profile in the database in the intermediate service.
1. A method of providing electronic messaging services in an e-mail network comprising an e-mail entity operable to send and receive messages on behalf of its users over electronic message delivery paths between the e-mail entity and e-mail sending and receiving servers, the method comprising:
inserting an intermediate service into at least one of the electronic message delivery paths by changing an MX record in a DNS database containing an IP address of an e-mail server of the e-mail entity to contain an IP address for the intermediate service;
providing a database in the intermediate service, the database having user profiles associated with the users of the e-mail entity;
receiving an e-mail message in the intermediate service over at least one of the electronic message delivery paths, the e-mail message comprising content and IP routing information;
examining at least one of the content and the IP routing information of the received e-mail message; and
delivering the e-mail message to at least one destination based on the examination and in accordance with a user profile in the database in the intermediate service.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the delivering comprises delivering the e-mail message to a quarantine area.
3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the quarantine area is associated with a user of the e-mail entity.
4. A method according to claim 1 , and further comprising sending a notification upon the delivering of the e-mail to the at least one destination in accordance with the user profile.
5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein the notification is sent to a user with whom the user profile is associated.
6. A method according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one destination is a quarantine area.
7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the delivering comprises delivering the e-mail message to a quarantine area and further comprising providing access to the quarantine area by a user.
8. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the user can then, if desired, download messages from the quarantine area.
9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one destination is the user's destination server.
10. A method according to claim 9 , and further comprising sending a notification upon the delivering of the e-mail to the at least one destination in accordance with the user profile.
11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the notification is sent to a user with whom the user profile is associated.
12. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic message path is between the e-mail entity and a sending e-mail server.
13. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the destination is a device other than a wired device associated with a user of the e-mail entity who is an intended recipient of the received e-mail message.
14. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the examining comprises examining the content of the received e-mail according to rules in the user profile.
15. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the delivering comprises delivering the e-mail message to multiple destinations.
16. A method according to claim 15 , wherein at least one of the multiple destinations is associated with a user of the e-mail entity who is an intended recipient of the received e-mail message.
17. A method according to claim 15 , wherein the delivering further comprises delivering different portions or versions of the e-mail message to different ones of the multiple destinations.
18. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising identifying a media part of the received e-mail message, modifying the e-mail message by substituting different electronic content for the media part, and delivering the modified e-mail message.
19. A method according to claim 18 , wherein the different electronic content is derived from the media part.
20. A method according to claim 18 , wherein the different electronic content is descriptive of the media part.
21. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the delivering comprises delivering less than all of the e-mail message that was received in the intermediate service.
22. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the e-mail server whose MX record was substituted with the intermediate service's IP address is a primary e-mail server for a user of the e-mail entity who is an intended recipient of the received e-mail message.
23. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the e-mail entity creates the user profile on which the delivering is based.
24. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the user profile on which the delivering is based is modifiable by a user of the e-mail entity who is an intended recipient of the received e-mail message.
25. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the examining comprises determining whether the received e-mail message is good or bad in accordance with the user profile, and wherein good e-mail messages are addressed to be delivered to one or more addresses in accordance with information specified in the user profile.
26. A method according to claim 25 , further comprising sending the good e-mail messages to an outbound e-mail server cluster within the intermediate service for the delivering.
27. A method according to claim 26 , wherein the delivering comprises delivering the bad e-mail messages to a quarantine area.
28. A method according to claim 27 , further comprising sending a notification e-mail message indicating that bad e-mail messages have been delivered to a quarantine area.
29. A method according to claim 28 , wherein the notification is sent to a user with whom the user profile is associated.
30. A method of providing electronic messaging services in an e-mail network comprising an e-mail entity operable to send and receive e-mail messages on behalf of its users over electronic message delivery paths between the e-mail entity and e-mail sending and receiving servers, the method comprising:
inserting an intermediate service into at least one of the electronic message delivery paths by substituting an address for the intermediate service for an address for an e-mail server of the e-mail entity;
providing a database in the intermediate service, the database having user profiles associated with the users of the e-mail entity;
receiving an e-mail message in the intermediate service over at least one of the electronic message delivery paths, the e-mail message comprising content and IP routing information;
examining at least one of the content and the IP routing information of the received e-mail message to determine whether the e-mail message is good or bad according to at least one of the user profiles;
delivering the e-mail message to at least one destination in accordance with whether the e-mail message is determined to be good or bad.
31. A method according to claim 30 , wherein the delivering comprises delivering the e-mail message to a destination specified in the at least one user profile.
32. A method according to claim 30 , wherein the delivering comprises delivering the e-mail message to a destination associated with a user of the e-mail entity.
33. A method according to claim 30 , wherein the delivering comprises delivering the e-mail message to a quarantine area.
34. A method according to claim 30 , and further comprising sending a notification upon the delivering of the e-mail message to the at least one destination.
35. A method according to claim 34 , wherein the notification is sent to a user with whom the at least one user profile is associated.
36. A method according to claim 34 , wherein the destination is a quarantine area.
37. A method according to claim 30 , wherein the delivering comprises delivering the e-mail message to a quarantine area and further comprising providing access to the quarantine area by a user.
38. A method according to claim 37 , wherein the user can then, if desired, download messages from the quarantine area.
39. A method according to claim 34 , wherein the destination is the user's destination server.
40. A method according to claim 39 , wherein the notification is sent after delivery of the message to its destination.
41. A method according to claim 30 , wherein the electronic message path is between the e-mail entity and an e-mail sending server.
42. A method according to claim 30 , wherein the at least one destination is a device other than a wired device associated with a user of the e-mail entity who is an intended recipient of the received e-mail message.
43. A method according to claim 30 , wherein the examining comprises examining the content of the received e-mail message according to rules in the at least one user profile.
44. A The method according to claim 30 , wherein the delivering comprises delivering the e-mail message to multiple destinations.
45. A The method according to claim 44 , wherein at least one of the multiple destinations is associated with a user of the e-mail entity who is an intended recipient of the received e-mail message.
46. A method according to claim 44 , wherein the delivering further comprises delivering different portions or versions of the e-mail message to different ones of the multiple destinations.
47. A method according to claim 30 , further comprising identifying a media part of the received e-mail message, modifying the e-mail message by substituting different electronic content for the media part, and delivering the modified e-mail message.
48. A method according to claim 47 , wherein the different electronic content is derived from the media part.
49. A method according to claim 47 , wherein the different electronic content is descriptive of the media part.
50. A method according to claim 30 , wherein the delivering comprises delivering less than all of the e-mail message that was received in the intermediate service.
51. A method according to claim 30 , wherein the e-mail server whose address was substituted with the address of the intermediate service is a primary e-mail server for a user of the e-mail entity who is an intended recipient of the received e-mail message.
52. A method according to claim 30 , wherein the e-mail entity creates the at least one user profile.
53. A method according to claim 30 , wherein the at least one user profile on which the delivering is based is modifiable by a user of the e-mail entity who is an intended recipient of the received e-mail message.
54. A method of providing electronic messaging services in an e-mail network comprising an e-mail entity operable to send and receive e-mail messages on behalf of its users over electronic message delivery paths between the e-mail entity and e-mail sending and receiving servers, the method comprising:
inserting an intermediate service into at least one of the electronic message delivery paths by substituting an address for the intermediate service for an address for a primary e-mail server of at least one of the users of the e-mail entity;
providing a database in the intermediate service, the database having user profiles associated with the users of the e-mail entity;
receiving an e-mail message in the intermediate service over at least one of the electronic message delivery paths, the e-mail message comprising content and IP routing information;
examining at least one of the content and the IP routing information of the received e-mail message to determine whether the e-mail message is good or bad according to rules set forth at least one of the user profiles;
delivering the e-mail message to a destination in accordance with whether the e-mail message is determined to be good or bad and according to a destination specified in the at least one user profile.