System and method for allowing an e-mail message recipient to authenticate the message
View Patent ↗A system and method allows a recipient to authenticate an e-mail message to ensure that the message came from its purported source and was not altered or was highly unlikely to be altered.
1. A method of providing and authenticating an e-mail message, comprising:
providing a first portion of the e-mail message from a sender;
transforming the first portion of the e-mail message to produce a second portion of the e-mail message;
sending the first portion and the second portion of the e-mail message from the sender to a recipient;
receiving the first portion of the e-mail message and second portion of the e-mail message from the recipient;
transforming the first portion of the e-mail message received to produce a second transformation of the e-mail message;
comparing the second transformation of the e-mail message with the second portion of the e-mail message received; and
providing to the recipient an indication of authenticity of the e-mail message responsive to the comparing step;
wherein the receiving step comprises the step of providing a web site through which the recipient provides the first portion of the e-mail message and the second portion of the e-mail message;
wherein the indication of authenticity of the e-mail message is provided to the recipient through the web site; and
wherein the steps are performed at least part by one or more computer systems.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transforming steps each comprise hashing.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the transforming the first portion of the e-mail message to produce a second portion of the e-mail message step additionally comprises encrypting said first portion of the e-mail message.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first portion of the e-mail message and the second portion of the e-mail message are received via e-mail.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first portion of the e-mail message and the second portion of the e-mail message are received via a paste operation.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first portion of the e-mail message and the second portion of the e-mail message are received via an operator sent as part of the e-mail message.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the operator comprises a submit button.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the operator comprises a program.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the operator comprises a link.
10. The method of claim 1 , additionally comprising providing information previously agreed upon by the recipient and a party at least related to a party sending the first portion and the second portion of the e-mail message to the recipient.
11. A method of authenticating an e-mail message, comprising:
receiving the message by a recipient, the message comprising a first portion of the message and a second portion comprising a transformation of the first portion;
providing the first portion and the second portion of the message from the recipient to an authenticating party through a web site provided by the authenticating party;
receiving an indication from the authenticating party at the recipient indicating whether the message is authentic or not authentic;
responsive to the indication indicating the message is authentic, the recipient taking a first type of action; and
responsive to the indication indicating the message is authentic, the recipient taking a second type of action, different from the first type of action;
wherein the indication of authenticity of the e-mail message is provided to the recipient through the web site.
12. A system for providing and authenticating an email message, comprising:
a core message receiver having an input for receiving a first portion of the e-mail message, the core message receiver for providing at an output the first portion of the e-mail message;
a hasher having an input coupled to the core message receiver for receiving the first portion of the e-mail message, the hasher for transforming the first portion of the e-mail message to produce a second portion of the e-mail message and for providing at an output the second portion of the e-mail message;
a message sender having a first input coupled to the core message receiver output for receiving the first portion of the e-mail message and a second input coupled to the message hasher output for receiving the second portion of the e-mail message, the message sender for sending the first portion and the second portion of the e-mail message to a recipient;
a message receiver having an input for receiving the first portion of the e-mail message and second portion of the e-mail message from the recipient, the message receiver for providing the first portion of the e-mail message and the second portion of the e-mail message at an output;
a rehash manager having an input coupled to the message receiver output for receiving the first portion of the e-mail message, the rehash manager for transforming the first portion of the e-mail message to produce a second transformation of the e-mail message and for providing the second transformation of the e-mail message at an output;
a hash compare manager having a first input coupled to the message receiver output for receiving the second portion of the message, and a second input coupled to the rehash manager output for receiving the second transformation, the hash compare manager for comparing the second transformation of the e-mail message with the second portion of the e-mail message received and for providing at an output an indication of authenticity of the e-mail message responsive to said comparing; and
an indication communicator having an input coupled to the hash compare manager output, and the indication communicator for providing the indication to the recipient
wherein the input of the message receiver comprises a web site through which the recipient provides the first portion of the e-mail message and the second portion of the e-mail message; and
wherein the indication of authenticity of the e-mail message is provided to the recipient through the web site.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the transforming by the hasher and the transforming by the rehash manager each comprise hashing.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the transforming by the hasher additionally comprises encrypting said first portion of the e-mail message.
15. The system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first portion of the e-mail message and the second portion of the e-mail message are received by the message receiver via e-mail.
16. The system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first portion of the e-mail message and the second portion of the e-mail message are received by the message receiver via a paste operation.
17. The system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first portion of the e-mail message and the second portion of the e-mail message are received by the message receiver via an operator sent as part of the e-mail message.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the operator comprises a submit button.
19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the operator comprises a program.
20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the operator comprises a link.
21. The system of claim 12 additionally comprising a log in manager for providing information previously agreed upon by the recipient and a party at least related to a party sending the first portion and the second portion of the e-mail message to the recipient.
22. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for providing and authenticating an e-mail message, the computer program product comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer system to:
provide a first portion of the e-mail message from a sender;
transform the first portion of the e-mail message to produce a second portion of the e-mail message;
send the first portion and the second portion of the e-mail message from the sender to a recipient;
receive the first portion of the e-mail message and second portion of the e-mail message from the recipient;
transform the first portion of the e-mail message received to produce a second transformation of the e-mail message;
compare the second transformation of the e-mail message with the second portion of the e-mail message received; and
provide to the recipient an indication of authenticity of the e-mail message responsive to the comparing step;
wherein the receiving comprises providing a web site through which the recipient provides the first portion of the e-mail message and the second portion of the e-mail message; and
wherein the indication of authenticity of the e-mail message is provided to the recipient through the web site.
23. The computer program product of claim 22 , wherein the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to transform each comprise computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to hash.
24. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to transform the first portion of the e-mail message to produce a second portion of the e-mail message additionally comprises computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to encrypt said first portion of the e-mail message.
25. The computer program product of claim 22 , wherein at least one of the first portion of the e-mail message and the second portion of the e-mail message are received via e-mail.
26. The computer program product of claim 22 , wherein at least one of the first portion of the e-mail message and the second portion of the e-mail message are received via a paste operation.
27. The computer program product of claim 22 , wherein at least one of the first portion of the e-mail message and the second portion of the e-mail message are received via an operator sent as part of the e-mail message.
28. The computer program product of claim 27 , wherein the operator comprises a submit button.
29. The computer program product of claim 27 , wherein the operator comprises a program.
30. The computer program product of claim 27 , wherein the operator comprises a link.
31. The computer program product of claim 22 additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to provide information previously agreed upon by the recipient and a party at least related to a party sending the first portion and the second portion of the e-mail message to the recipient.