Probability based whitelist

1. A method for maintaining a whitelist, the method comprising:

storing information in memory regarding a plurality of users in memory, each user associated with a plurality of whitelists, the plurality of whitelists including an individual user whitelist and a whitelist associated with each group that the user has joined;

obtaining message data based on an email message sent by a first user to a second user;

executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor:

extracts information regarding the first user and the second user from the message data, and

processes the email message based on a plurality of whitelists associated with the second user, and

updating the plurality of whitelists associated with the first user based on the information regarding the second user, the update indicating that subsequent email messages from the second user to the first user are to be delivered and that subsequent email messages from the second user to a group that the first user has joined are to be delivered.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of whitelists associated with each user is hierarchical and wherein processing the email message comprises applying the plurality of whitelists in an order based on hierarchy.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the hierarchy includes whitelists selected from the group comprising individual whitelists, group whitelists, collaborative whitelists, corporate whitelists, community whitelists, and global whitelists.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein an entry in one hierarchy of whitelists is weighted in another hierarchy of whitelists, the weighting based on one or more rules governing the relationship between the hierarchies.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein one hierarchy of whitelists supersedes another hierarchy of whitelists.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving information indicating that the first user has joined a group.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising updating a group whitelist associated with the group based on the information regarding the second user.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the group shares whitelist entries and further comprising updating one or more whitelists associated with each other member of the group based on the information regarding the second user.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of users are trusted users of an Intranet and wherein a global whitelist associated with the Intranet includes all trusted users.

10. A system for maintaining a whitelist, the method comprising:

an antispam gateway that stores information regarding a plurality of users in memory, each user associated with a plurality of whitelists, the plurality of whitelists including an individual user whitelist and a whitelist associated with each group that the user has joined;

a message tap that obtains message data based on an email message sent by a first user to a second user;

wherein the antispam gateway:

extracts information regarding the first user and the second user from the message data,

processes the email message based on a plurality of whitelists associated with the second user, and

updates the plurality of whitelists associated with the first user based on the information regarding the second user, the update indicating that subsequent email messages from the second user to the first user are to be delivered and that subsequent email messages from the second user to a group that the first user has joined are to be delivered.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of whitelists associated with each user is hierarchical and wherein processing the email message comprises applying the plurality of whitelists in an order based on hierarchy.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the hierarchy includes whitelists selected from the group comprising individual whitelists, group whitelists, collaborative whitelists, corporate whitelists, community whitelists, and global whitelists.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein an entry in one hierarchy of whitelists is weighted in another hierarchy of whitelists, the weighting based on one or more rules governing the relationship between the hierarchies.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein one hierarchy of whitelists supersedes another hierarchy of whitelists.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the antispam gateway receives information indicating that the first user has joined a group.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the antispam gateway updates a group whitelist associated with the group based on the information regarding the second user.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the group shares whitelist entries and wherein the antispam gateway updates one or more whitelists associated with each other member of the group based on the information regarding the second user.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of users are trusted users of an Intranet and wherein a global whitelist associated with the Intranet includes all trusted users.

19. A method for maintaining a whitelist, the method comprising:

storing information in memory regarding a plurality of users in memory, each user associated with a plurality of whitelists, the plurality of whitelists including an individual user whitelist and a whitelist associated with each group that the user has joined;

obtaining message data based on an email message sent by a first user to a second user;

extracts information regarding the first user and the second user from the message data, and

processes the email message based on a plurality of whitelists associated with the second user, and

updating the plurality of whitelists associated with the first user based on the information regarding the second user, the update indicating that subsequent email messages from the second user to the first user are to be delivered and that subsequent email messages from the second user to a group that the first user has joined are to be delivered.