Control and management of electronic messaging

1. A method for controlling messages, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of digital signatures;

determining a rate at which the plurality of digital signatures are created;

creating a tamper-resistant message indicator for a message, wherein the tamper-resistance message indicator is based on a rate at which the plurality digital signatures were created at a time the tamper-resistant message indicator was created; and

sending the message indicator with the message to a recipient.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicator is created using a trusted component.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message indicator indicates the number of messages sent over a given period of time.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message indicator is signed using a private key at the sender of the message.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the message indicator is signed by signing a hash based upon the message indicator using a private key at the sender.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a message authentication code based on the message indicator is sent to a recipient.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a message is permitted to be sent only if the message indicator for messages sent over a given time period is less than a given threshold.

8. A system for controlling messages, including:

a tamper-resistant processor;

a tamper-resistant memory storing message control instructions that are adapted to be executed by the processor to perform a method for associating a credential with a message to be sent to an intended recipient comprising:

creating a plurality of digital signatures;

determining a rate at which the plurality of digital signatures are created;

creating a tamper-resistant message indicator for a message, wherein the tamper-resistance message indicator is based on a rate at which the plurality digital signatures were created at a time the tamper-resistant message indicator was created; and

sending the message indicator with the message to a recipient.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the credential includes a velocity indicator.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein said velocity indicator indicates the number of messages sent over a given period of time.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein said velocity indicator is signed using a private key at the sender of the message.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein a hash based upon said velocity indicator is signed using a private key stored at the memory.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the credential includes a message authentication code based on the velocity indicator.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein said instructions are further adapted to be executed by the tamper-resistant processor to send the message only if the velocity indicator is less than a given threshold.

15. The system of claim 8 , wherein the credential includes a digital signature of the sender of the message.

16. The system of claim 8 , wherein the credential includes a digital certificate.

17. The system of claim 8 , wherein the message includes an e-mail message.

18. The system of claim 8 , wherein the message includes a telephonic message.

19. The system of claim 8 , wherein the message includes an instant message.

20. The system of claim 8 , wherein the message includes a videoconferencing message.

21. The system of claim 8 , wherein the message includes a fax message.

22. A method for controlling messages, the method comprising:

creating a tamper-resistant velocity indicator for a message comprising an adjustable time decay parameter associated with a message, wherein the adjustable time decay parameter is based on a rate at which messages are being sent;

determining a rate of change of the tamper-resistant velocity indictor;

providing the tamper-resistant velocity indicator and the rate of change of the tamper-resistant velocity indicator with the message.