Secure electronic mail system
An e-mail system is disclosed that overcomes many deficiencies of, but is backward compatible with, existing e-mail systems. Embodiments of the system may include various features, including but not limited to: (1) secure transfer of e-mail messages, without the need for users to replace existing e-mail clients or to change e-mail addresses; (2) tracking of all actions performed in connection with an e-mail transmission; (3) the ability for a recipient to view information about an e-mail message, optionally including information about how other addressees have responded to it, before deciding whether to retrieve the e-mail message; (4) the aggregation of entire e-mail conversations into a single threaded view; (5) the ability to include both private and public messages in a single e-mail communication; (6) sender control over downstream actions performed in connection with an e-mail message; (7) flexible control over cryptographic methods used to encrypt emails messages for storage.
1. A computer-implemented method of securely communicating e-mail messages, comprising:
receiving, from a server system providing a secure e-mail service, an e-mail message from a sender;
receiving, from a user, an input to either forward or reply to the e-mail message;
providing data corresponding to the user input to the server system;
receiving a determination, by the server system, whether the user input comprises a request to forward or reply to the e-mail message via the secure e-mail service; and
receiving a determination, by the server system, whether the user input comprises a request to forward or reply to the e-mail message via an e-mail service different from the secure e-mail service, the different e-mail service lacking security features of the secure e-mail service, wherein
based on a determination that the user input comprises a request to forward or reply to the e-mail message via the secure e-mail service, the server system proceeds with forwarding or replying to the e-mail message; and
based on a determination that the user input comprises a request to forward or reply to the e-mail message via the different e-mail service, when enforcing a service-level option, the server system prevents the forwarding or replying via the different e-mail service and allows the forward or reply to the e-mail message to be sent via the secure e-mail service; and
based on a determination that the user input comprises a request to forward or reply to the e-mail message via the different e-mail service, when not enforcing the service-level option, the server system notifies the sender that the security features of the secure-email service will be lost and sends the forward or reply to the e-mail message via the different e-mail service.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the secure e-mail service comprises a private e-mail network.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein preventing the forwarding or replying via the different e-mail service comprises automatically forwarding or replying via the secure e-mail service.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein preventing the forwarding or replying via the different e-mail service further comprises selecting a graphical user interface element representing the secure e-mail service, and further comprises preventing user selection of a graphical user interface element representing the different e-mail service.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein both the graphical user interface element representing the secure e-mail service and the graphical user interface element representing the unsecured e-mail service comprise a checkbox.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein preventing the forwarding or replying via the unsecured e-mail service further comprises, upon receiving a user input to deselect the graphical user interface element representing the secure e-mail service, providing a message to the user indicating the user input is not allowed.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein preventing the forwarding or replying via the different e-mail service further comprises disabling the copy/paste functionality of an e-mail reading window.