Enforcing messaging policies using tags
A messaging system receives a message sent by an enterprise to an individual user. The message has an associated message tag describing the content of the message. The messaging system applies a filtering policy to the message. The filtering policy selectively blocks messages sent by enterprises to users. The filtering policy allows the message having the associated tag to pass through the filter even though the message might otherwise violate the filtering policy. The messaging system samples a subset of tagged messages from enterprises and analyzes the messages for compliance with a tagging policy. The messaging system may also train one or more tag models to recognize the correct tags for the messages.
1. A method comprising:
receiving a message sent by a sender to a recipient using an electronic messaging system;
identifying a tag associated with the message, the tag describing content in a body of the message;
analyzing the message using a trained tag model, the trained tag model operative to receive the message and determine, based at least in part on one or more features associated with the message, whether the content of the message conforms with requirements associated with the tag;
applying a tag-based filtering policy, the tag-based filtering policy indicating an action for the messaging system to perform on the message based on the tag and a result of the analysis; and
performing the action indicated by the filtering policy on the message.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the tag associated with the message comprises:
identifying the tag in a header of the message.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the tag-based filtering policy to the message comprises:
identifying a first filtering policy applicable to the message, the first filtering policy blocking the message from being sent from the sender to the recipient; and
identifying, responsive to the tag associated with the message, a second filtering policy applicable to the message, the second filtering policy granting an exception to the first filtering policy for the message and allowing the message to be sent from the sender to the recipient;
wherein performing the action indicated by the tag-based filtering policy comprises passing the message from the sender to the recipient according to the second filtering policy.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of messages having the tag are sent by the sender and further comprising:
sampling a subset of the messages sent by the sender that have the tag;
analyzing a message in the sampled subset of messages for compliance with a tagging policy specifying types of messages that may be tagged using the tag; and
performing an enforcement action on the message in the sampled subset responsive to the analysis.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein analyzing the message in the sampled subset of messages comprises:
determining whether content of the message in the sampled subset of messages matches content described by the tag associated with the message.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein performing the enforcement action comprises:
delivering the message in the sampled subset from the sender to a recipient of the sampled message responsive to the analysis indicating that the message in the sampled subset complies with the tagging policy; and
blocking the message in the sampled subset from being sent from the sender to the recipient of the sampled message responsive to the analysis indicating that the message in the sampled subset does not comply with the tagging policy.
7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving a message sent by a sender to a recipient using an electronic messaging system;
identifying a tag associated with the message, the tag describing content in a body of the message;
analyzing the message using a trained tag model, the trained tag model operative to receive the message and determine, based at least in part on one or more features associated with the message, whether the content of the message conforms with requirements associated with the tag;
applying a tag-based filtering policy, the tag-based filtering policy indicating an action for the messaging system to perform on the message based on the tag and a result of the analysis; and
performing the action indicated by the filtering policy on the message.
8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein identifying the tag associated with the message comprises:
identifying the tag in a header of the message.
9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein applying the tag-based filtering policy to the message comprises:
identifying a first filtering policy applicable to the message, the first filtering policy blocking the message from being sent from the sender to the recipient; and
identifying, responsive to the tag associated with the message, a second filtering policy applicable to the message, the second filtering policy granting an exception to the first filtering policy for the message and allowing the message to be sent from the sender to the recipient;
wherein performing the action indicated by the tag-based filtering policy comprises passing the message from the sender to the recipient according to the second filtering policy.
10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein a plurality of messages having the tag are sent by the sender, the operations further comprising:
sampling a subset of the messages sent by the sender that have the tag;
analyzing a message in the sampled subset of messages for compliance with a tagging policy specifying types of messages that may be tagged using the tag; and
performing an enforcement action on the message in the sampled subset responsive to the analysis.
11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein analyzing the message in the sampled subset of messages comprises:
determining whether content of the message in the sampled subset of messages matches content described by the tag associated with the message.
12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein performing the enforcement action comprises:
delivering the message in the sampled subset from the sender to a recipient of the sampled message responsive to the analysis indicating that the message in the sampled subset complies with the tagging policy; and
blocking the message in the sampled subset from being sent from the sender to the recipient of the sampled message responsive to the analysis indicating that the message in the sampled subset does not comply with the tagging policy.
13. A system comprising:
a computer processor for executing computer program instructions; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program receiving a message sent by a sender to a recipient using an electronic messaging system;
identifying a tag associated with the message, the tag describing content in a body of the message;
analyzing the message using a trained tag model, the trained tag model operative to receive the message and determine, based at least in part on one or more features associated with the message, whether the content of the message conforms with requirements associated with the tag;
applying a tag-based filtering policy, the tag-based filtering policy indicating an action for the messaging system to perform on the message based on the tag and a result of the analysis; and
performing the action indicated by the filtering policy on the message.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein identifying the tag associated with the message comprises:
identifying the tag in a header of the message.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein applying the tag-based filtering policy to the message comprises:
identifying a first filtering policy applicable to the message, the first filtering policy blocking the message from being sent from the sender to the recipient; and
identifying, responsive to the tag associated with the message, a second filtering policy applicable to the message, the second filtering policy granting an exception to the first filtering policy for the message and allowing the message to be sent from the sender to the recipient;
wherein performing the action indicated by the tag-based filtering policy comprises passing the message from the sender to the recipient according to the second filtering policy.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein a plurality of messages having the tag are sent by the sender, the operations further comprising:
sampling a subset of the messages sent by the sender that have the tag;
analyzing a message in the sampled subset of messages for compliance with a tagging policy specifying types of messages that may be tagged using the tag; and
performing an enforcement action on the message in the sampled subset responsive to the analysis.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein performing the enforcement action comprises:
delivering the message in the sampled subset from the sender to a recipient of the sampled message responsive to the analysis indicating that the message in the sampled subset complies with the tagging policy; and
blocking the message in the sampled subset from being sent from the sender to the recipient of the sampled message responsive to the analysis indicating that the message in the sampled subset does not comply with the tagging policy.