IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,523,496
Granted Patent B2
US 7,523,496 · App. 09/919,248 · Granted Apr 21, 2009

Authenticating without opening electronic mail

Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,523,496
App. No.
09/919,248
Granted
Apr 21, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for enabling the recipient of electronic mail (e-mail) to authenticate the originator of the e-mail without opening the e-mail, so that e-mail that carries a computer virus which activates upon opening the e-mail may be rejected. The originator and the recipient agree beforehand on a privately held authentication code, which is carried in an open field of the e-mail, i.e., carried in a field that is visible to an agent of the recipient without opening the e-mail.

Claims (46)

1. An authentication method for electronic mail, comprising the steps of:

storing an authentication key in a memory of a recipient of the electronic mail at an address that is dependent upon a source identifier that identifies an originator of the electronic mail;

receiving, by the recipient, the electronic mail from the originator;

responsive to receiving the electronic mail, determining whether the authentication key is present in an open field of the electronic mail;

responsive to determining that the authentication key is present, determining whether the authentication key is associated with the originator; and

responsive to determining that the authentication key is not associated with the originator, rejecting the electronic mail,

wherein said determining whether the authentication key is associated with the originator includes: reading the stored authentication key from the address at the memory of the recipient, and comparing the authentication key with the stored authentication key that had been read from the address at the memory of the recipient to determine whether the authentication key is associated with the originator.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the open field is a subject line of the electronic mail.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication key is dependent upon only an identity of the originator.

4. An authentication method for electronic mail, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a recipient, electronic mail from an originator;

responsive to receiving the electronic mail, determining whether an authentication key is expected to be present in an open field of the electronic mail;

responsive to determining that the authentication key is expected to be present, determining whether the authentication key is present; and

responsive to determining that the authentication key is not expected to be present, accepting the electronic mail.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the authentication key is dependent upon only an identity of the originator.

6. An authentication method for electronic mail, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a recipient, electronic mail from an originator;

responsive to receiving the electronic mail, determining whether an authentication key is expected to be present in an open field of the electronic mail;

responsive to determining that the authentication key is expected to be present, determining whether the authentication key is present;

responsive to determining that the authentication key is not present, rejecting the electronic mail;

responsive to determining that the authentication key is present, determining whether the authentication key is associated with the originator;

responsive to determining that the authentication key is associated with the originator, accepting the electronic mail; and

responsive to determining that the authentication key is not associated with the originator, rejecting the electronic mail.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of determining whether an authentication key is expected to be present in an open field of the electronic mail includes the steps of:

reading a flag from a memory of the recipient at an address that is dependent upon a source identifier that identifies the originator, wherein the flag indicates whether the electronic mail from the originator is expected to include the authentication key; and

determining from the flag that had been read from the memory whether the authentication key is expected to be present in the open field of the electronic mail.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises storing the authentication key in a memory of the recipient at an address that is dependent upon a source identifier that identifies the originator, wherein the step of determining whether the authentication key is associated with the originator includes the steps of:

reading the stored authentication key from the address at the memory of the recipient; and

comparing the authentication key with the stored authentication key that had been read from the address at the memory of the recipient to determine whether the authentication key is associated with the originator.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the authentication key is dependent upon only an identity of the originator.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the authentication key is dependent upon only an identity of the originator.

11. An authentication method for electronic mail, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a recipient, the electronic mail from an originator, the electronic mail having been previously prepared for sending from the originator to the recipient;

responsive to receiving the electronic mail, determining whether an authentication key is expected to be present in an open field of the electronic mail;

responsive to determining that the authentication key is expected to be present, determining whether the authentication key is present; and

responsive to determining that the authentication key is not present in the open field of the electronic mail, rejecting the electronic mail.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the authentication key is dependent upon only an identity of the originator.

13. An authentication method for electronic mail having a subject line, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a recipient, the electronic mail from an originator, the electronic mail having been previously prepared for sending from the originator with a source identifier to the recipient with a destination identifier;

responsive to receiving the electronic mail, determining whether an authentication key is expected to be present in an open field of the electronic mail;

responsive to determining that the authentication key is not expected to be present, accepting the electronic mail;

responsive to determining that the authentication key is expected to be present, determining whether the authentication key is present;

responsive to determining that the authentication key is present, determining whether the authentication key is associated with both the originator and the recipient;

responsive to determining that the authentication key is associated with both the originator and the recipient, accepting the electronic mail;

responsive to determining that the authentication key is not associated with both the originator and the recipient, rejecting the electronic mail; and

responsive to determining that the authentication key is not present, rejecting the electronic mail.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 31, 2001
From: BICKFORD, JOHN HOLDEN; LINGAFELT, CHARLES STEVEN; SISK, ROBERT B.
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 012073/0879 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20030028767A1 · Feb 6, 2003