IP Library Granted Patent US 9,058,592
Granted Patent B2
US 9,058,592 · App. 13/095,881 · Granted Jun 16, 2015

Reporting compromised email accounts

Inventors: Krish Vitaldevara (Fremont, CA); Jason Walter (San Jose, CA); Eliot Gillum (Mountain View, CA); Hersh Dangayach (White Plains, NY); Samuel J. Albert (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
G06Q10/107H04L63/1441
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,058,592
App. No.
13/095,881
Granted
Jun 16, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides a method for detecting compromised accounts. The method includes receiving a communication from a sender's account to a recipient. The sender's account is associated with a sender. The method also includes presenting a compromised account reporting interface to the recipient based on specific conditions. Further, the method includes receiving a selection by the recipient indicating the sender's account is compromised. The method also includes determining that the sender's account is compromised based on the selection. Additionally, the method includes generating, in response to a selection by the recipient, a report indicating that the account is compromised.

Claims (62)

1. A method for detecting compromised accounts, comprising:

presenting a compromised account reporting interface comprising a selection indicating a sender's account is compromised based on specific conditions, and in response to a communication from the sender's account, wherein the selection is disabled until after the communication is read;

determining that the sender's account is compromised based on the selection;

generating a report indicating that the account is compromised in response to the determination; and

blocking future communications from the sender's account to the recipient in response to the determination.

2. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein determining that the account is compromised is further based on one of:

a behavior of the sender's account;

a reputation of the sender's account;

a behavior of the recipient;

a reputation of the recipient; and

combinations thereof.

3. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the specific conditions comprise one of:

the recipient having an established communication relationship with the sender's account; and the recipient designating the sender's account as a trusted associate.

4. The method recited in claim 3 , wherein the specific conditions comprise the recipient moving the communication to a junk email folder.

5. The method recited in claim 3 , wherein the established communication relationship comprises the recipient:

receiving at least one previous communication from the sender's account;

reading the previous communication; and

sending at least one other communication to the sender's account.

6. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the communication comprises

one of:

an email;

a short message service (SMS) text;

a telephone communication;

an image;

a video;

an instant message;

a blog posting;

a comment on the blog posting;

an update to an online profile; and a network communication.

7. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein blocking future communications comprises moving communications from the sender's account to a specified folder until the sender's account is recovered.

8. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein blocking future communications comprises blocking future communications until the sender's account is recovered.

9. The method recited in claim 1 , comprising allowing, in response to a subsequent selection, future communication from the sender's account to the recipient.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection is disabled if there are more than two users involved in the communication.

11. A system for detecting compromised accounts, comprising:

a processing unit; and

a system memory, wherein the system memory comprises code configured to direct the processing unit to:

present a reporting interface comprising a selection indicating a sender's account is compromised based on specific conditions relating to the sender's account or the communication, and in response to receiving a communication from the sender's account, wherein the selection is disabled until after the communication is read;

determine that the sender's account is compromised based on the selection;

generate a report, based on the determination, the report indicating the account is compromised; and

block future communications from the sender's account to the recipient.

12. The system recited in claim 11 , wherein the determination that the account is compromised is further based on one of:

a behavior of the sender's account;

a reputation of the sender's account; and

combinations thereof.

13. The system recited in claim 11 , wherein the specific conditions comprise one of:

the recipient having an established communication relationship with the sender's account; and

the recipient designating the sender's account as a trusted associate.

14. The system recited in claim 13 , wherein the specific conditions comprise moving the communication to a junk email folder.

15. One or more computer-readable storage devices, comprising code configured to direct a processing unit to:

present a compromised account reporting interface comprising a selection indicating a sender's account is compromised based on specific conditions, and in response to a communication from the sender's account to the recipient, wherein the selection is disabled until after the communication is read, and wherein the specific conditions comprise the recipient moving the communication to a junk email folder;

determine that the sender's account is compromised based on the selection and a behavior of the sender's account;

generate a report based on the determination, the report indicating the account is compromised, wherein the report is based on the communication; and

block future communications from the sender's account to the recipient in response to a subsequent selection.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage devices recited in claim 15 , wherein the specific conditions comprise one of:

the recipient having an established communication relationship with the sender's account; and

the recipient designating the sender's account as a trusted associate.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage devices recited in claim 16 , wherein the established communication relationship comprises the recipient having:

received at least one previous communication from the sender's account;

read the previous communication; and

sent at least one other communication to the sender's account.

18. The computer-readable storage devices recited in claim 15 , comprising code configured to direct the processing unit to allow, in response to a subsequent selection by the recipient, future communication from the sender's account to the recipient.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage devices recited in claim 15 , wherein the communication comprises an instant message, an SMS message, a telephone communication, an image, a video, a blog posting, or a comment on the blog posting.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2014
From: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 034544/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2011
From: VITALDEVARA, KRISH; WALTER, JASON; GILLUM, ELIOT; DANGAYACH, HERSH; ALBERT, SAMUEL J.
To: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 026191/0001 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20120278887A1 · Nov 1, 2012