Addressee-based whitelisting
In some embodiments, techniques for filtering electronic messages may include receiving an email message, determining a non-recipient email addressee associated with the email message, wherein the non-recipient email addressee has an address that is unaffiliated with a recipient for which the email message has been received, determining whether the non-recipient email addressee is associated with a whitelist; and processing the email message preferentially, when it is determined that the non-recipient email addressee is associated with the whitelist.
1. A method for filtering an email message, comprising:
receiving an email message;
determining a non-recipient email addressee associated with the email message, wherein the non-recipient email addressee has an address that is unaffiliated with a recipient for which the email message has been received;
determining whether the non-recipient email addressee is associated with a whitelist; and
processing the email message preferentially, when it is determined that the non-recipient email addressee is associated with the whitelist.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the non-recipient email addressee is associated with the whitelist includes calculating a hash, wherein the hash includes the non-recipient email addressee, and determining whether the hash is associated with the whitelist.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-recipient email addressee is a mailing list.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the email message preferentially includes delivering the email message.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the non-recipient email addressee associated with the email message includes determining that the non-recipient email addressee is specified in a “To” header line in the email message.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the non-recipient email addressee associated with the email message includes determining that the non-recipient email addressee is specified in a “CC” header line in the email message.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a second non-recipient email addressee associated with the email message, wherein the second non-recipient email addressee has an address that is unaffiliated with the recipient for which the email message has been received, and determining that the second non-recipient email addressee is associated with the whitelist.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a second email message, wherein receiving the second email message precedes receiving the email message;
determining an email correspondent associated with the second email message, wherein the email correspondent is one of a sender of the second email message and an addressee of the second email message; and
adding the email correspondent to the whitelist.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining that the second email message is not spam.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving user approval to add the email correspondent to the whitelist.
11. A system for filtering an email message, comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive an email message;
determine a non-recipient email addressee associated with the email message, wherein the non-recipient email addressee has an address that is unaffiliated with a recipient for which the email message has been received;
determine whether the non-recipient email addressee is associated with a whitelist; and
process the email message preferentially, when it is determined that the non-recipient email addressee is associated with the whitelist; and
a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory provides instructions to the processor.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein determining whether the non-recipient email addressee is associated with the whitelist includes calculating a hash, wherein the hash includes the non-recipient email addressee, and determining whether the hash is associated with the whitelist.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the non-recipient email addressee is a mailing list.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein processing the email message preferentially includes delivering the email message.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein determining the non-recipient email addressee associated with the email message includes determining that the non-recipient email addressee is specified in a “To” header line in the email message.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein determining the non-recipient email addressee associated with the email message includes determining that the non-recipient email addressee is specified in a “CC” header line in the email message.
17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a second non-recipient email addressee associated with the email message, wherein the second non-recipient email addressee has an address that is unaffiliated with the recipient for which the email message has been received, and determine that the second non-recipient email addressee is associated with the whitelist.
18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive a second email message, wherein receiving the second email message precedes receiving the email message;
determine an email correspondent associated with the second email message, wherein the email correspondent is one of a sender of the second email message and an addressee of the second email message; and
add the email correspondent to the whitelist.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the second email message is not spam.
20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive user approval to add the email correspondent to the whitelist.
21. A computer program product for filtering an email message, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
receiving an email message;
determining a non-recipient email addressee associated with the email message, wherein the non-recipient email addressee has an address that is unaffiliated with a recipient for which the email message has been received;
determining whether the non-recipient email addressee is associated with a whitelist; and
processing the email message preferentially, when it is determined that the non-recipient email addressee is associated with the whitelist.
22. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein determining whether the non-recipient email addressee is associated with the whitelist includes calculating a hash, wherein the hash includes the non-recipient email addressee, and determining whether the hash is associated with the whitelist.
23. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the non-recipient email addressee is a mailing list.
24. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein processing the email message preferentially includes delivering the email message.
25. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein determining the non-recipient email addressee associated with the email message includes determining that the non-recipient email addressee is specified in a “To” header line in the email message.
26. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein determining the non-recipient email addressee associated with the email message includes determining that the non-recipient email addressee is specified in a “CC” header line in the email message.
27. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the computer program product further comprises computer instructions for determining a second non-recipient email addressee associated with the email message, wherein the second non-recipient email addressee has an address that is unaffiliated with the recipient for which the email message has been received, and determining that the second non-recipient email addressee is associated with the whitelist.
28. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the computer program product further comprises computer instructions for:
receiving a second email message, wherein receiving the second email message precedes receiving the email message;
determining an email correspondent associated with the second email message, wherein the email correspondent is one of a sender of the second email message and an addressee of the second email message; and
adding the email correspondent to the whitelist.
29. The computer program product of claim 28 , wherein the computer program product further comprises computer instructions for determining that the second email message is not spam.
30. The computer program product of claim 28 , wherein the computer program product further comprises computer instructions for receiving user approval to add the email correspondent to the whitelist.