Ironport Systems, Inc.

Paul J Clegg

Peter Schlampp

Daniel A Quinlan

Patrick Richard Peterson

Craig Sprosts

Scott Banister

Robert Brahms

Shun Chen

Lonhyn Jasinskyj

Eric C Huss

Charles S Slater

Ben Cottrell

Brennan H Evans

Robert Brian Harrison

Krishna Srinivasan

A method and apparatus for providing access to resources of a network device is provided. A user instructs a network device to generate a user password that is concealed from the user of the network device. The network device generates the user password based on, at least in part, public input provided by the user, and an algorithm which is concealed from the user, but known to a support service provider. The user communicates the public input to the support service provider. The support service provider uses the public input to generate a provider password based on, at least in part, the algorithm. The support service provider may access the network device via a network by providing the provider password to the network device. If the provider password matches the user password generated, then the support service provider is granted access to resources of the network device.

Method and apparatus for providing temporary access to a network device

A method and apparatus for managing the delivery of electronic messages using bounce profiles is provided. A bounce profile is a set of data that may be used by a mail server in redelivering an electronic message that was not successfully delivered (i.e., bounced) to a recipient of an electronic message. A sender mail server, upon determining that an electronic message sent to a recipient mail server bounced, may select a bounce profile, among a plurality of bounce profiles, that is associated with a trait of the bounced electronic message, such as a domain of the recipient or a message type of the bounced electronic message. The sender mail server determines whether, and how, to redeliver the bounced electronic message to the recipient mail server based on information specified by the selected bounce profile.

Managing delivery of electronic messages using bounce profiles

A method and apparatus for managing connections and messages at a server by associating different actions for both different senders and different recipients is disclosed. The server manages connections from different senders by receiving incoming connections from the different senders and determining sender identifiers for the incoming connections. The server inspects a mapping of sender identifiers to actions to identify which action should be applied to each incoming connection. The server applies the actions, such as accepting the connection, rejecting the connection, relaying the connection, or refusing the connection. Also, the server manages electronic messages for different recipients by determining recipient identifiers for the electronic messages. The server inspects a mapping of recipient identifiers to actions to identify which action should be applied for the recipients of the email messages. The server applies the actions, such as accepting or rejecting the email message for delivery to a recipient.

Managing connections and messages at a server by associating different actions for both different senders and different recipients

An approach for monitoring electronic messages received at a server is disclosed. Message information for a plurality of electronic messages received at the server is determined and stored in a queue. Based on the queue, aggregate information is generated for a particular network address of a plurality of network addresses. The aggregate information is generated for each time interval of a plurality of time intervals and displayed for the plurality of time intervals. In some implementations, input from a user is received, and based on the input, a modification is made regarding how future electronic messages from the particular network address are handled by the server. In some implementations, combined aggregate information is generated for two or more network addresses and then displayed. In some implementations, aggregate policy information indicating which policies have been applied to the electronic messages is generated and displayed for the time intervals.

Monitoring the flow of messages received at a server

A method and apparatus for managing connections, email messages, and directory harvest attacks at a server is disclosed. The server maintains a count of a parameter and compares the count to a specified maximum value, such that when the specified maximum value is met or exceeded, an action is taken by the server to limit the connections, email messages, or directory harvest attack. Actions include controlling the number of connections to the server from senders, controlling the flow of email messages injected to the server by senders, and controlling when rejection response messages are sent for invalid recipient email addresses to thwart a directory harvest attack. Senders are identified by one or more sender identifiers, which can be used to group senders together so that the same maximum value is applied collectively to all senders in the group.

Managing connections, messages, and directory harvest attacks at a server

Message delivery approaches are disclosed in which senders can define filters with associated actions for evaluation in relation to specified messages. After creating and storing filters with specified actions, senders dispatch messages to a processing system, which evaluates the filters against the messages. If a match occurs, the processing system performs the specified actions on the messages. In one embodiment, the processing system can send the same message multiple times to different receiving systems, and can modify the source IP address and outbound interface of the message for each receiving system. Further, the source IP address or interface may be modified by a filter in response to external events, such as a receiving system blocking another copy of the message. In this way, a single message processing system can appear as a large number of virtual message sending units, thereby increasing the chance that a particular message will arrive at its destination without blocking by message blocking or filtering technologies at the receiver. For bulk mailers, different filters can be associated with different communication campaigns.

Electronic message delivery using a virtual gateway approach

Message delivery approaches in which senders define filters with associated actions for evaluation in relation to specified messages. After creating and storing filters with specified actions, senders dispatch messages to a processing system, which evaluates the filters against the messages. If a match occurs, the processing system performs the specified actions on the messages. The processing system may send the same message multiple times to different receiving systems, and may modify the source IP address and outbound interface of the message for each receiving system. The source IP address or interface may be modified by a filter in response to external events, such as a receiving system blocking another copy of the message. A single message processing system can appear as a large number of virtual message sendingunits.

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Pacifica, CA, United States of America

Paul J Clegg