Sender verification for encrypted electronic messaging

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system and method for sender verification of encrypted electronic message transmission. The disclosed system and method can help reduce or prevent spam between electronic devices. An electronic device can determine whether the electronic device is qualified to send an electronic message with a first encryption level before sending the message to another device, and the first encryption level is higher than a second encryption level. If the electronic device determines that it is not qualified to send the message with the first encryption level to another electronic device, the first message from the electronic device to the other electronic device can be sent with the second encryption level as part of an unencrypted or low-encryption handshake between the devices.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 023,134, filed on May 11, 2020, entitled “Sender Verification for Encrypted Electronic Messaging,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This specification relates generally to electronic messaging. Background Art

[0004] Electronic messages are typically exchanged between electronic devices via a cellular communication network through a short message service (SMS) server. Electronic messages sent in this manner are typically referred to as SMS messages. In addition, messaging systems separate from SMS servers may also allow electronic messages to be exchanged between electronic devices. These messaging systems may include a service provider system that manages the exchange of messages between electronic devices via a cellular communication network and / or via other networks (such as via the Internet). Although SMS messaging systems and other messaging systems provide services to users, these systems may also be used to send unwanted and / or unsolicited messages in bulk to many electronic devices, typically referred to as "spam." BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Certain features of the subject technology are set forth in the appended claims. However, for purposes of explanation, several embodiments of the subject technology are set forth in the following drawings.

[0006] Figure 1 An example network environment for electronic messaging is shown in accordance with one or more implementations.

[0007] Figure 2 Shows the use of one or more specific implementations Figure 1 Additional aspects of electronic messaging in an example network environment.

[0008] Figure 3 A block diagram of an example cellular network server is shown in accordance with one or more implementations.

[0009] Figure 4 A block diagram of an example service provider server is shown in accordance with one or more implementations.

[0010] Figure 5 A block diagram of an example electronic device is shown in accordance with one or more implementations.

[0011] Figure 6 Example identifiers that may be associated with electronic devices are shown in accordance with one or more implementations.

[0012] Figure 7 A flow chart illustrating an example process for sender verification for encrypted electronic messaging in accordance with one or more implementations.

[0013] Figure 8 Example electronic systems are shown that can be used to implement various aspects of the subject technology in accordance with one or more implementations. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The specific embodiments shown below are intended to be descriptions of various configurations of the subject technology and are not intended to represent the only configuration in which the subject technology can be practiced. The accompanying drawings are incorporated herein and constitute a part of the specific embodiments. The specific embodiments include specific details intended to provide a thorough understanding of the subject technology. However, the subject technology is not limited to the specific details described herein, and one or more other specific implementations can be used to practice. In one or more specific implementations, structures and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid blurring the concepts of the subject technology.

[0015] In electronic messaging, under certain predefined scenarios as discussed in further detail herein, the subject technology provides a first message from a sender device to a recipient device that will be sent unencrypted (or with a relatively low encryption level) so that the first message can be analyzed by a network server to determine whether the first message is a spam message. If the first message is delivered to the recipient device, and a response from the recipient device is received at the sender device, the sender device can send a next message with a relatively high encryption level to the recipient device. In this way, by preventing an encrypted message (which can circumvent spam filtering at a network server) from being sent as the first message from a particular sender device to a particular recipient device, the subject technology can help reduce or prevent unwanted and / or unsolicited spam messages from being delivered to electronic devices via various networks.

[0016] In one or more specific implementations, based on (1) an identifier of the first device or (2) an identifier of the second device, the first device determines whether the first device is eligible to send a message having a first encryption strength to the second device, where the first encryption strength is higher than a second encryption strength.

[0017] Figure 1An exemplary network environment 100 including various devices according to one or more implementations is shown. However, not all of the depicted components may be used in all implementations, and one or more implementations may include additional or different components than those shown in the figures. Changes in the arrangement and type of these components may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims listed herein. Additional components, different components, or fewer components may be provided.

[0018] The network environment 100 includes electronic devices 102 and 104, a first network 106, one or more servers 120 communicatively coupled to the first network 106, a second network 108, and one or more servers 140 communicatively coupled to the second network 108. The first network 106 may be, for example, a cellular communication network that includes one or more base station transceivers located at fixed locations in each of several geographic “cells” that communicate wirelessly with terminal devices such as the electronic devices 102 and 104, and via wired and / or satellite communications with various switching networks for voice calls and text messaging, mobile data, and public telephony.

[0019] The second network 108 may be or include, for example, a public network, such as the Internet. The second network 108 may include a local area network (LAN) component that couples the corresponding electronic device to the wider Internet, such as a Wi-Fi router and / or an Ethernet connection local to each of the electronic devices 102 and 104. The LAN that connects the electronic device 102 or 104 to the Internet may include one or more different network devices / network media, and / or may utilize one or more different wireless and / or wired network technologies, such as Ethernet, optical, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Ethernet power line, coaxial, Z-wave, generally any wireless network technology and / or wired network technology that can communicatively couple an electronic device to the Internet.

[0020] As shown, server 120 may be one or more servers of a short message service (SMS) 130 that manages the exchange of SMS and / or MMS messages via first network 106 and / or one or more other cellular network elements. For example, server 120 may be and / or may include all or part of an SMS center, an SMS gateway, and / or an MMS gateway. As shown, server 140 may be one or more servers of a service provider 150 that manages the exchange of electronic messages, such as via second network 108. Figure 1 The dashed arrow line in the figure indicates a message path via which a message may be transmitted with a first encryption level, such as an unencrypted message (e.g., an SMS or MMS message), which is less than the first encryption level via Figure 1The second encryption level of the message transmitted by the message path indicated by the solid arrow line in FIG. Figure 1 As indicated in , a message having a first encryption level may be sent via the server 120 via the first network 106. Figure 1 As indicated in FIG. 1 , a message having a second level of encryption may be sent (e.g., via the second network 108) using server 140. However, it should be appreciated that having Figure 1 The exchange of messages of various encryption levels depicted in is merely illustrative, and other exchanges of messages may occur.

[0021] For example, Figure 2 It is shown that the first network 106 can also be used to exchange data with a second (eg, higher) encryption level (eg, Figure 2 The dashed arrow line in the figure indicates the encrypted message. Figure 2 In the example of , the electronic device 102 no longer has a direct connection with the second network 108, but can exchange encrypted messages with the electronic device 104 via the server 140 by sending encrypted messages to the second network 108 via the first network 106. For example, the encrypted message from the electronic device 102 can be sent to the second network 108 via a portion of the cellular data network without passing through the server 120. For example, the encrypted message can pass through a portion of the first network 106, such as a packet switching network of the first network 106 that provides a cellular data connection. The packet switching network can be a channel that is separate from the SMS channel of the first network 106 (e.g., a core circuit switching network of the first network 106 that allows SMS texts to be sent without a data connection). Similarly, when both electronic devices 102 and 104 have a connection to the first network 106, the electronic devices 102 and 104 can transmit encrypted messages via portions of the cellular data network without passing through the server 120 and without passing through the second network 108.

[0022] One or more of electronic devices 102 and 104 may be, for example, a portable computing device, such as a laptop computer, a smart phone, a smart speaker; a peripheral device (e.g., a digital camera, headphones); a digital media player; a tablet computer device; a wearable device, such as a smart watch or band; or any other suitable device that includes and / or is communicatively coupled to, for example, one or more wired or wireless interfaces, such as a Wi-Fi communication circuit system, a cellular communication circuit system, a Bluetooth communication circuit system, a Zigbee communication circuit system, a near-field communication (NFC) communication circuit system, and / or other wired or wireless communication circuit systems, and has software and / or hardware for sending and receiving electronic messages.

[0023] By way of example, Figure 1In the embodiment, each of the electronic devices 102 and 104 is depicted as a smart phone. In one or more implementations, one or more of the electronic devices 102 and 104 may be a smart TV, a laptop computer, or a mobile device such as a smart phone or a smart watch. In one or more implementations, one or more of the electronic devices 102 and 104 may be integrated into its corresponding display device. One or more of the electronic devices 102 to 104 may be and / or may include the following descriptions of the present invention. Figure 8 All or part of the electronic system in question.

[0024] Electronic devices 102 and 104 may include processors, memories, communication interfaces, and / or other electronic components. The processor may include suitable logic components, circuit systems, and / or codes capable of processing data and / or controlling the operation of the device. In this regard, the processor may be enabled to provide control signals to various other components of the device. The processor may also control the transfer of data between various parts of the device. In addition, the processor may enable the implementation of an operating system, or otherwise execute code to manage the operation of the device. The memory may include suitable logic components, circuit systems, and / or codes capable of storing various types of information, such as received data, generated data, code, and / or configuration information. The memory may include, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, and / or magnetic storage. In one or more specific implementations, one or more of the processor, memory, communication interface, and / or one or more of their parts may be implemented in software (e.g., subroutines and code), may be implemented in hardware (e.g., application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), controllers, state machines, gated logic components, discrete hardware components, or any other suitable device), and / or a combination of both.

[0025] One or more of the servers 120 or 140 may be and / or may include the following for Figure 8 All or part of the electronic system discussed. Each of servers 120 and 140 may include one or more servers, such as a server cloud. For purposes of explanation, two servers are shown and discussed for various operations of each of short message service 130 (e.g., as provided by a mobile network operator) and service provider 150. However, these operations and other operations discussed herein may be performed by one or more servers, and each different operation may be performed by the same or different servers.

[0026] For the purpose of explanation, the network environment 100 is Figure 1 and Figure 21 and 140; however, network environment 100 may include any number of electronic devices and any number of servers.

[0027] Figure 3 1 shows various aspects of a server 120 (e.g., an SMS server) for a short message service 130 according to one or more specific implementations. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , an SMS server such as one or more of servers 120 may include a message routing engine 300 that routes messages, such as between electronic devices (such as in FIG. 1 ) with a higher level of encryption than that of servers 140. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The message routing engine 300 may include a message routing engine 304 that is associated with the SMS 130 and / or with a carrier that provides the first network 106, and may accrue charges (e.g., per-message charges and / or data-based charges) to a cellular network account holder that sends and / or receives messages routed by the message routing engine 300.

[0028] like Figure 3 , the server 120 may include or be associated with a spam detection engine 302. The spam detection engine 302 may use the content of messages received at the server 120 to perform spam detection operations to mark and / or prevent spam messages from being transmitted through the server 120. For example, the spam detection engine 302 may analyze the content and / or metadata of messages received at the server 120 and mark the message as spam based on, for example, the length of the content, the number of messages sent by a particular sending device to different receiving devices within a given time period, the number of messages with similar or identical content transmitted by a particular sending device within a given time period, the number or fraction of capital letters in the content, links in the content, and / or specific terms, such as terms that are considered offensive, promotional, profane, etc. In a scenario where the spam detection engine 302 marks a message as a spam message, the message routing engine 300 may transmit the message with the spam mark to the recipient device, or may prevent the marked message from being transmitted to the recipient device.

[0029] Figure 4 Various aspects of a server 140 (eg, a service provider server) of a service provider 150 are shown according to one or more specific implementations. Figure 4As shown in FIG. 4 , the service provider server may include a registration database 406 in which account information 408 for various users of the service provider 150 may be stored. Figure 4 In the example of , for each of the plurality of users, the registration database 406 stores a user identifier (eg, "USER A ID") and one or more messaging aliases corresponding to the user identifier. Figure 4 In the example of , the account information 408 for the user associated with the user identifier USER AID includes two messaging aliases. For example, MESSAGING ALIAS 1 can be the phone number of the user identified by USER A ID, and MESSAGING ALIAS 2 can be the email address of the user identified by USER A ID. In one or more specific implementations, the account information 408 for each user may include identifiers of one or more electronic devices associated with one or more of the messaging aliases.

[0030] like Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , a service provider server (such as server 140) may also include a message routing engine 400 that routes messages, such as between electronic devices (such as in FIG. 1 ) with a higher level of encryption than that through server 120. Figure 1 and Figure 2 For example, the message routing engine 400 may use one or more of the messaging aliases associated with the user identifier in the account information 408 for the user to route the message to a specific electronic device. In a scenario where the registration database 406 stores identifiers of multiple electronic devices associated with the user identifier and / or one or more aliases associated with the user identifier, the message routing engine 400 may route an incoming message from a first device (e.g., an encrypted message from a sender device) to multiple devices associated with the user identifier and / or the corresponding aliases.

[0031] As shown, the server 140 may also include a key management engine 402 that manages encryption keys to facilitate end-to-end encryption of messages sent from a first device to a second device through the server 140. In this way, messages can be routed by the message routing engine 400 without requiring access to the content of the messages to be provided by the server 140 and / or any other intermediary. The key management engine 402 may, for example, provide a public key of a message recipient device (e.g., a public key stored in the account information 408) to a sender device for message encryption, and / or provide a public key of a sender device (e.g., stored in the account information 408) to a receiving device for decrypting an encrypted message.

[0032] like Figure 4 , the server 140 may also include a compatibility engine 403. The compatibility engine 403 may determine (e.g., during message assembly at a sender device (e.g., electronic device 102) prior to sending the message) whether an intended receiving device (e.g., electronic device 104) is capable of receiving messages having a first encryption level (e.g., via the server 140). Determining whether the recipient device is capable of receiving messages having a first encryption level may include determining whether the recipient device is compatible with the key management engine 402 (e.g., for exchanging information for decrypting encrypted messages), and / or determining whether an identifier of the recipient device is stored in a registration database 406 in association with account information 408 for one or more users of the server 140.

[0033] Determining (e.g., using compatibility engine 403) whether a recipient device is capable of receiving messages having a first encryption level (e.g., via server 140) may be performed before and / or during a separate determination (e.g., at a sender device) whether the sender device is eligible to send messages having a first encryption level.

[0034] like Figure 4 In one or more specific implementations, the server 140 may optionally include a qualification engine 404 and / or a trust engine 407, which may be configured to respectively perform the following combined Figure 4 Some or all of the eligibility and / or trust scoring operations described in further detail.

[0035] Figure 5 Various aspects of an electronic device 102 (eg, an electronic device operable as a sender device and / or a receiver device for electronic messages) are shown according to one or more implementations. Figure 5 , the electronic device 102 may include a messaging application 500. The messaging application 500 may include a user interface that provides a user with tools for composing, sending, and receiving electronic messages. The user interface of the messaging application 500 may include an input field into which a user may provide typed input, handwritten electronic input, image input, video input, etc. of an electronic message. The user interface may also include a "to" field into which a user may enter an identifier of an intended recipient of the message. For example, a user may enter or link to a phone number, an email address, or another identifier (e.g., a messaging alias) to the intended recipient and / or the intended recipient device for the electronic message.

[0036] like Figure 5, the messaging application 500 may include or be associated with an encryption engine 502 for encrypting a message (e.g., at one or more encryption levels or strengths) prior to sending. For example, to encrypt a message prior to sending, the encryption engine 502 may request (e.g., from the key management engine 402 of the server 140) a public key (e.g., a public key associated with a recipient and / or a recipient device) Figure 4 KEY A in the example of ). The encryption engine 502 may then use at least the received public key and / or other information (e.g., using a symmetric encryption process, such as an Advanced Encryption System (AES) encryption process; an asymmetric encryption process, such as a Rivest–Shamir–Adleman (RSA) encryption process; or an encryption process that combines aspects of symmetric, asymmetric, AES, RSA, and / or other encryption processes) to encrypt the message content to be sent. In a scenario where the electronic device 102 receives an encrypted message (e.g., via the server 140), the encryption engine 502 may decrypt the encrypted message for display to the user (e.g., by using at least a private key corresponding to the public key of the electronic device 102; by sending a query corresponding to an encrypted message transmitted using the sender's account alias to the key management engine 402 of the server 140, the query indicating the sender's account alias and including a request for the sender's public key, an encryption request key, and / or other information for decryption and / or verification of the encrypted message; and decrypting and / or verifying the encrypted message based on a response to the query).

[0037] In some scenarios, messaging application 500 may not be able to send messages using the first encryption level. For example, messaging application 500 may not be able to send messages using the first encryption level in scenarios where electronic device 102 is unable to communicate with server 140 (e.g., for encryption operations and / or for verifying the ability of the recipient device to receive messages having the first encryption level) and / or the recipient device is unable to receive / decrypt encrypted messages. In scenarios where messaging application 500 is unable to send messages using the first encryption level, messaging application 500 may send messages using the second encryption level (e.g., by sending an unencrypted SMS message via first network 106 and / or server 120).

[0038] In one or more specific implementations, the second encryption level may include one or more forms of encryption along the message path between the sending device and the receiving device, but does not include end-to-end encryption (or includes end-to-end encryption in which one or more of the servers 120 possess a key for decrypting the message). For example, the second encryption level may include encryption that can be decrypted by a message transmission server (such as one or more of the servers 120) so that the message transmission server can perform spam detection on the message. After performing spam detection, the message transmission server can re-encrypt the message (e.g., using the same or different encryption) and can forward the encrypted message to the receiving device (assuming that the message is not detected as spam). Thus, the second encryption level may include some form of encryption and / or cryptography that allows one or more servers 120 to perform some form of spam detection based on the content and / or metadata of the message.

[0039] According to one or more specific implementations, even in some scenarios where the messaging application 500 is capable of sending messages using the first encryption level and the recipient device is capable of receiving / decrypting the messages using the first encryption level, the electronic device 102 may determine (e.g., using the eligibility engine 504 at the electronic device 102) that the electronic device 102 is not eligible to send a message to the intended recipient device using the first encryption level.

[0040] For example, the messaging application 500 may include or be associated with an eligibility engine 504 that determines whether the electronic device 102 is eligible to send a message having a first encryption strength to a second device (e.g., the electronic device 104) based on (1) an identifier of the electronic device 102 or (2) an identifier of the second device, the first encryption strength being higher than a second encryption strength. Based on a determination by the eligibility engine 504 that the electronic device 102 is eligible to send a message having the first encryption strength to the second device, the messaging application 500 may send the message having the first encryption strength (e.g., after encrypting the message using the encryption engine 502 as described herein). Based on a determination that the electronic device 102 is not eligible to send a message having the first encryption strength to the second device, the messaging application 500 may send the message having the second encryption strength (e.g., even in a scenario where the recipient device is capable of receiving and / or decrypting the message having the first encryption strength). In one or more specific implementations, the message having the second encryption strength may be an unencrypted message, such as an SMS message, or an encrypted message, the contents of which may be accessible to the one or more servers 120.

[0041] The eligibility engine 504 at the electronic device 102 may determine whether the electronic device 102 is eligible to send a message having a first encryption level using data stored primarily and / or entirely at the electronic device 102. For example, the eligibility engine 504 at the electronic device 102 may determine whether the electronic device 102 is eligible to send a message having a first encryption level using an identifier of the electronic device 102 and / or an identifier of a second device (e.g., the electronic device 104) and / or data stored in a message database 512. For example, at the electronic device 102, the message database 512 may include a message log 508 (e.g., in a message history of the electronic device 102) of messages that have been sent by the electronic device 102 to various recipient devices and / or received from various recipient devices. As shown, the message database 512 may also include a spam database 510 for spam messages received at the electronic device 102. A message received at the electronic device 102 may be delivered to the spam database 510 (e.g., rather than being delivered to the user by the messaging application 500) if the message is marked as spam (e.g., an SMS or MMS message marked as spam by the server 120) and / or based on local settings of the electronic device 102, such as based on whether the electronic device 102 or another device of the user 101 has previously sent a message to the device sending the message (e.g., the electronic device 102 may include settings that cause electronic messages received from a device with a first encryption level to be delivered to the spam database 510, and the device's message log 508 does not have previously sent messages).

[0042] In one or more specific implementations, the eligibility engine 504 may determine whether a message has been previously received at the electronic device 102 from a recipient device to which the new message is to be sent based on the message history in the message log 508. If it is determined by the eligibility engine 504 that a message has been previously received at the electronic device 102 from a recipient device to which the new message is to be sent, the new message may be encrypted by the encryption engine 502 (e.g., at a first encryption level), and the encrypted message may be sent by the messaging application 500. If it is determined by the eligibility engine 504 that a message has not been previously received at the electronic device 102 from a recipient device to which the new message is to be sent, the eligibility engine 504 may determine whether the electronic device 102 is eligible to send a new message with the first encryption level based on an identifier of the electronic device 102 and / or an identifier of the recipient device.

[0043] For example, in one or more specific implementations, the eligibility engine 504 may determine whether the electronic device 102 is eligible to send a new message with a first encryption level based on whether a portion of the telephone number of the electronic device 102 (e.g., a country code, an area code, or an area code) is the same as or different from a corresponding portion of the telephone number of the recipient device (e.g., a country code, an area code, or an area code). For example, in one or more specific implementations, if the country code of the telephone number of the electronic device 102 is the same as the country code of the electronic device of the recipient device, the eligibility engine 504 may determine that the electronic device 102 is eligible to send a new message with a first encryption level.

[0044] Other details of determining whether the electronic device 102 is eligible to send a message having a first encryption level are provided herein in conjunction with, for example, Figure 7 . Performing qualification determination at electronic device 102 using data stored at electronic device 102 may allow for determining qualification while protecting the privacy of the sender and / or recipient (e.g., when server 140 does not receive or store any data from the electronic device in conjunction with the determination operation). However, it should also be appreciated that in one or more specific implementations, some or all of the qualification determination operations described herein may be performed by qualification engine 404 at server 140 (e.g., using appropriate privacy protection operations for both the sender and the recipient).

[0045] like Figure 5 As shown in , in one or more implementations, the messaging application 500 may include or be associated with a trust engine 506 at the electronic device 102. In one or more implementations, the messaging application 500 may determine whether the first device is eligible based in part on a locally determined trust score for the electronic device (e.g., as generated by the trust engine 506).

[0046] The trustworthiness score may be used in conjunction with or in lieu of a determination made by the eligibility engine 504. For example, in various implementations, a trustworthiness score below a threshold may prevent a message having a first encryption level from being sent from the electronic device 102 even in a scenario where the eligibility engine 504 determines that the electronic device 102 is eligible based on an identifier of the electronic device 102 and / or a recipient device (e.g., the electronic device 104). In various implementations, a trustworthiness score above a threshold may cause the messaging application 500 to allow a message having a first encryption level to be sent from the electronic device 102 even in a scenario where the eligibility engine 504 determines that the electronic device 102 is not eligible based on an identifier of the electronic device 102 and / or a recipient device (e.g., the electronic device 104). It should also be appreciated that in one or more implementations, some or all of the trustworthiness determination operations described herein (e.g., using appropriate privacy protection operations for both the sender and the recipient) may be performed by the optional trust engine 407 at the server 140.

[0047] In one or more specific implementations, the credibility score of a sender device (e.g., electronic device 102) is determined locally at the sender device. In one or more specific implementations, the credibility score of the sender device may be determined (e.g., by the trust engine 506) using only locally stored data at the sender device. In one or more specific implementations, the credibility score is determined based on the number of previous messages sent by the sender device (e.g., as determined using the message log 508 in the message database 512). For example, the credibility score of the electronic device may be inversely dependent on (e.g., inversely proportional to or inversely weighted by) the number of messages sent by the device, the number of messages sent by the device per unit of time (e.g., per day, per week, per hour, per minute), and / or the number of messages sent by the device to a unique recipient device.

[0048] In one or more implementations, the credibility score may be determined based on the number of previous messages with similar content sent by the sending device. For example, the credibility score of the electronic device may be inversely dependent on (e.g., inversely proportional to or inversely weighted by) the number of previous messages with similar (e.g., at least partially verbatim) content sent by the sending device. In one or more implementations, the credibility score may be based on the location of the sending device. For example, for the same device, the credibility score may be higher when the device is located in one country than when the device is located in another country.

[0049] In one or more specific implementations, the confidence score can be based on a comparison of the location of the sender device with location information associated with an identifier of the sender device. For example, for a particular device, when the device is located in a country code 602 corresponding to the device (see Figure 6) than when the device is located in a country different from the country corresponding to the device's country code 602. In one or more specific implementations, the confidence score can be based on the location history of the sending device. For example, the confidence score can be lower for a device that is purchased in a first country and assigned a phone number with a country code 602 associated with the first country, and then moved (e.g., permanently or semi-permanently) to a location outside of the first country.

[0050] Figure 6 An identifier of an electronic device is shown having a portion that can be used (e.g., by an eligibility engine 504 at the electronic device) to determine whether a sending device is eligible to send a message having a first encryption level that is higher than a second encryption level. Figure 6 In the example of , an identifier of an electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102) is a phone number 600 (e.g., a telephone number) that includes a country code 602 identifying a country associated with the device, an area code 604 identifying a region within the country identified by the country code, an area code 606 identifying an area within the region identified by the area code, and a device-specific code 608.

[0051] Figure 7 A flow chart of an example process 700 for sender verification for encrypted electronic message transmission according to one or more specific implementations is shown. For the purpose of explanation, this article mainly refers to Figure 1 The process 700 is described with reference to the electronic devices 102 and 104 and the servers 120 and 140. However, the process 700 is not limited to Figure 1 The electronic devices 102 and 104 and servers 120 and 140 of the present invention may be executed, and one or more blocks (or operations) of process 700 may be executed by one or more other components and / or other suitable devices. Further for the purpose of explanation, the blocks of process 700 are described herein as occurring sequentially or linearly. However, multiple blocks of process 700 may occur in parallel. In addition, the blocks of process 700 do not have to be executed in the order shown, and / or one or more blocks of process 700 do not have to be executed and / or may be replaced by other operations.

[0052] At block 702, a first device (eg, a first device) identifies a device based on (1) an identifier of the first device or (2) an identifier of a second device (eg, an identifier corresponding to the second device). Figure 1An electronic device 102 of the present invention determines whether the first device is eligible to send a message having a first encryption strength to the second device, the first encryption strength being higher than the second encryption strength. In some examples, the first device is a sender device. In some examples, the first device is a smart TV, a laptop computer, or a mobile device, such as a smart phone or a smart watch. In some examples, the second device is a recipient device. In some examples, the message includes content. In some examples, after the second device receives and / or decrypts the message, the second device outputs the content (e.g., in a message stream view of a messaging application displayed on a display of the second device). In some examples, the message is a text message, a visual message (e.g., a message including an image), an audio message, or a video message. The identifier of the first device may include at least a portion of a phone number associated with the first device. For example, the portion of the phone number may include at least one of a country code 602, an area code 604, or an area code 606 of the phone number.

[0053] At box 704, based on the determination that the first device is eligible to send the message with the first encryption strength to the second device (e.g., at the first device), the first device may send the message with the first encryption strength. In some examples, the message is sent to the second device. In some examples, the message is sent to a server (e.g., server 140 of service provider 150), and the server sends the message to the second device. The determination may be based on both the identifier of the first device and the identifier of the second device. In some examples, the determination may be based on whether the identifier of the first device is the same as the identifier of the second device. For example, if a portion of the identifier of the first device is the same as a corresponding portion of the identifier of the second device (e.g., if the country code of the telephone number of the first device is the same as the country code of the telephone number of the second device), the first device may determine that the first device is eligible to send a message with the first encryption strength. In this example, if the portion of the identifier of the first device is different from the corresponding portion of the identifier of the second device (e.g., if the country code of the telephone number of the first device is different from the country code of the telephone number of the second device), the first device may determine that the first device is not eligible to send a message with the first encryption strength.

[0054] At block 706, in accordance with a determination that the first device is not eligible to send the message with the first encryption strength to the second device (e.g., at the first device), the first device may send the message with the second encryption strength. Sending the message with the second encryption strength may include sending a short message service (SMS) message via an SMS server (e.g., one or more servers in server 120). In some examples, the SMS message may be an unencrypted message (e.g., the encryption level may be zero). Sending the message with the first encryption strength may include sending an encrypted message via a server other than the SMS server (e.g., one or more servers in server 140). In some examples, the second encryption strength allows the SMS server to access the content of the message. As described herein, the SMS server may determine whether to mark the message sent with the second encryption strength as spam by accessing the content of the message (e.g., the content is accessible due to the relatively low encryption strength). In the event that the SMS server marks the message as spam, the SMS server may refuse to forward the message to the recipient device, or may forward the message with the spam marking to the recipient device. In some examples, a recipient device may direct received messages with a spam flag to a spam database at the recipient device.

[0055] Sending a message with the first encryption strength may incur less cost to the sender than the cost of sending a message with the second encryption strength. For example, the cost to the sender of sending a message with the first encryption strength may be zero (e.g., such as a message sent via the server 140 at the first encryption level may be a free message). For example, the cost to the sender of sending a message with the second encryption strength may be a non-zero cost, such as a per-message cost or a data-based cost charged by the provider of the first network 106. When it is determined that the sender device is not eligible to send messages with the first encryption strength, the non-zero cost of sending messages with the second encryption strength may act as a deterrent to using the sender device to send spam messages.

[0056] The determination made by the first device may also be based on whether the second device has sent a previous message to the first device. The determination of whether the recipient has sent a previous message to the sender may be based on message data stored at the first device. For example, the first device may determine whether a previous message from the second device is stored at the first device in a message log (such as a Figure 5 The message database 512 of the first device may store the message log 508 of the first device. For example, after sending a message with the second encryption strength using the first device, the first device may receive a response message from a recipient device (e.g., at the sender device). The first device may send a subsequent message with the first encryption strength based on receiving the response message (e.g., after receiving the response message).

[0057] In some cases, the message history at the sender device and / or the recipient device may be modified by the user of the device. In some examples, a previous message stored at the device may be deleted from a message database (e.g., message database 512) at the device. Deleting the message history with the recipient device at the sender device may cause the next message from the sender device to the recipient device to be sent with the second encryption strength instead of the first encryption strength.

[0058] Because the determination of eligibility to send the next message with the first encryption level can be determined at the sender device using data local to the sender device, the deletion of the message history with the sender device at the recipient device may affect the encryption level of the next message from the sender device. However, the deletion of the message history with the sender device at the recipient device may cause the next message (in this example, the next message may be sent with the first encryption strength because the message history at the sender device has not been deleted) to be sent to a spam database (e.g., a junk folder) at the recipient device (e.g., based on a determination at the recipient device that the sender device has not previously sent a message to the recipient device). In this case, the sender may be provided with an alert that the message is sent to the spam database at the recipient. If the original message is sent as a messaging alias using a phone handle, the alert at the sender device may include a recommendation to resend the message using SMS. If the original message is sent as a messaging alias using an email handle, a link to support documentation may be provided for the sender to understand the options (e.g., contacting the recipient by alternative means).

[0059] In some examples, the determination made by the first device (e.g., the sender device) is also based in part on a locally determined trust score for the first device (e.g., by a trust engine at the first device, such as trust engine 506, as described above in conjunction with Figure 5 Describe in detail.

[0060] As described above, one aspect of the present technology is to collect and use data available from specific and legitimate sources to identify potential group members for a user group. The present disclosure contemplates that, in some instances, the collected data may include personal information data that uniquely identifies or can be used to identify a specific person. Such personal information data may include demographic data, location-based data, online identifiers, phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, data or records related to the user's health or fitness level (e.g., vital signs measurements, medication information, exercise information), date of birth, or any other personal information.

[0061] The present disclosure recognizes that the use of such personal information data in the present technology can be used to benefit users. For example, the use of personal information data can be verified for the sender of encrypted electronic message transmission. Therefore, the use of such personal information data can facilitate transaction processing (e.g., online transaction processing). In addition, the present disclosure also anticipates other uses of personal information data that benefit users. For example, health and fitness data can be used according to the user's preferences to provide insights into their overall health status, or can be used as positive feedback to individuals who use technology to pursue health goals.

[0062] This disclosure envisions that entities responsible for collecting, analyzing, disclosing, transmitting, storing or otherwise using such personal information data will comply with established privacy policies and / or privacy practices. Specifically, such entities will be expected to implement and consistently apply privacy practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding the requirements of the industry or government that maintain user privacy. Such information about the use of personal data should be prominently and easily accessible to users, and should be updated as the collection and / or use of data changes. The user's personal information should be collected only for legitimate use. In addition, such collection / sharing should only occur after receiving user consent or other legal basis specified in applicable law. In addition, such entities should consider taking any necessary steps to defend and safeguard access to such personal information data and ensure that others who have access to personal information data comply with their privacy policies and processes. In addition, such entities may subject themselves to third-party assessments to demonstrate their compliance with widely accepted privacy policies and practices. In addition, policies and practices should be adjusted for specific types of personal information data collected and / or accessed, and applied to applicable laws and standards, including specific considerations that are exclusive to jurisdictions that can be used to impose higher standards. For example, in the United States, collection or access to certain health data may be governed by federal and / or state laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA); while health data in other countries may be subject to other regulations and policies and should be handled accordingly.

[0063] Regardless of the foregoing, the present disclosure also contemplates implementation schemes in which users selectively block the use or access of personal information data. That is, the present disclosure contemplates that hardware elements and / or software elements may be provided to prevent or block access to such personal information data. For example, in the case of sender verification for encrypted electronic message transmission, the technology of the present invention may be configured to allow users to choose to "opt in" or "opt out" to participate in the collection of personal information data during service registration or at any time thereafter. In addition to providing "opt-in" and "opt-out" options, the present disclosure contemplates providing notifications related to access or use of personal information. For example, a user may be notified that their personal information data will be accessed when downloading an application, and then be reminded again just before the personal information data is accessed by the application.

[0064] In addition, it is an object of the present disclosure that personal information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Risks can be minimized by limiting data collection and deleting data once it is no longer needed. In addition, and when applicable, including in certain health-related applications, data de-identification can be used to protect the privacy of users. De-identification can be facilitated by removing identifiers, controlling the amount or specificity of stored data (e.g., collecting location data at a city level rather than at an address level), controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data across users), and / or other methods such as differential privacy, where appropriate.

[0065] Therefore, while the present disclosure broadly covers the use of personal information data to implement one or more of the various disclosed embodiments, the present disclosure also contemplates that various embodiments may be implemented without access to such personal information data. That is, various embodiments of the present technology will not fail to function properly due to the lack of all or part of such personal information data.

[0066] Figure 8 An electronic system 800 is shown that can be used to implement one or more implementations of the subject technology. The electronic system 800 can be one or more of the following and / or can be a part of one or more of the following: Figure 1 800. The electronic system 800 may include various types of computer-readable media and interfaces for various other types of computer-readable media. The electronic system 800 includes a bus 808, one or more processing units 812, a system memory 804 (and / or a cache), a ROM 810, a permanent storage device 802, an input device interface 814, an output device interface 806, and one or more network interfaces 816, or a subset and variation thereof.

[0067] The bus 808 generally represents all system buses, peripheral busses, and chipset buses that communicatively connect the many internal devices of the electronic system 800. In one or more specific implementations, the bus 808 communicatively connects one or more processing units 812 with the ROM 810, the system memory 804, and the permanent storage device 802. The one or more processing units 812 retrieve instructions to be executed and data to be processed from these various memory units in order to perform the processes disclosed in the present subject matter. In different specific implementations, the one or more processing units 812 can be a single processor or a multi-core processor.

[0068] ROM 810 stores static data and instructions required by one or more processing units 812 and other modules of the electronic system 800. On the other hand, permanent storage device 802 can be a read-write memory device. Permanent storage device 802 can be a non-volatile memory unit that stores instructions and data even when the electronic system 800 is turned off. In one or more specific implementations, a mass storage device (such as a magnetic disk or optical disk and its corresponding disk drive) can be used as permanent storage device 802.

[0069] In one or more implementations, a removable storage device (such as a floppy disk, a flash drive, and its corresponding disk drive) may be used as the permanent storage device 802. Like the permanent storage device 802, the system memory 804 may be a read-write memory device. However, unlike the permanent storage device 802, the system memory 804 may be a volatile read-write memory, such as a random access memory. The system memory 804 may store any of the instructions and data that one or more processing units 812 may need at runtime. In one or more implementations, the processes disclosed in the subject matter are stored in the system memory 804, the permanent storage device 802, and / or the ROM 810. The one or more processing units 812 retrieve instructions to be executed and data to be processed from these various memory units in order to perform the processes of one or more implementations.

[0070] The bus 808 is also connected to an input device interface 814 and an output device interface 806. The input device interface 814 enables a user to transmit information and select commands to the electronic system 800. Input devices that can be used with the input device interface 814 may include, for example, an alphanumeric keyboard and a pointing device (also referred to as a "cursor control device"). The output device interface 806 may, for example, enable the display of images generated by the electronic system 800. Output devices that can be used with the output device interface 806 may include, for example, a printer and a display device, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a flexible display, a flat panel display, a solid-state display, a projector, or any other device for outputting information. One or more specific implementations may include a device that acts as both an input device and an output device, such as a touch screen. In these specific implementations, the feedback provided to the user may be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user may be received in any form, including acoustic, voice, or tactile input.

[0071] Finally, if Figure 8 As shown in FIG. 8 , bus 808 also couples electronic system 800 to one or more networks and / or one or more network nodes, such as Figure 11 and 120. In this manner, electronic system 800 may be part of a computer network, such as a LAN, a wide area network ("WAN"), or an intranet, or may be part of a network of networks, such as the Internet. Any or all components of electronic system 800 may be used with the subject disclosure.

[0072] According to various aspects of the present disclosure, a method is provided, comprising: determining, by a first device and based on (1) an identifier of the first device or (2) an identifier of a second device, whether the first device is eligible to send a message with a first encryption strength to the second device, the first encryption strength being higher than a second encryption strength; sending, by the first device, the message with the first encryption strength based on determining that the first device is eligible to send the message with the first encryption strength to the second device; and sending, by the first device, the message with the second encryption strength based on determining that the first device is not eligible to send the message with the first encryption strength to the second device.

[0073] According to various aspects of the present disclosure, a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions is provided, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising determining, by a first device and based on (1) an identifier of the first device or (2) an identifier of the second device, whether the first device is eligible to send a message with a first encryption strength to the second device, the first encryption strength being higher than a second encryption strength; sending the message with the first encryption strength by the first device based on determining that the first device is eligible to send the message with the first encryption strength to the second device; and sending the message with the second encryption strength by the first device based on determining that the first device is not eligible to send the message with the first encryption strength to the second device.

[0074] According to various aspects of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising a memory and one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine whether the electronic device is eligible to send a message with a first encryption strength to the second device based on (1) an identifier of the electronic device or (2) an identifier of the second device, the first encryption strength being higher than a second encryption strength; send the message with the first encryption strength based on determining that the electronic device is eligible to send the message with the first encryption strength to the second device; and send the message with the second encryption strength based on determining that the electronic device is not eligible to send the message with the first encryption strength to the second device.

[0075] Implementations within the scope of the present disclosure may be implemented in part or in whole using a tangible computer-readable storage medium (or multiple tangible computer-readable storage media of one or more types) programmed with one or more instructions. Tangible computer-readable storage media may also be non-transitory in nature.

[0076] Computer-readable storage media can be any storage media that can be read, written, or otherwise accessed by a general or special computing device, including any processing electronics and / or processing circuitry capable of executing instructions. For example, without limitation, computer-readable media can include any volatile semiconductor memory, such as RAM, DRAM, SRAM, T-RAM, Z-RAM, and TTRAM. Computer-readable media can also include any non-volatile semiconductor memory, such as ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, NVRAM, flash memory, nvSRAM, FeRAM, FeTRAM, MRAM, PRAM, CBRAM, SONOS, RRAM, NRAM, racetrack memory, FJG, and Millipede memory.

[0077] In addition, the computer-readable storage medium may include any non-semiconductor memory, such as optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, magnetic tape, other magnetic storage, or any other medium capable of storing one or more instructions. In one or more specific implementations, the tangible computer-readable storage medium may be directly coupled to the computing device, while in other specific implementations, the tangible computer-readable storage medium may be indirectly coupled to the computing device, for example, via one or more wired connections, one or more wireless connections, or any combination thereof.

[0078] Instructions can be directly executable, or can be used to develop executable instructions. For example, instructions can be implemented as executable or non-executable machine code, or can be implemented as high-level language instructions that can be compiled to produce executable or non-executable machine code. In addition, instructions can also be implemented as data, or can include data. Computer executable instructions can also be organized in any format, including routines, subroutines, programs, data structures, objects, modules, applications, applets, functions, etc. As recognized by those skilled in the art, the details including but not limited to the number, structure, sequence and organization of instructions can be significantly different without changing the underlying logic, function, processing and output.

[0079] Although the above discussion mainly involves microprocessors or multi-core processors that execute software, one or more implementations are performed by one or more integrated circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs. In one or more implementations, such integrated circuits execute instructions stored on the circuits themselves.

[0080] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various illustrative frames, modules, elements, parts, methods and algorithms described herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software or a combination of the two. In order to illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative frames, modules, elements, parts, methods and algorithms have been generally described above according to functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the entire system. The technician can implement the described functionality in different ways for each specific application. Various parts and frames can be arranged differently (e.g., arranged in different orders, or divided in different ways) without departing from the scope of the subject technology.

[0081] It should be understood that the specific order or the hierarchical structure of the frame in the process disclosed by the present invention are the illustration of exemplary methods. Based on the design preferred requirements, it should be understood that the specific order or the hierarchical structure of the frame in the process can be rearranged or all the frames shown are executed. Any frame in these frames can be executed simultaneously. In one or more specific implementations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. In addition, the division of each system component in the above-mentioned specific implementation should not be understood as requiring such division in all specific implementations, and it should be understood that program components and systems can be generally integrated together in a single software product or encapsulated in multiple software products.

[0082] As used in this specification and any claims of this patent application, the terms "base station", "receiver", "computer", "server", "processor" and "memory" all refer to electronic devices or other technical devices. These terms exclude people or groups of people. For the purpose of this specification, the term "display" or "displaying" means displaying on an electronic device.

[0083] As used herein, the phrase "at least one of" following a list of items, any of which is separated by the terms "and" or "or", modifies the list as a whole, rather than each member (i.e., each item) of the list. The phrase "at least one of" does not require selection of at least one of each item listed; rather, the phrase allows for a meaning that includes at least one of any one item and / or at least one of any combination of items and / or at least one of each item. For example, the phrases "at least one of A, B, and C" or "at least one of A, B, or C" each refer to only A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C; and / or at least one of each of A, B, and C.

[0084] The predicate words "configured to," "operable to," and "programmed to" do not imply any specific tangible or intangible modification of a subject matter but are intended to be used interchangeably. In one or more specific implementations, a processor configured to monitor and control an operation or component may also mean that the processor is programmed to monitor and control the operation or that the processor is operable to monitor and control the operation. Likewise, a processor configured to execute code may be interpreted as a processor programmed to execute code or operable to execute code.

[0085] Phrases such as aspect, this aspect, on the other hand, some aspects, one or more aspects, a specific implementation, this specific implementation, another specific implementation, some specific implementations, one or more specific implementations, an embodiment, this embodiment, another embodiment, some embodiments, one or more embodiments, configuration, this configuration, other configurations, some configurations, one or more configurations, subject technology, disclosure, the present disclosure, other variations thereof, etc. are for convenience and do not mean that the disclosure involving such one or more phrases is essential to the subject technology, nor does it mean that such disclosure applies to all configurations of the subject technology. Disclosures involving such one or more phrases may apply to all configurations or one or more configurations. Disclosures involving such one or more phrases may provide one or more examples. Phrases such as aspect or some aspects may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa, and this applies similarly to the other aforementioned phrases.

[0086] The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any implementation described herein as "exemplary" or as an "example" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms "including," "having," and the like are used in the specification or claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive, in a manner similar to the way the term "comprising" is interpreted when used as a transitional word in a claim.

[0087] All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later become known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be covered by the claims. In addition, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be made available to the public regardless of whether the disclosure is explicitly stated in the claims. No claim element shall be interpreted under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112(f) unless the element is explicitly stated using the phrase “means for…” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is stated using the phrase “step for…”

[0088] The previous description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications of these aspects are apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are intended to make the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein reference to elements in singular values ​​is not intended to mean "only one", but refers to "one or more", unless specifically noted. Unless otherwise specifically stated, the term "some" refers to one or more. Male pronouns (e.g., his) include female and neutral (e.g., her and its), and vice versa. Titles and subtitles (if any) are used only for convenience and do not limit the subject disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for sending a message, comprising: determining, by a first device and based on (1) an identifier of the first device or (2) an identifier of a second device, whether the first device is eligible to send a message having a first encryption strength to the second device, the first encryption strength being higher than a second encryption strength; sending, by the first device via a first network, the message with the first encryption strength based on determining that the first device is qualified to send the message with the first encryption strength to the second device; as well as Based on determining that the first device is not eligible to send the message with the first encryption strength to the second device, the first device sends the message with the second encryption strength via a second network different from the first network. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first device qualifies comprises determining whether the first device qualifies based on both the identifier of the first device and the identifier of the second device. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first device is eligible further comprises determining whether the first device is eligible based on whether the second device has sent a previous message to the first device. 4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein determining whether the first device qualifies based on whether the second device has sent the previous message to the first device is based on message data stored at the first device. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier of the first device comprises at least a portion of a telephone number associated with the first device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the portion of the telephone number includes at least one of a country code, an area code, or an regional code.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the message with the second encryption strength comprises sending a Short Message Service (SMS) message via a SMS server, and wherein sending the message with the first encryption strength comprises sending an encrypted message via a server other than the SMS server.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after sending, by the first device, the message having the second encryption strength: receiving, at the first device, a message from the second device; and Based on receiving the message, a subsequent message having the first encryption strength is sent by the first device to the second device. 9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first device is eligible further comprises determining whether the first device is eligible based on a confidence score determined locally for the first device.

10. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: determining, by a first device and based on (1) an identifier of the first device or (2) an identifier of a second device, whether the first device is eligible to send a message having a first encryption strength to the second device, the first encryption strength being higher than a second encryption strength; sending, by the first device via a first network, the message with the first encryption strength based on determining that the first device is qualified to send the message with the first encryption strength to the second device; as well as Based on determining that the first device is not eligible to send the message with the first encryption strength to the second device, the first device sends the message with the second encryption strength via a second network different from the first network. 11 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein determining whether the first device qualifies comprises determining whether the first device qualifies based on both the identifier of the first device and the identifier of the second device. 12 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein determining whether the first device qualifies further comprises determining whether the first device qualifies based on whether the second device has sent a previous message to the first device.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein determining whether the first device qualifies based on whether the second device has sent the previous message to the first device is based on message data stored at the first device.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the identifier of the first device comprises at least a portion of a telephone number associated with the first device.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the portion of the telephone number comprises at least one of a country code, an area code, or an regional code.

16. An electronic device, comprising: Memory; and one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: determining, based on (1) an identifier of the electronic device or (2) an identifier of a second device, whether the electronic device is eligible to send a message having a first encryption strength to the second device, the first encryption strength being higher than a second encryption strength; sending the message with the first encryption strength via a first network based on determining that the electronic device is eligible to send the message with the first encryption strength to the second device; as well as Based on determining that the electronic device is not qualified to send the message with the first encryption strength to the second device, the message with the second encryption strength is sent via a second network different from the first network.

17. An electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are configured to send the message with the second encryption strength by sending an SMS message via a Short Message Service (SMS) server, and to send the message with the first encryption strength by sending an encrypted message via a server other than the SMS server.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, after sending the message having the second encryption strength: receiving a message from the second device; and A subsequent message having the first encryption strength is sent to the second device based on receiving the message from the second device.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine whether the electronic device is qualified based on a credibility score determined locally for the electronic device.

20. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the identifier of the electronic device comprises at least a portion of a telephone number associated with the electronic device.

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