43 results about "Simple Mail Transfer Protocol" patented technology

Methods and systems are provided for using an existing email transfer protocol, such as SMTP, to exchange digital objects in an authenticated manner. The provided methods and systems solve the bootstrapping problem of computer identities for P2P communication by authenticating the exchange of public information. If the electronic mail protocols are strong, in that sending an email message to a given address results in the message reaching that address with a high degree of confidence, then the exchange of public information performed in accordance with embodiments of the invention is confidently authenticated.

An e-mail firewall (105) applies policies to e-mail messages (204) between a first 5 site and a plurality of second sites in accordance with a plurality of administrator selectable policies (216). The firewall comprises a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) relay (202) for causing the e-mail messages (204) to be transmitted between the first site and selected ones of the second sites. A plurality of policy managers (216) enforce—administrator selectable policies. The policies, such as encryption and decryption policies, comprise at least a first source / destination policy (218), at least a first content policy (202) and at least a first virus policy (224). The policies are characterized by a plurality of administrator selectable criteria (310), a plurality of administrator selectable exceptions (312) to the criteria and a plurality of administrator selectable actions (314, 316, 322) associated with the criteria and exceptions. The policy managers comprise an access manager (218) for restricting transmission of e-mail messages (204) between the first site and the second sites in accordance with the source / destination policy (218). The policy managers (216) further comprise a content manager (220) for restricting transmission of e-mail messages (204) between the first site and the second sites in accordance with the content policy (220), and a virus manager (224) for restriction transmission of e-mail messages (204) between the first site and the second sites in accordance with the virus policy (224).

An alert engine module receives an alert for an event in a generic communications format and delivers an alert for the event to a target address in a communications format that is preferred by a user based on the alert content. The generic format can be an e-mail message, such as a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) message. The alert engine can be operative to transform the alert based on a header and / or format of a target address.

An e-mail firewall (105) applies policies to e-mail messages (204) between a first site and a plurality of second sites in accordance with a plurality of administrator selectable policies (216). The firewall comprises a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) relay (202) for causing the e-mail messages (204) to be transmitted between the first site and selected ones of the second sites. A plurality of policy managers (216) enforce-administrator selectable policies. The policies, such as encryption and decryption policies, comprise at least a first source / destination policy (218), at least a first content policy (202) and at least a first virus policy (224). The policies are characterized by a plurality of administrator selectable criteria (310), a plurality of administrator selectable exceptions (312) to the criteria and a plurality of administrator selectable actions (314, 316, 322) associated with the criteria and exceptions. The policy managers comprise an access manager (218) for restricting transmission of e-mail messages (204) between the first site and the second sites in accordance with the source / destination policy (218). The policy managers (216) further comprise a content manager (220) for restricting transmission of e-mail messages (204) between the first site and the second sites in accordance with the content policy (220), and a virus manager (224) for restriction transmission of e-mail messages (204) between the first site and the second sites in accordance with the virus policy (224).

Methods, systems, and computer program products for abstracting processing layers within a messaging infrastructure so that changes or enhancements can be made to the infrastructure while retaining existing functionality. Message transport implementations are abstracted within a message layer, allowing other layers within the infrastructure to interact with messages in a more generic fashion, largely independent of message transport. Transport examples include named pipes, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), etc. A channel layer above the message layer abstracts message exchange implementations, allowing other layers within the infrastructure to send and receive messages in a more generic fashion, largely independent of the message exchange semantics of a specific implementation. Message exchange examples include datagrams, dialogs, monologs, queues, and the like. Above the channel layer and message layer, a service layer abstracts the binding implementations that bind message exchange implementations to user code implementations.