Email Alias System for Leakage Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Email addresses are often leaked to unauthorized third parties, leading to spam and security issues when users register with web services, as existing solutions fail to effectively detect and mitigate this leakage.
Innovation Solution
A system generates an alias email address paired with a primary email address, which is registered with web services, and includes the web service in a whitelist for legitimate emails, while alerting users to suspicious emails not from the paired service, allowing users to block or allow such emails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users provide their primary email address to web services for registration, then the registration process is simple and direct, but the email address may be leaked to unauthorized third parties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary alias email address system that mediates between the user's primary email and web services. The alias email serves as a buffer, allowing users to register with web services without exposing their primary email address. This intermediary layer prevents direct leakage while maintaining the simplicity of the registration process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the email address functionality into multiple layers: primary email address (kept private), alias email addresses (used for specific services), and email routing rules. This segmentation allows the primary email to remain protected while still enabling registration and communication through controlled alias addresses.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If users use alias email addresses for web service registration, then email leakage is prevented, but users lose direct access to emails from legitimate services
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where users can review emails directed to their alias addresses before final delivery. Users receive notifications about incoming emails and can approve or reject them, ensuring that legitimate service emails are delivered while blocking suspicious ones. This feedback loop maintains ease of access while preventing leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The alias email system is dynamic and adaptable. Users can configure different rules for different alias addresses, adjust routing preferences over time, and modify which services receive emails. This dynamic configuration allows the system to adapt to changing user needs while maintaining security.
3Ease of operation
If all emails to alias addresses are forwarded to primary addresses, then users receive all communications, but spam and suspicious emails are not filtered
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by analyzing and filtering emails before they are forwarded to the user's primary address. Email addresses are registered in advance with web services, and routing rules are pre-configured. Suspicious patterns are detected before delivery, preventing spam from reaching the user while allowing legitimate emails to pass through.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the potential harm of receiving spam into a benefit by using suspicious email patterns as detection signals. When spam or suspicious emails are detected, the system learns from these patterns and improves its filtering capabilities, turning harmful inputs into useful security enhancements.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for detecting leakage of email addresses generates an alias email address that will be used by a user to register with a web service. The alias email address is an alias for a primary email address of the user, and is paired with the web service. The web service is included in a whitelist upon confirmation from the web service that the alias email address has been registered with the web service. Emails that are addressed to the alias email address and from the web service are forwarded to the primary email address. Emails that are addressed to the alias email address but is not from the web service are detected to be suspicious.