Email Message ID Authentication Using Body-Embedded Encrypted Identifiers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing email systems face security issues due to the transmission of reference IDs in the subject field, which can be guessed by hackers, and inability to authenticate inbound emails using these IDs.
Innovation Solution
Generating a message ID for outbound email messages that includes both unencrypted and encrypted portions, where the unencrypted portions include an entity identifier associated with a database record, and providing this message ID in both the headers and the body of the email to ensure tracking and authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If reference IDs are transmitted in the subject field of email, then email tracking is enabled, but security is compromised because hackers can guess these IDs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the reference ID from the subject field and places it only in the body of the email message. This separation removes the security vulnerability associated with exposing reference IDs in the subject field while maintaining the tracking functionality through the body-containing ID.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different quality requirements to different parts of the email: the subject field is kept clean for display purposes while the body contains the reference ID for tracking. This local differentiation allows the reference ID to be protected from exposure while still serving its tracking function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If message ID is provided only in headers, then email protocol compliance is maintained, but tracking fails when clients do not follow standard protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the reference ID placement into both the headers (for protocol compliance) and the body (for reliable tracking). This dual placement ensures that even if email clients do not properly handle header information, the reference ID remains accessible in the body for tracking purposes.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If reference IDs are made complex and unguessable, then security is improved, but authentication of inbound emails becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The message ID is segmented into multiple components including a hash value and other identifiable portions. This segmentation allows the ID to be complex and secure overall while containing elements that can be used for authentication verification without requiring the entire ID to be manually constructed or guessed.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are systems, apparatus for tracking inbound email messages in association with database records. An outbound email message is automatically generated or updated to include a message identifier within one or more headers and within a body of the outbound email message. Subsequently, a first electronic mail message received via a network from a first client device is processed, where the first electronic message has one or more headers and a body. A first message identifier (ID) is obtained from the body and the first message ID is parsed such that an encrypted portion and one or more unencrypted portions are obtained. A secret key associated with the first electronic mail message is obtained and the first electronic mail message is authenticated using the secret key, the encrypted portion of the first message ID, and at least one unencrypted portion. The first electronic mail message is processed according to a result of authenticating the first electronic mail message.