Patent ID: 7822977

Claim:
A system, comprising: one or more hardware processors and one or more computer memories together providing: (a) an email client for allowing receipt of email sent on a network addressed to a primary email address; (b) an email-receiving server for connection between the network and the email client for receiving email addressed to the primary email address; (c) an unauthorized-email rejection component having an authorized senders list (ASL) module to maintain email addresses authorized to send email to the primary email address, wherein the unauthorized-email rejection component is for operation with the email-receiving server for intercepting and rejecting any email addressed to the primary email address received from an email address not on the authorized senders list; and (d) an email proxy pre-processing module that allows designation of a proxy email address that is associated with the primary email address but distinct from the primary email address to receive email from email addresses not on the authorized senders list, wherein, upon receiving incoming email addressed to the proxy email address from an email address not on the authorized senders list, the unauthorized-email rejection component accepts the email and adds the email address from which the incoming email was received to the authorized senders list, wherein said email proxy pre-processing module includes a control parameter to limit usage of the proxy address and terminate acceptance of email sent to the proxy address from email addresses not on the authorized senders list and prevent addition to the authorized senders list, whereby said unauthorized-email rejection component thereafter rejects email from a different unknown email addresses and prevents the different unknown email address from being added to the authorized senders list.