Patent ID: 8312119

Claim:
A method for providing information concerning use of processing devices coupled to a network, each device having an IP address, comprising: receiving, at a processing device, a plurality of email messages from processing devices coupled to the network, a portion of said plurality of email messages originating with a block of IP addresses under the administration of the user; receiving at the processing device, a request from the user to view information regarding email message activities of the block of IP addresses; responsive to the request, automatically determining an email address associated with an IP address in the block of IP addresses from at least one of a reverse DNS record associated with an IP range containing the IP address or a WHOIS record associated with the IP range at which the user is authorized to receive email; verifying the user access to the email address to verify the user is authorized to receive information about the activities of the block of IP addresses; responsive to a request to view information about the block, authenticating the user through a login authentication process; and providing data to the user about email activities of one or more selected IP addresses in the block of IP addresses, comprising: providing to the user, the number of recipients of a message (RCPT TO commands) received from the IP address; providing to the user, the number of DATA commands associated with the RCPT TO commands for the IP address; and providing to the user, the number of recipients associated with the DATA commands for the IP address.