Patent ID: 7971061

Claim:
A method of processing an email generated by an emailer and intended for a recipient, said emailer maintaining an opt-in email list, the method comprising: receiving said email in a computer system, said email including an information portion and an authentication portion, said authentication portion being generated from said information portion using a secret key associated with said recipient and said opt-in email list in a manner that causes said authentication portion to be securely cryptographically linked to said information portion, said secret key being derived from a password generated by said recipient while opting-in to said opt-in email list; obtaining a certificate generated by a trusted third party, said certificate being generated by said trusted third party in response to said recipient opting-in to said opt-in email list, said certificate including said secret key associated with said recipient and said opt-in email list; determining in said computer system whether said certificate can be verified; determining in said computer system whether said authentication portion can be verified using said secret key; said computer system providing said email to said recipient if said certificate and said authentication portion are successfully verified; and said computer system not providing said email to said recipient if either of said certificate and said authentication portion are not successfully verified.