Patent ID: 8214490

Claim:
A computer implemented method for determining whether to block incoming electronic content based on running rates of content origination from sources, the method comprising the steps of: receiving, by a destination computer, information concerning origination of incoming electronic content received from at least one external source over time; aggregating, by the destination computer, the received information concerning origination of electronic content from the at least one source, wherein the received information comprises notifications from multiple sources; calculating, by the destination computer, at least one running rate of content origination from the at least one source, based on aggregated information concerning origination of electronic content from the at least one source, wherein the running rate is indicative of a reputation of the at least one source, and wherein the running rate comprises a single number updated using at least an amount of time since the last update to control an influence of new information on the running rate; receiving, by the destination computer, incoming electronic content from a specific source; and determining, by the destination computer, whether to block the incoming electronic content from the specific source responsive to at least one running rate of content origination from the specific source.