Patent ID: 7802304

Claim:
A system comprising: a first database maintained by a first service provider to manage communications comprising a first type of communication format, wherein said first database is configured to store a first reputation information for said first type of communication format and to associate said first reputation information with a source of said first type of communication format; and a processor configured to: receive a request from said source to make a connection with an endpoint, wherein said connection is associated with a second type of communication format different from said first type of communication format; request a second reputation information for said second type of communication format associated with said source, wherein said request for said second reputation information is requested from a second database maintained by a second service provider, and wherein said second database is maintained remotely from said processor; receive said second reputation information responsive to said request; obtain said first reputation information from said first database, wherein said first reputation information is obtained in response to said request for said connection associated with said second type of communication format, and wherein said first database is maintained locally to said processor; and correlate said first reputation information with said second reputation information to determine an integrated reputation measure of said source using both said first and said second reputation information and including an age of said source and a recent activity level of said source.