Patent ID: 8176126

Claim:
A method for managing e-mails, said e-mails being received at a firewall or router en route to a mail server, said method comprising the computer implemented steps of: determining a first score indicating an extent to which contents of a first e-mail sent by a first source exhibit characteristics of spam, and in response to said first score exceeding a lower threshold but not exceeding an upper threshold, said firewall or router limiting a rate at which said firewall or router forwards subsequent e-mails from said first source to said mail server, the rate limit being predetermined, greater than zero and less than a maximum rate at which said firewall or router is able to forward said subsequent e-mails from said first source to said mail server absent said rate limit; determining a second score indicating an extent to which contents of a second email sent by a second source exhibit characteristics of spam, and in response to said second score exceeding said upper threshold, said firewall or router not forwarding to said mail server subsequent e-mails from said second source destined for said mail server; and determining a third score indicating an extent to which contents of a third e-mail sent by a third source exhibit characteristics of spam, and in response to said third score being less than said lower threshold, said firewall or router forwarding subsequent e-mails from said third source to said mail server without blocking or rate-limiting said subsequent e-mails from said third source based on said contents of said third e-mail.