Patent ID: 8271603

Claim:
A method for diminishing false positive classifications of unsolicited electronic-mail, the method comprising: maintaining a database of signatures in memory, each of the signatures associated with unsolicited electronic-mail to be excluded from an end-user mail client and based on at least a set of message classifiers used to identify distinguishing properties, at least a portion of the signatures generated based on one of the distinguishing properties using a transformation method; intercepting an electronic-mail message at a network appliance coupled to an electronic-mail server, the electronic-mail message intercepted prior to receipt of the electronic-mail message by the electronic-mail server; and executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor: applies a set of message classifiers to the electronic-mail message, the set of message classifiers comprising: at least one rule-based heuristic; at least one content filter used to identify non-essential and decoy information; and user-generated feedback; and generates one or more signatures using the transformation method, wherein one or more signatures are indicative of unsolicited electronic-mail based on at least the set of message classifiers applied to the electronic-mail message, and wherein-the one or more signatures are applied to subsequent incoming electronic-mail messages, wherein unsolicited electronic-mail may be identified and false positive identifications of normal electronic-mail messages are reduced.