Patent ID: 7877594

Claim:
A method for frustrating unauthorized access to an electronic mail message having address, body and attachment information and being transmitted from a first computing device to a second computing device that is distinct from said first computing device, comprising: at the first computing device: detecting a request to send the message from a first mail user agent application being executed at the first computing device; extracting the body information from the message; encrypting the extracted body information using a first private key corresponding to said first computing device and a first public key corresponding to a third computing device, wherein said third computing device is distinct from said first and said second computing devices; replacing the extracted body information in the message with the encrypted body information; extracting the attachment information from the message; encrypting the extracted attachment information using said first private key and said first public key; replacing the extracted attachment information in the message with the encrypted attachment information; and, returning the message having the encrypted body and attachment information to the mail user application for transmission to the second computing device in accordance with the address information; transmitting the message having the encrypted body and attachment information in lieu of the extracted body and attachment information to said third computing device; and, at the third computing device: decrypting the transmitted body information using a second public key corresponding to said first computing device and a second private key corresponding to said third computing device; re-encrypting the decrypted body information using a third public key corresponding to said second computing device and said second private key; decrypting the transmitted attachment information using said second public key and said second private key; re-encrypting the decrypted attachment information using said third public key and said second private key; and transmitting the re-encrypted body and attachment information in lieu of the extracted body and attachment information to the second computing device.