Patent ID: 8239471

Claim:
A method for selectively allowing or denying access to a recipient user coupled to an electronic communications network by other users coupled to the electronic communication network, said recipient user having an associated recipient identifier, comprising the steps of: A. generating, by a security module, a plurality of proxy identifiers associated with said recipient user, each of said proxy identifiers having at least three associated security states, a first of said states being indicative of allowing any other user coupled to said electronic communication network access to said recipient user, a second of said states being indicative of denying any other user coupled to said electronic communication network access to said recipient user, and a third of said states being conditionally indicative of allowing at least one but fewer than all other users coupled to said electronic communication network access to said recipient user if predetermined criteria are met and denying access to said recipient user otherwise; B. receiving, by a receiver, an inbound message from a sender user coupled to said electronic communication network, said inbound message including a sender identifier and said recipient identifier, said sender identifier being associated with the sender user of said inbound message, said recipient identifier derived from a proxy identifier associated with recipient user, and said recipient identifier selected by said recipient user or a sender user; C. assigning, by the security module, said recipient identifier with the proxy identifier associated with said recipient user based on a security state set by the recipient user; and D. processing, by the security module, said inbound message to determine a security status associated therewith using said sender identifier and said recipient identifier.