Patent ID: 7873695

Claim:
A method for managing electronic messages received at a server, comprising: reading a stored configuration file that includes a first mapping associating a plurality of sender identifiers with a first plurality of actions; wherein each sender identifier of said plurality of sender identifiers is selected from a group of possible sender identifier types supported by said server, said group comprising at least a network address, a partial network address, a range of network addresses, a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), a partial FQDN, a subnet, and a reputation score; receiving at said server a first incoming connection from a first sender; based on said first incoming connection and before an e-mail message is received over said first incoming connection, determining a first sender identifier of said plurality of sender identifiers; using said first mapping and a first sender identifier, determining a first action associated with the first sender identifier; wherein said first mapping associates said first sender identifier with said first action, wherein said first action indicates that the first incoming connection associated with said first sender identifier should not be accepted; in response to determining that said first action indicates that the first incoming connection associated with said first sender identifier should not be accepted, despite said first action, performing the following: receiving at said server, via the first incoming connection, a first electronic message for a first recipient; based on said first electronic message, determining a first recipient identifier of a plurality of recipient identifiers, based on said first recipient identifier, inspecting a second mapping to identify a second action of a second plurality of actions, wherein said second mapping associates said plurality of recipient identifiers with said second plurality of actions, based on said second action, delivering said first electronic message to said first recipient even though said first electronic message would otherwise not be delivered because said first action indicated that the first incoming connection, over which the first electronic message was received, should not have been accepted; wherein the method is performed by one or more processors.