Patent ID: 7533148

Claim:
A method of determining if a message is spam in a system having a plurality of anti-spam modules comprising the steps of: invoking a plurality of the plurality of anti-spam modules; receiving a spam confidence level from each of the plurality of the plurality of anti-spam modules; determining a highest spam confidence level from the spam confidence levels; comparing the highest spam confidence level to at least one threshold; and invoking an action associated with the at least one threshold if the highest spam confidence level is greater than the at least one threshold, said associated action comprising at least one of the following: dropping a connection if the highest spam confidence level exceeds a first threshold level; returning a non-delivery message to a sender if the highest spam confidence level exceeds a second threshold level and is below the first threshold level; and delivering the message to a junk mail folder if the highest spam confidence level exceeds a third threshold level and is below the second threshold level.