System and method for protecting against e-mail-based cyberattacks

Abstract

A system for dynamically managing email access and content is described, wherein the email system based on email rules and filters may modify emails presented to users or limit access to the email content via a specific architecture.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for securely managing email access and content comprising:
 one or more memory devices; and   one or more processors configured to provide:
 an email database for storing emails and email attachments; 
 a user database; 
 a rules profile database containing a set of rules profiles, wherein each rules profile is individually associated with an entity or a group of entities; 
 a web server capable of providing a webmail client; and 
 an email server capable of receiving or retrieving an email and any associated email attachments, identifying a subset of rules profiles from the set of rules profiles based on one or more entities or one or more groups of entities detected in the email or the email attachments, modifying the email and the email attachments according to the subset of rules profiles, determining based on the subset of rules profiles whether the email requires restricted access, forwarding the email to one or more recipients of the email if restricted access is not required, and if restricted access is required only providing access to the email by the one or more recipients via the webmail client. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the email server is further capable of sending a notification email to the one or more recipients that the email must be accessed by the webmail client. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the set of rules profiles is capable of including instructions for converting email attachments to a different form of media. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein each group of entities is based on a domain name or a set of email addresses. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the email system does not maintain encryption keys in memory or other mounted storage media when such encryption keys are not required. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the webmail client is further capable of restricting the recipients from obtaining screen captures. 
     
     
         7 . A computer-implemented method for securely managing email access and content comprising:
 storing emails and email attachments;   providing access to a user database;   providing a rules profile database containing a set of rules profiles, wherein each rules profile is individually associated with an entity or a group of entities;   providing a webmail client via a webmail server;   receiving or retrieving an email and any associated email attachments;   identifying a subset of rules profiles from the set of rules profiles based on one or more entities or one or more groups of entities detected in the email or the email attachments;   modifying the email and the email attachments according to the subset of rules profiles;   determining if based on the subset of rules profiles whether the email requires restricted access;   forwarding the email to one or more recipients of the email if restricted access is not required; and   if restricted access is required only providing access to the email by the one or more recipients via the webmail client.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of sending a notification email to the one or more recipients that the email must be accessed by the webmail client. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the set of rules profiles is capable of including instructions for converting email attachments to a different form of media. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein each group of entities is based on a domain name or a set of email addresses. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of not maintaining encryption keys in memory or other mounted storage media when such encryption keys are not required. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of restricting the recipients from obtaining screen captures.