Barracuda Networks has been granted a patent for a method and apparatus that protects users from external email attacks. The technology involves flagging suspicious emails with warning levels and displaying explanatory text in the mailbox view without opening the emails. The emails are then sorted based on the flag warning levels. GlobalData’s report on Barracuda Networks gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
According to GlobalData’s company profile on Barracuda Networks, IoT network security was a key innovation area identified from patents. Barracuda Networks's grant share as of September 2023 was 72%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
User protection from external e-mail attacks

A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11750647B2) describes a method for flagging and sorting suspicious emails in an email client. The method involves receiving a first email at the email client and detecting a suspicious element in the email using a detection system. Upon detection, the first email is flagged as suspicious with a first flag and a first warning level. A second email is also flagged with a second flag and a second warning level. The flagged emails are then displayed in a mailbox view of the email client, along with explanatory text, without opening the emails for display to the user. The suspicious element is not selectable in the mailbox view. The first and second emails are sorted with other emails in the mailbox view based on the flag warning levels.
The method also includes additional features such as using flag labels and specific locations in the mailbox view to organize the flagged emails. The email client can be a web browser, and the suspicious element can be locked using a browser extension. The method involves receiving the first email from an email server and sending metadata of the email to the detection system for detection. The first email can be flagged at the email server, and a labeling command can be sent to the server for flagging. The detection system can be located at an enterprise email server.
Furthermore, the patent describes displaying the first email in an opened mail view with the suspicious element, the first flag, and a banner. The banner includes buttons for the user to accept or reject the email and obtain further information about it. There is also a button to indicate that the sender of the email is trusted. The explanatory text in the mailbox view indicates that the first warning level corresponds to an email that is not yet cleared, and the first flag is identified with a distinctive color.
The patent also includes claims for a non-transitory machine-readable medium with instructions to perform the method and an apparatus with a communications interface, processor, and user interface to implement the method.
Overall, this patent presents a method for efficiently flagging and sorting suspicious emails in an email client, providing users with a clear indication of potentially harmful content without the need to open the emails.
To know more about GlobalData’s detailed insights on Barracuda Networks, buy the report here.
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