Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing connections and messages at a server by associating different actions for both different senders and different recipients is disclosed. The server manages connections from different senders by receiving incoming connections from the different senders and determining sender identifiers for the incoming connections. The server inspects a mapping of sender identifiers to actions to identify which action should be applied to each incoming connection. The server applies the actions, such as accepting the connection, rejecting the connection, relaying the connection, or refusing the connection. Also, the server manages electronic messages for different recipients by determining recipient identifiers for the electronic messages. The server inspects a mapping of recipient identifiers to actions to identify which action should be applied for the recipients of the email messages.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing connections, email messages, and directory harvest attacks at a server is disclosed. The server maintains a count of a parameter and compares the count to a specified maximum value, such that when the specified maximum value is met or exceeded, an action is taken by the server to limit the connections, email messages, or directory harvest attack. Actions include controlling the number of connections to the server from senders, controlling the flow of email messages injected to the server by senders, and controlling when rejection response messages are sent for invalid recipient email addresses to thwart a directory harvest attack. Senders are identified by one or more sender identifiers, which can be used to group senders together so that the same maximum value is applied collectively to all senders in the group.