Framework for pinpointing the point of compromise of e-mail addresses

This paper introduces a method by which researchers can conduct a broad-scale investigation into the security of e-mail addresses in the hands of numerous of online entities such as e-businesses, online subscription services, and listserves. The information provided by this investigation technique can be employed by consumer protection organizations, in order to alert consumers about online services, which do not honor the privacy of user account information; regulatory agencies, in order to determine relationships between spam sources; and by research firms, which can alert online businesses to security problems on a fee for service basis. The method is based upon a structured system for registering for Web-based services using a unique plurality of e-mail accounts constituting a subset of a larger set of e-mail accounts. Sources of e-mail account information disclosure are indicated based upon the receipt of identical spam, concurrently among a plurality of accounts.