20. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the processing device is configured, for at least some of the hierarchical domains, to increase the reputability score for each additional sub-domain level for the same hierarchical domains found in the memory.
18. An apparatus for assessing reputability of email, comprising: a memory configured to store at least some hierarchical domains that include a first domain level and a second sub-domain level of the first domain level, wherein at least some of the first and second domain levels of the same hierarchical domains have different associated reputability values; and a processing device configured to access the memory to derive a first lower reputability value for a domain when a reputability value for a sub-domain level of the domain is not found in the memory and to derive a second higher reputability value for the domain when a reputability value for the sub-domain level of the domain is found in the memory, wherein the processing device is configured to: determine whether the first domain level in one of the hierarchical domains matches a domain for assessment; use a first reputability value associated with the first domain level for deriving a reputability score when the first domain level matches the domain; determine whether a second sub-domain level of the first domain level matches the domain; and use a second reputability value associated with the second sub-domain level associated with a higher reputability than the first reputability value for deriving the reputability score when the second sub-domain level matches the domain for assessment.