Method for key escrow in a communication system and apparatus therefor
US6823070B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 28, 2000 |
| Grant date | Nov 23, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 28, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L2209/04
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Method of monitoring a secure encrypted communication, where the encryption key(s) is recovered by an escrow center having a master and multiple agents and the master receives the key encrypted using a mask scheme. Independent random masks are generated, which are then used to create dependent masks for each agent. The agents receive the mask information but no key information. The agents decide whether to allow the interception of an encrypted message. In response to the agents' decisions, the master is either enabled to recover the key or prevented from recovering the key. Encrypted key information is only available to the master. Multiple combinations of agents will provide sufficient information to the master to recover the key, avoiding the hold-out problems of the prior art. In one embodiment, multiple masters provide back-up protection when a master is unavailable.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.