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Key escrow

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22: 140:), and granting of access by technical personnel charged with access control. All such linkages / controls have serious problems from a system design security perspective. Systems in which the key may not be changed easily are rendered especially vulnerable as the accidental release of the key will result in many devices becoming totally compromised, necessitating an immediate key change or replacement of the system. 144:
private, even when the information is held only under an affirmative legal obligation to protect it from unauthorized access. Another is technical concerns for the additional vulnerabilities likely to be introduced by supporting key escrow operations. Thus far, no key escrow system has been designed which meets both objections and nearly all have failed to meet even one.
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On a national level, key escrow is controversial in many countries for at least two reasons. One involves mistrust of the security of the structural escrow arrangement. Many countries have a long history of less than adequate protection of others' information by assorted organizations, public and
136:. Thus far, no system design has been shown to meet this requirement fully on a technical basis alone. All proposed systems also require correct functioning of some social linkage, as for instance the process of request for access, examination of request for 'legitimacy' (as by a 151:, where users are required to surrender keys upon demand by law enforcement, or else face legal penalties. Key disclosure law avoids some of the technical issues and risks of key escrow systems, but also introduces new risks like loss of keys and legal issues such as involuntary 216:
Abelson, Harold; Anderson, Ross; Bellovin, Steven M.; Benaloh, Josh; Blaze, Matt; Diffie, Whitfield; Gilmore, John; Green, Matthew; Landau, Susan; Neumann, Peter G.; Rivest, Ronald L. (2015-11-17).
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to the intended recipient and at least one third party. The third party should be permitted access only under carefully controlled conditions, as for instance, a
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may gain access to those keys. These third parties may include businesses, who may want access to employees' secure business-related
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Key escrow is proactive, anticipating the need for access to keys; a retroactive alternative is
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CIA memo to Al Gore on suggested US policy on key recovery, 11. September 1996. Archived from
193: 117:, who may wish to be able to view the contents of encrypted communications (also known as 8: 188: 152: 148: 106: 94: 247: 237: 227: 173: 290: 251: 110: 232: 217: 270:"The Risks of Key Recovery, Key Escrow, and Trusted Third-Party Encryption" 178: 168: 242: 133: 125: 124:
The technical problem is a largely structural one. Access to protected
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so that, under certain circumstances, an authorized
288: 43:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks 277:Encryption Policy: Memo for the Vice President 241: 231: 74:Learn how and when to remove this message 289: 159:is applied to both types of systems. 211: 209: 15: 13: 14: 308: 262: 206: 93:) is an arrangement in which the 20: 1: 199: 184:Data Securities International 7: 162: 10: 313: 223:Journal of Cybersecurity 29:This article includes a 58:more precise citations. 233:10.1093/cybsec/tyv009 155:. The ambiguous term 91:"fair" cryptosystem 189:Related-key attack 153:self-incrimination 149:key disclosure law 119:exceptional access 97:needed to decrypt 31:list of references 128:must be provided 101:data are held in 89:(also known as a 84: 83: 76: 304: 273: 256: 255: 245: 235: 213: 79: 72: 68: 65: 59: 54:this article by 45:inline citations 24: 23: 16: 312: 311: 307: 306: 305: 303: 302: 301: 287: 286: 268: 265: 260: 259: 214: 207: 202: 165: 80: 69: 63: 60: 49: 35:related reading 25: 21: 12: 11: 5: 310: 300: 299: 297:Key management 285: 284: 274: 264: 263:External links 261: 258: 257: 204: 203: 201: 198: 197: 196: 191: 186: 181: 176: 174:Key management 171: 164: 161: 111:communications 82: 81: 39:external links 28: 26: 19: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 309: 298: 295: 294: 292: 283:on 2012-10-15 282: 278: 275: 271: 267: 266: 253: 249: 244: 243:1721.1/128748 239: 234: 229: 225: 224: 219: 212: 210: 205: 195: 192: 190: 187: 185: 182: 180: 177: 175: 172: 170: 167: 166: 160: 158: 154: 150: 145: 141: 139: 135: 131: 127: 122: 120: 116: 112: 108: 104: 100: 96: 92: 88: 78: 75: 67: 57: 53: 47: 46: 40: 36: 32: 27: 18: 17: 281:the original 221: 179:Clipper chip 169:Cryptography 157:key recovery 156: 146: 142: 129: 123: 118: 90: 86: 85: 70: 61: 50:Please help 42: 134:court order 126:information 115:governments 107:third party 56:introducing 272:. 1997–98. 226:: tyv009. 200:References 87:Key escrow 252:2057-2085 99:encrypted 64:June 2019 291:Category 194:Backdoor 163:See also 52:improve 250:  103:escrow 138:court 113:, or 37:, or 248:ISSN 130:only 95:keys 238:hdl 228:doi 121:). 293:: 246:. 236:. 220:. 208:^ 41:, 33:, 254:. 240:: 230:: 77:) 71:( 66:) 62:( 48:.

Index

list of references
related reading
external links
inline citations
improve
introducing
Learn how and when to remove this message
keys
encrypted
escrow
third party
communications
governments
information
court order
court
key disclosure law
self-incrimination
Cryptography
Key management
Clipper chip
Data Securities International
Related-key attack
Backdoor


"Keys under doormats: mandating insecurity by requiring government access to all data and communications"
Journal of Cybersecurity
doi
10.1093/cybsec/tyv009

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