Escrow compatible key generation
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- using a current encryption key to encrypt or authenticate information;
creating a new encryption key as a predictable and retrospectively repeatable function of the current encryption key; and
encrypting or authenticating information using the new encryption key.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of managing encryption keys creates a new encryption key as a predictable and retrospectively repeatable function of a current encryption key. Information is then encrypted or authenticated using the new encryption key. In one embodiment, the generation of a new encryption key is triggered as a function of the amount of information encrypted or authenticated using the current encryption key. In a further embodiment, the new encryption key is created by using the current encryption key to encrypt a pre-agreed block of information, which may be an appropriate-length representation of the current encryption key. In a further embodiment, the current encryption key and a time-independent method of creating a new encryption key is escrowed.
20 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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using a current encryption key to encrypt or authenticate information;
creating a new encryption key as a predictable and retrospectively repeatable function of the current encryption key; and
encrypting or authenticating information using the new encryption key. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system comprising:
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means for encrypting or authenticating information using a current encryption key;
means for creating a new encryption key as a predictable and retrospectively repeatable function of the current encryption key; and
means for transitioning from use of the current encryption key to use of the new encryption key as a function of the amount of information encrypted or authenticated using the current encryption key. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method comprising:
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escrowing a current encryption key and a predictable and retrospectively repeatable method of creating a new encryption key as a function of the current encryption key;
using a current encryption key to encrypt or authenticate information;
creating a new encryption key using the time-independent, or only coarsely time-dependent, method; and
encrypting or authenticating information using the new encryption key. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification