On Sat, 30 Mar 1996 JonWienke@aol.com wrote:
The concept of encrypting a key before escrowing it is excellent. It prevents the escrow agent from misusing the key, and protects the principal from government snooping. If the escrow agent is served a subpoena, he can say, "Here is the key you want. Go ahead and take it. In fact, here is my entire key database. All keys are encrypted by the principals before I get them, so I can't guarantee that you will be able to use them, but here they are anyway." At this point, the LEO's can take whatever they want, but the principals are still safe. The escrow agent doesn't have to send any encrypted "rosebud" message to anyone, and he can bend over backwards to make the LEO's happy, so his butt is covered, too. At this point, the LEO's can either (a) send the keys to the NSA for decryption, and thereby admit that the gov't can break IDEA (or whatever cryptosystem was used to encrypt the keys before the escrow agent got them), (b) rubber hose the unencrypted key(s) from the principal, or (c) go home and pout.
(d) [which may be a subset of (b)] impose contempt sanctions on the principal until he releases the key to the key. --- My preferred and soon to be permanent e-mail address:unicorn@schloss.li "In fact, had Bancroft not existed, potestas scientiae in usu est Franklin might have had to invent him." in nihilum nil posse reverti 00B9289C28DC0E55 E16D5378B81E1C96 - Finger for Current Key Information