appropriate algorithm for application

[Scott McGuire]

> Cerridwyn Llewyellyn wrote:
> > 
> > I need an algorithm/protocol that is capable of encrypting numerous
> > files with separate keys, but there also needs to be a master key
> > that will be able to decrypt all of them.  Is there such a system
> > that is relatively secure?  I'd prefer the system to be as secure
> > as possible, but in this application, security is secondary to
> > functionality.  Thanks... //cerridwyn//
> 
> Are you after a working program, or just a design?
> 
> You could always use an escrowed public key generator (discussed on
> sci.crypt some time ago), where the keys all have a factor of 'N'
> embedded in 'N', but encrypted with the master key.
> 
> (I'd be prepared to write the code that generates the keys, if
> someone does the "master decrypt" side of things).
> 
> Gary
> --
> pub  1024/C001D00D 1996/01/22  Gary Howland <gary at systemics.com>
> Key fingerprint =  0C FB 60 61 4D 3B 24 7D  1C 89 1D BE 1F EE 09 06 
> ^S
> ^A^Aoft FAT filesytem is extremely robust, ^Mrarely suffering from^T^T
> 
> 

Why not just encrypt the files with regular, single key encryption and only use
the public-key encryption on a master file holding a copy of all the individual
keys?  This would be faster right?

Scott