key escrow

A Dictionary of the Internet | 2001 | 700+ words | Copyright

key escrow A technique claimed to be a good compromise between the needs of law enforcement agencies to access messages sent over a network and the requirements of personal privacy. A key escrow scheme involves the user of an ENCRYPTION ALGORITHM depositing the KEY used in the algorithm with a trusted third party, such as a bank. If a law enforcement agency requires the key then it is made available to them by the third party only after a warrant has been issued. There is also a very practical rationale for such a service: if the holder of a key loses it or it is destroyed then all the data associated with the key can be lost; having the key held by a third party guards against this. The third party is often known as a TRUSTED THIRD PARTY.

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DARREL INCE. "key escrow." A Dictionary of the Internet. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DARREL INCE. "key escrow." A Dictionary of the Internet. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O12-keyescrow.html

DARREL INCE. "key escrow." A Dictionary of the Internet. 2001. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O12-keyescrow.html

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