The Risks of Key Recovery, Key Escrow, and Trusted Third-Party Encryption (Revised)

Tags: 1990s Crypto Wars Crypto Wars I Key Escrow Key Recovery

Authors: Abelson, H. and Anderson, R. and Bellovin, S.M. and Benaloh, J. and Blaze, M. and Diffie, W. and Gilmore, J. and Neumann, P.G. and Rivest, R.L. and Schiller, J.I. and Schneier, B.

Published: 1998

URL: https://www.schneier.com/academic/archives/1997/04/the_risks_of_key_rec.html

Abstract: This report offers a detailed technical evaluation of the technical risks, costs, and policy implications of allowing government access to encryption keys. The article begins with the proposals that would benefit law enforcement officials, and the possibly insurmountable barriers to building such a system, and the details of the security risks and costs of such a system. Next, the report contemplates a variety of possibilities in building a system that allows government access and details the challenges that any system would present. This article thoroughly evaluates all possible technical solutions to allow government access to encryption keys and the technical barriers that make them an infeasible solution to problems with encryption.