Matt Blaze KE Patent

[John Young <jya@pipeline.com>]

9 March 1998, MicroPatent:

Escrow key management system for accessing encrypted data with 
portable cryptographic modules (Assignee -- Lucent Technologies 
Inc.)

Abstract: A cryptographic module, such as a smartcard, is 
designed to a) store decrypting software programs, and information 
indicative of predetermined conditions under which an escrow agent 
is enabled to use the software programs stored on the module to 
decrypt encrypted data files, and b) records for audit purposes, 
information indicating every time the software programs are used 
for decryption. 

Ex Claim Text: A system for managing access to one or more 
encrypted data files stored in a computer system, said system 
comprising: a file of the computer system which associates a 
cryptographic key with a cryptographic module that is subsequently 
assigned to a selected user; a memory of the cryptographic module 
which stores a) access information allowing use of the cryptographic 
module by the selected user under specific conditions, said access 
information including the cryptographic key, a corresponding 
cryptographic passphrase and a software program to decrypt the one 
or more encrypted data files; means responsive to receiving at said 
cryptographic module said corresponding cryptographic passphrase 
from said selected user, for a) permitting decryption of said one 
or more data flies when the specific conditions are met, and b) 
recording in said memory transactional information associated with 
said decryption, and b) uses said cryptographic module for the 
purpose of decrypting one or more of said data files; and means for 
querying at a later time said cryptographic module to retrieve said 
transactional information recorded on said memory.

Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc. 

Patent Number: 5721777 

Issue Date: 1998 02 24 

Inventor(s): Blaze, Matthew A. 

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