Zero-Knowledge Key Escrow via Peer Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Key escrow systems face security risks when the escrow server is compromised, as they store encryption keys that can be accessed by malicious actors, compromising the security of encrypted data.
Innovation Solution
The cryptographic key is split into multiple parts, each encrypted by a peer device and stored in the key escrow system, ensuring that no single party, including the escrow provider, can discern the entire key, and each peer only has access to a portion of the key.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If encryption keys are stored in a key escrow server for recovery purposes, then key recoverability is improved, but security is worsened because the escrow server becomes a target for malicious actors
Solution Approach 1:
The encryption key is divided into multiple segments or shares, which are distributed across different peer devices rather than stored centrally. This segmentation ensures that no single point of failure exists for key recovery while simultaneously eliminating the security risk of centralized storage, as compromising one peer device does not reveal the entire key
Solution Approach 2:
Trusted peer devices act as intermediaries that hold encrypted portions of the key. These peers serve as distributed mediators between the key owner and the key recovery process, eliminating the need for a centralized escrow server while maintaining key recoverability through the coordination of multiple peer devices
2Ease of operation
If a centralized key escrow server stores encryption keys, then key management is simplified, but the risk of key compromise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The key management system segments the encryption key into multiple parts distributed across peer devices. This maintains ease of operation through automated distributed key management while eliminating the single point of compromise that exists in centralized escrow servers
Solution Approach 2:
Different peer devices hold different encrypted portions of the key, creating local quality variations in the key storage system. This distributed architecture maintains operational simplicity through standardized protocols while ensuring that no single location contains the complete key, thereby preventing key compromise
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various embodiments for implementing a key escrow system without disclosure of a client's encryption key to third parties. An encryption key is split into a plurality of key segments pursuant to a shared secret protocol. A plurality of peer client devices are then identified. Each peer client device in the plurality of peer client devices is then verified and the respective one of the plurality of key segments are sent to a respective one of the plurality of peer client devices. A response is then received from each respective one of the plurality of peer client devices, the response confirming receipt of the respective one of the plurality of key segments. A list identifying the plurality of peer client devices is finally provided to a key escrow service, the list comprising key-value pairs that identify each respective one of the plurality of peer client devices and the respective one of the plurality of key segments.