Key Escrow

PKI Key Escrow is a mechanism designed to address situations where encryption keys used to protect sensitive data are at risk of being lost, forgotten, or inaccessible due to the absence of the key owner. Key escrow involves securely storing a copy of encryption keys with a trusted third party to ensure data recovery or access under specific circumstances.

Key Escrow Process:

1. The owner of the encryption key generates the key pair (public key and private key) for secure communication or authentication.
2. A trusted third-party escrow agent is designated to securely store a copy of the private key.
3. If the key owner loses access to their private key (e.g., due to forgetting the password or hardware failure), the escrow agent can release the stored key.

Use Cases for PKI Key Escrow:

• Law Enforcement: Key escrow may be required by legal regulations to allow authorized entities, such as law enforcement, to decrypt communication for investigation purposes.
• Disaster Recovery: In case of key loss or unavailability, key escrow enables data recovery and business continuity.
• Legacy Systems: Key escrow ensures access to encrypted data when transitioning to new systems or technologies.

Considerations for PKI Key Escrow:

• Trust: The escrow agent must be a trusted entity with appropriate security measures in place.
• Access Control: Access to escrowed keys should be strictly controlled and audited.
• Legal and Ethical Implications: Key escrow may involve legal and ethical considerations, especially regarding data privacy and access rights.

PKI Key Escrow provides a way to mitigate the risks associated with lost or inaccessible encryption keys by securely storing copies of private keys with trusted third-party escrow agents, enabling key recovery under specific circumstances.