Stateless server-based encryption associated with a distribution list

A system for decrypting electronic messages, comprising:

• a memory that stores a distribution list identified by an identifier associated with a common private key and corresponding common public key;
• a message relay server that receives an encrypted electronic message from a source client and transmits the encrypted electronic message to a plurality of destination clients listed in the distribution list,
• wherein the encrypted electronic message is encrypted using a common public key, is derived from a first electronic message, and is addressed to the plurality of destination clients;
• a decryption module that receives the encrypted electronic message from each of at least two destination clients of the plurality of destination clients;
• and an authentication module that successfully authenticates first and second destination clients of the plurality of destination clients,
• wherein in response to the authentication module successfully authenticating a respective destination client, the decryption module:
• obtains the identifier;
• using the identifier, retrieves the common private key;
• decrypts the encrypted electronic message using the common private key;
• and
• transmits the decrypted electronic message to the respective destination client.

A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions that when executed by one or more processors is adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

• assigning a common public key and a corresponding common private key to an email distribution list, the email distribution list including a plurality of destination clients and the email distribution list identified by an identifier;
• receiving, by a message relay server, an encrypted electronic message from a source client, the encrypted electronic message being encrypted using the common public key, being derived from a first electronic message, and being addressed to the plurality of destination clients listed in the email distribution list;
• transmitting, by the message relay server, the encrypted electronic message to the plurality of destination clients listed in the distribution list, the distribution list associated with the common private key;
• receiving, by a decryption module of a decryptor device, the encrypted electronic message from each of the plurality of destination clients;
• and
• for at least two of the encrypted electronic messages received by the decryption module from different destination clients of the plurality of destination clients:
• authenticating each destination client of the different destination clients;
• and
• in response to a successful authentication of a first destination client of the different destination clients:
• obtaining by the decryption module, the identifier;
• using the identifier to retrieve by the decryption module, the common private key;
• decrypting, by the decryption module, at least one of the at least two encrypted electronic message using the common private key;
• and
• transmitting the at least one decrypted encrypted electronic message to the first destination client;
• and
• in response to a failed authentication of a second destination client of the different destination clients, notifying the second destination client of the failed authentication.