Enhanced cryptographic system and method with key escrow feature

A method for generating verifiably trusted communications among a plurality of users, comprising the steps of:

• escrowing at a trusted escrow center a secret asymmetric cryptographic key associated with each of a plurality of users;
• verifying each of the keys at the escrow center;
• certifying each of the keys upon verification;
• and
• initiating a secure communication from an initiating user to a receiving user contingent upon certification of keys of both the initiating and receiving users.

A method for generating verifiably trusted communications among a plurality of users with selective non-party access, comprising the steps of:

• escrowing, at a trusted escrow center, secret asymmetric cryptographic keys associated with a plurality of users, each user associated with at least one key and at least a first selectable non-party to have access to the user's communications;
• verifying the keys at the escrow center;
• certifying each of the keys upon verification;
• initiating a trusted communication from a sending user to a recipient in a manner that permits access to the communication by the first non-party.

A method for generating verifiably trusted communications among a plurality of users with third party access, comprising the steps of:

• escrowing with at least one of a plurality of escrow centers a secret asymmetric cryptographic key associated with each of a plurality of users;
• verifying the keys at the escrow center;
• certifying each of the keys upon verification;
• initiating a trusted communication from a sending user to a receiving user using a verified key, said communication including information to recover a key of the initiating user and a key of the receiving user.

A method for generating verifiably trusted communications among a plurality of users, comprising the steps of:

• escrowing at an escrow center a secret asymmetric cryptographic key associated with each of a plurality of users;
• verifying the keys at the escrow center;
• certifying each of the keys upon verification;
• and
• initiating a communication from an initiating user to a receiving user contingent upon a trusted device of the initiating user confirming certification of keys of the sending and receiving users.

A method for generating verifiably trusted communications among a plurality of users, comprising the steps of:

• escrowing at a trusted escrow center a secret asymmetric cryptographic key associated with each of a plurality of users;
• verifying the keys at the escrow center;
• certifying each of the keys upon verification;
• and
• initiating a communication from an initiating user to a receiving user contingent upon certification of a key used in the communication, said communication containing access information that permits access to the communication by an outside party.

A method for generating verifiably trusted communications among a plurality of users, comprising the steps of:

• escrowing at a trusted escrow center a secret asymmetric cryptographic key associated with each of a plurality of users;
• verifying the keys at the escrow center;
• certifying (i) each of the keys upon verification and (ii) a trusted device associated with each user;
• and
• initiating a communication from an initiating user to a recipient after certification of a key used for the communication and after confirmation of attributes of a trusted device associated with the initiating user.

A method for generating verifiably trusted communications among a plurality of users, comprising the steps of:

• escrowing, at trusted escrows centers, asymmetric cryptographic keys associated with a plurality of users, ones of said escrow centers belonging to a first group, others of said escrow centers belonging to a second group;
• verifying the keys at the escrow centers;
• certifying each of the keys upon verification;
• and
• communicating between a first user and a second user contingent upon the groups to which the escrow centers of sending and receiving users belong.