System and method for secure distribution of digital information to a chain of computer system nodes in a network

In a network including a client node and an authentication server node, a method for securely delivering a session key to the client node from the authentication server node in response to a request from the client node, the method comprising:

• sealing plaintext using the session key;
• encoding the session key using a key shared with the client node;
• and
• transmitting a data structure to the client node that includes the encoded session key, an explicit identifier of the client node as the recipient of the data structure, and the sealed plaintext.

A system for securely distributing session keys by way of a network, the network including a first node transmitting a first request to obtain a first session key and a second node in communication with the first node, the second node transmitting a second request to obtain a second session key, wherein the first request is contained within the second request from the second node, the system comprising:

• a third node in communication with the second node and receiving the first request by way of the second node, the third node including:
• a processor generating (1) a first response by operating on the first request and the first session key, the first fesponse including a representation of the first session key, and (2) generating a second response by operating on the second request and the first response, the second response including the first response;
• and
• a network interface coupled to the processor for transmitting the second response to the second node over the network,
• wherein the first response is formed using an explicit identifier of the first node as the recipient of the first response and the second response is formed using an explicit