Network centered recovery process for cryptographic processing modules

A method for re-initializing a cryptographic processing module, comprising:

• generating recovery information, at said cryptographic processing module located in a classified environment, that includes a module unique recovery vector and module unique data;
• communicating said module unique recovery vector from said classified environment, over a computer network, to an unclassified network database;
• storing in said unclassified network database said module unique recovery vector defining first re-initialization data that is required for re-activating previously deactivated information security functions of said cryptographic processing module at a future time and is functional only with one said cryptographic processing module for which it was uniquely generated;
• querying said cryptographic processing module to obtain a unique module identifying code that is assigned only to said cryptographic processing module;
• communicating said unique module identifying code to said unclassified network database;
• indexing said module unique recovery vector in said unclassified network database using said unique module identifying code;
• relocating said cryptographic processing module from said classified environment to an unclassified environment;
• subsequent to said relocation, communicating said module unique recovery vector from said unclassified network database, over a computer network, to said unclassified environment;
• and
• using module unique data and said module unique recovery vector provided from said unclassified network database to re-initialize said cryptographic processing module in said unclassified environment;
• wherein said module unique data defines second re-initialization data that is required for re-activating said previously deactivated information security functions of said cryptographic processing module and is unique to said cryptographic processing module.

A method for re-initializing a cryptographic processing module, comprising:

• generating recovery information, at said cryptographic processing module located in a classified environment, that includes a module unique recovery vector and module unique data;
• communicating said module unique recovery vector from said classified environment, over a computer network, to an unclassified network database;
• storing in said unclassified network database said module unique recovery vector defining first re-initialization data that is required for re-activating previously deactivated information security functions of said cryptographic processing module at a future time and is functional only with one said cryptographic processing module for which it was uniquely generated;
• querying said cryptographic processing module to obtain a unique module identifying code that is assigned only to said cryptographic processing module;
• encrypting said unique module identifying code;
• communicating said unique module identifying code from said cryptographic processing module, over a computer network, to said unclassified network database;
• indexing said module unique recovery vector in said unclassified network database using said unique module identifying code;
• encrypting said module unique recovery vector;
• relocating said cryptographic processing module from said classified environment to an unclassified environment;
• subsequent to said relocation, communicating said module unique recovery vector from said unclassified network database, over a computer network, to said unclassified environment;
• and
• using said module unique data and said module unique recovery vector provided from said unclassified network database to re-initialize said cryptographic processing module in said unclassified environment;
• wherein said module unique data defines second re-initialization data that is required for re-activating said previously deactivated information security functions of said cryptographic processing module and is unique to said cryptographic processing module.