Method of securing postage data records in a postage printing device

A method of securely transferring first data records stored in a postage printing device from a first user to a second user when said postage printing device is transferred from said first user to said second user, said postage printing device using a first key to digitally sign one or more first requests for a plurality of said first data records from a data center, each of said first data records including indicium information for enabling said postage printing device to print a postal indicium, said data center using a second key to encrypt at least the indicium information of each of said first data records to generate a plurality of encrypted indicium information portions, using each of said encrypted indicium information portions to form a plurality of encrypted first data records, and using a third key to digitally sign each of said encrypted first data records to generate a plurality of data record digital signatures, said data center transmitting said encrypted first data records and said data record digital signatures to said postage printing device, said postage printing device storing said third key for authenticating each of said first data records using a corresponding one of said data record digital signatures and said second key for decrypting each of said encrypted indicium information portions of each of said encrypted first data records, the method comprising:

• zeroing, by said postage printing device, said first key in said postage printing device;
• generating, by said postage printing device and said data center, a fourth key, a fifth key and a sixth key, said postage printing device using said fourth key to digitally sign one or more second requests for a plurality of second data records from said data center, wherein each of said second data records include second indicium information for enabling said postage printing device to print a postal indicium, wherein said data center uses said fifth key to encrypt at least the second indicium information of each of said second data records to generate a plurality of encrypted second indicium information portions, using each of said encrypted second indicium information portions to form a plurality of encrypted second data records, and using said sixth key to digitally sign each of said encrypted second data records;
• authenticating, by said postage printing device, each of said first data records using said third key and a corresponding one of said data record digital signatures;
• decrypting, by said postage printing device, each of said encrypted indicium information portions of each of said encrypted first data records using said second key;
• encrypting, by said postage printing device, at least the indicium information of each of said first data records using said fifth key to generate a plurality of re-encrypted indicium information portions, and using each of said re-encrypted indicium information portions to form a plurality of re-encrypted first data records;
• digitally signing, by said postage printing device, each of said re-encrypted first data records using said sixth key;
• and
• zeroing, by said postage printing device, said second and third keys in said postage printing device.