Teired key communication system and method in support of controlled vendor message processing

A method for managing transmission of encrypted electronic documents over a network between a content provider and a subscriber through a trusted resource, the content provider using a symmetric key associated with each subscriber to encrypt an electronic document to be sent to a particular subscriber, the symmetric key being securely retained at the content provider, comprising:

• receiving, at a transaction management station, a key request from the content provider station that includes at least a respective identifier associated with the content provider and a respective identifier associated with the subscriber;
• using the respective identifiers, at the transaction management station to determine a stored record of a relationship between the content provider and the particular subscriber;
• in response to determining the relationship, providing at the transaction management station an asymmetrically-encrypted, symmetric key (AESK);
• forwarding the AESK from the transaction management station which comprises the trusted resource to the content provider, the AESK being correlated to the particular subscriber and the content provider;
• receiving, at the transaction management station, a transaction from the content provider that comprises the encrypted electronic document, the AESK, and publicly inspectable metadata;
• determining, at the transaction management station, a routing for the transaction using the publicly inspectable metadata;
• routing the transaction to at least one client station based on the determined routing;
• and
• enabling the client station to unbundle the transaction using a private portion of an asymmetric key pair utilized to create the AESK.

A system for managing transmission of encrypted electronic documents over a distributed computer network between a content provider and a subscriber through a trusted resource, comprising:

• a content provider station comprising a processor, a memory, and code executed in the processor, wherein the code causes the processor to:
• encrypt an electronic document that is to be sent to a particular subscriber using a symmetric key securely retained at the content provider;
• receive an asymmetrically-encrypted, symmetric key (AESK), the AESK correlated to the particular subscriber and content provider;
• construct a transaction that comprises the encrypted electronic document, the AESK, and publicly inspectable metadata;
• and
• distribute the transaction over the network;
• a transaction management station which comprises the trusted resource, comprising a processor, a memory, and code executed in the processor, wherein the code causes the processor to:
• receive a key request from the content provider station that includes at least a respective identifier associated with the content provider and a respective identifier associated with the subscriber;
• use the respective identifiers, at the transaction management station, to determine a stored record of a relationship between the provider and the particular subscriber;
• in response to determining the relationship, provide the AESK;
• forward the AESK to the content provider station over the network;
• receive the transaction from the content provider station over the network;
• determine a routing for the transaction using the publicly inspectable metadata;
• and
• route the transaction over the network;
• and
• a client station comprising a processor, a memory, and code executed in the processor, wherein the code causes the processor to:
• receive the transaction from a connection to the network;
• and
• unbundle the transaction by applying a private portion of an asymmetric key pair utilized to create the AESK, said private portion being associated with the particular subscriber and the content provider.