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Escrow Users

What is the Overall Key Escrow Process in tiCrypt?​

tiCrypt employs a comprehensive security model where all resources are encrypted using AES-256 encryption, complemented by public-key cryptography. Each user possesses a private key to decrypt their encryption key. If a user's key is lost or withheld, the data becomes irretrievable due to the encryption.

To address potential key loss or legal requirements for data access, tiCrypt integrates a key escrow system that enables the recovery of user private keys, thereby restoring data access.

What are the Escrow Design Principles?​

  1. Cryptographic Security: Utilization of encryption and digital signatures is prioritized over access control lists.
  2. Separation of Duties: Key recovery processes require multiple authorized individuals to prevent unauthorized access if a user's credentials are compromised.
  3. Limited Administrator Role: System and tiCrypt administrators have minimal involvement in key recovery to enhance backend security.

What are the Roles in the Escrowing Process?​

  1. Escrow Users: Perform tasks like sharing key segments and recovering keys. They require all parts of a key to initiate recovery.
  2. Site-Key Administrator: Assigns and organizes escrow user roles into groups.
  3. tiCrypt Administrators: Execute the escrow process as authorized by the site-key administrator.

What are the Escrow Phases?​

  1. Initiation: tiCrypt administrators activate escrow by setting a user's state to Escrow Upon Login.
  2. Key Decryption: Occurs when a user logs in and their private key is decrypted.
  3. Key Generation: A random AES-256 key is generated for each escrow group.
  4. Master Key Creation: A master AES-256 key is formed by combining all group keys.
  5. Encryption and Storage: The user's private key is encrypted with the master key and stored on tiCrypt's backend.
  6. Key Sharing: Each group key is cryptographically divided among the escrow users within the group and securely stored in the backend.

What are the Key De-Escrowing Phases?​

1. Key Recovery: Escrow users retrieve and reconstruct the master AES-256 key by piecing together their respective group keys.

2. Decryption: The master key decrypts the stored user's private key, which is then used to access the encrypted data.

How Many Escrow Users must Participate in the Escrow Process?​

At least one member from each escrow group must participate in key recovery to ensure multi-party verification and security.

This structured approach ensures that tiCrypt's key escrow system meets security thresholds, adheres to regulatory compliance requirements, and provides a robust fail-safe for data recovery in extreme scenarios, offering reassurance to users and clients.

Upon account registration, escrow users select an escrow group assigned by the site-key admin. No escrow action can be taken before the escrow user key is activated by the site-key admin.

If even one escrow user from a group is unable or unwilling to participate in key de-escrowing, the lost user's private key cannot be recovered. This highlights the critical role each escrow user plays in ensuring the security and recovery of user data, fostering a sense of responsibility and trust.