Key Escrow: “Something (e.g., a document, an encryption key) is delivered to a third person to be given to the grantee only upon the fulfillment of a condition.”
Escrowed Encryption Standard (EES), FIPS 185 [1]
On April 16, 1993, the U.S. Government announced a new encryption initiative aimed at providing a high level of communications security and privacy without jeopardizing effective law enforcement, public safety, and national security. This initiative involved the development of tamper resistant cryptographic chips (Clipper and Capstone) that implemented an encryption/decryption algorithm (SKIPJACK) for the protection of sensitive information transmitted between two parties. What was special about these chips was that each one contained a device unique keythat would give a third party, in possession of the key, the capability to decrypt all data encrypted using the chip. The purpose of this feature was to provide a means by which properly authorized law enforcement officials...
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References
National Institute of Standards and Technology (1994). “Escrowed Encryption Standard (EES).” Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS PUB 185).
Delaney, D.P. et al. (1993). “Wiretap laws and procedures: What happens when the government taps a line.” Available from Georgetown University, Department of Computer Science, Washington, DC, from cpsr.org, or by e-mail from denning @cs.georgetown.edu.
Brickell, E.F. et al. (1993). “The SKIPJACK review, Interim Report: The SKIPJACK Algorithm.” Available from Georgetown University, Office of Public Affairs, Washington, DC, from cpsr.org, or by e-mail from denning@cs.georgetown.edu.
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Smid, M.E. (2005). Key escrow. In: van Tilborg, H.C.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cryptography and Security. Springer, Boston, MA . https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-23483-7_221
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