A method comprising: encrypting, at an originating device, data with a symmetric key; generating, at the originating device, a plurality N of key shards based on the symmetric key such that the symmetric key can be reconstituted from the plurality N of key shards; encrypting, at the originating device, the plurality N of key shards with respective public keys of a plurality of delegate devices, each delegate device of the plurality of delegate devices also having a corresponding private key to decrypt their respective encrypted key shard; and distributing, from the originating device, the plurality N of encrypted key shards among the plurality of delegate devices, such that the encrypted data is secured because the originating device is incapable of decrypting the encrypted data due to an absence of the symmetric key; wherein the plurality of key shards is a first set of key shards, and the plurality of delegate devices is a first combination of delegate devices, the method characterized by: generating a second set of key shards from a first minimum threshold number of the first set of key shards; distributing the second set of key shards among a second combination of delegate devices; and generating a third set of key shards from the second set of key shards such that the symmetric key is reconstituted based on a second minimum threshold number of the third set of key shards of the second combination of delegate devices and the reconstituted symmetric key is used to decrypt the data. encrypting, at an originating device, data with a symmetric key; generating, at the originating device, a plurality N of key shards based on the symmetric key such that the symmetric key can be reconstituted from the plurality N of key shards; encrypting, at the originating device, the plurality N of key shards with respective public keys of a plurality of delegate devices, each delegate device of the plurality of delegate devices also having a corresponding private key to decrypt their respective encrypted key shard; and distributing, from the originating device, the plurality N of encrypted key shards among the plurality of delegate devices, such that the encrypted data is secured because the originating device is incapable of decrypting the encrypted data due to an absence of the symmetric key; wherein the plurality of key shards is a first set of key shards, and the plurality of delegate devices is a first combination of delegate devices, the method characterized by: generating a second set of key shards from a first minimum threshold number of the first set of key shards; distributing the second set of key shards among a second combination of delegate devices; and generating a third set of key shards from the second set of key shards such that the symmetric key is reconstituted based on a second minimum threshold number of the third set of key shards of the second combination of delegate devices and the reconstituted symmetric key is used to decrypt the data. generating a second set of key shards from a first minimum threshold number of the first set of key shards; distributing the second set of key shards among a second combination of delegate devices; and generating a third set of key shards from the second set of key shards such that the symmetric key is reconstituted based on a second minimum threshold number of the third set of key shards of the second combination of delegate devices and the reconstituted symmetric key is used to decrypt the data.