Patent ID: 7463739

Claim:
A method for transferring a first super-root key between a key provider system and a second other system via an information network comprising the steps of: a) encrypting the first super root key using a second super-root key of the key provider system; b) providing within the second other system a first secure module having third and fourth super-root keys within a memory circuit thereof, the third and fourth super-root keys accessible only by program code being executed on a processor internal to the first secure module for decrypting encrypted root keys and encrypted super-root keys and for storing the decrypted keys within a memory circuit of the first secure module, and wherein the third and fourth super-root keys are other than accessible outside of the module, and wherein the third and fourth super-root keys are private keys; b1) automatically generating by the first secure module a super-root key request in dependence on a super-root key status; c) transferring the encrypted first super-root key from the key provider system to the second other system via the information network in response to the super-root key request; d) providing the encrypted fourth super-root key to the processor internal to the first secure module of the second other system; and, e) executing program code on the processor internal to the first secure module to decrypt the encrypted first super-root key using the third super-root key stored within the memory circuit of the first secure module and to store the decrypted first super-root key internally within a secure key memory location of the first secure module.