Patent ID: 7051204

Claim:
A method for ensuring authenticity of keys to manage security in a public key system, the method comprising: storing a public key; performing a mathematical fingerprint of the public key; adding the fingerprint of the public key to a list of fingerprints maintained by a certification authority to update the list of fingerprints; performing a mathematical fingerprint of the updated list of fingerprints maintained by the certification authority; publishing the fingerprint of the public key to a first user that accesses the system; publishing the fingerprint of the updated list of fingerprints to a first user that accesses the system; publishing the fingerprint of the public key to a second user that accesses the system; publishing the fingerprint of the updated list of fingerprints to a second user that accesses the system; receiving at a client terminal the fingerprint of the public key from a first user; receiving at the client terminal the fingerprint of the updated list of fingerprints from a first user; receiving at the client terminal the fingerprint of the updated list of fingerprints from a second user; comparing at the client terminal the fingerprint of the updated list of fingerprints from the first user and the updated list of fingerprints from the second user to determine if the updated lists match; and providing the secure materials to the client terminal if the updated list of fingerprints from the first user and the updated list of fingerprints from the second user match.