Patent ID: 7149310

Claim:
A system for generating asymmetric crypto-keys usable to transform messages, comprising: a first network station associated with a user, configured to (i) communicate with other network stations, and (ii) transform messages; a second network station associated with a trusted entity, configured to transmit, to a third network or a sponsor associated with the third network station, an authorization to generate an asymmetric crypto-key and an associated with the user, the third network station being configured to (i) generate the symmetric crypto-key and an associated user identification responsive to transmitted authorization to generate an asymmetric crypto-key, (ii) transmit the generated symmetric crypto-key and associated user identification and (iii) store the generated symmetric crypto-key and the user identification; wherein the second network station is further configured to (i) receive the transmitted symmetric crypto-key and associated user identification, and (ii) distribute the received symmetric crypto-key and the associated user identification to the user; wherein the third network station is further configured to (i) receive the user identification from the first network station (ii) generate a challenge subsequent to receiving the user identification, (iii) transform the generated challenge using the stored symmetric crypto-key, and (iv) transmit the transformed challenge; wherein the first network station is further configured to further transform the transmitted transformed challenge and transmit the further transformed challenge to the third network station or the sponsor; and wherein the third network station is further configured to generate the symmetric key-exchange subsequent to receiving the further transformed challenge.