That method would work for small numbers ... n < 5 for example ... but over
that you have problems ...
For 3 people you need three keys, everyone has two of those so:
Person - Keys
1 - A,B
2 - B,C
3 - C,A
Ensuring that any pair can decrypt the message (encrypted with 3 keys)
For 4 people it becomes
Person - Keys
1 - A,B,C
2 - B,C,D
3 - C,D,A
4 - D,A,B
Again the only combination ensuring that any pair can open the message (this
time encrypted with 4 keys)
As far as I know that's about the only way this could work completely ...
Proinnsias
> -----Original Message-----
> > At any point you want to make sure that any *two* of those people can
> unlock a private key to decrypt those files.
>> If you could split the group in two, you could create an 'A' key and a
> 'B' key, double-encrypt the secret documents with both, then
> distribute the 'A' key to each member of the 'A' group, and similarly
> give the 'B' group copies of the 'B' key. This means whoever's
> producing the documents only needs to encrypt twice, but it does mean
> that if the 'A' group are wiped out, the 'B' group cannot access the
> blueprints to the doomsday device (or whatever).
>
Maintained by the ILUG website team. The aim of Linux.ie is to
support and help commercial and private users of Linux in Ireland. You can
display ILUG news in your own webpages, read backend
information to find out how. Networking services kindly provided by HEAnet, server kindly donated by
Dell. Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds,
used with permission. No penguins were harmed in the production or maintenance
of this highly praised website. Looking for the
Indian Linux Users' Group? Try here. If you've read all this and aren't a lawyer: you should be!
