Internationally regulated system for one to one cryptographic communications with national sovereignty without key escrow

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention seeks to provide an improved method and apparatus for international and national encryption and decryption of sensitive data so as to preserve confidentiality and message integrity and, under certain circumstances, to empower a designated agency or agencies, typically international, to aid sovereign nations in intercepting suspect communications.
The present invention also seeks to provide an encryption system in which law abiding entities can communicate and in which national sovereignty is retained in conjunction with international control.
Each country is preferably able to decrypt messages initiated by one of its own nationals by obtaining knowledge of the secret key of the suspect national.
Each National N of a particular country is preferably able to designate other countries which are listed in that National's NCF (national cross-over field).
If National N lists country C on his NCF, country C is able to decrypt messages initiated by National N by obtaining knowledge of the secret key of National N.
Typically, country C cannot obtain knowledge of the secret key of an individual who is not a national of country C and who has not designated country C on his NCF list.
Optionally, an additional entity, other than the international agency or agencies can decipher communications between communicants who are subject to the additional entity.
For example, a bank may impose upon the employees of the bank the requirement that communications between employees be decipherable by an authorized entity within the bank.
A particular feature of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is that "checks and balances" are provided such that communications may be monitored, however, no entity can easily abuse its privilege to monitor a confidential communication.
The present invention provides a complete protocol designed to be a controlled balance for ensuring honest citizens confidentiality in their communications while allowing legitimate law enforcement agencies the ability to make controlled responsible interception of messages sent by suspect individuals and organizations