Abstract: A method of managing reliance in an electronic transaction system includes a certification authority issuing a primary certificate to a subscriber and forwarding to a reliance server, information about the issued primary certificate. The reliance server maintains the forwarded information about issued primary certificate. The subscriber forms a transaction and then provides the transaction to a relying party. The transaction includes the primary certificate or a reference thereto. The relying party sends to the reliance server a request for assurance based on the transaction received from the subscriber. The reliance server determines whether to provide the requested assurance based on the information about the issued primary certificate and on the requested assurance. Based on the determining, the reliance server issues to the relying party a secondary certificate providing the assurance to the relying party.

Abstract: An electronic transaction system includes an authority issuing electronic signals representing subscriber assurance of an attribute of a subscriber to the system; and a reliance server obtaining electronic signals representing information regarding the subscriber assurance issued by the issuing authority, the reliance server issuing electronic signals representing a signed warranty offer to a relying party, the signed warranty offer being based at least on the subscriber attribute assurance, wherein the reliance server only provides the signed warranty offer if the relying party is authorized to make a request for said warranty.

Abstract: A method of managing reliance in an electronic transaction system includes a certification authority issuing a primary certificate to a subscriber and forwarding to a reliance server, information about the issued primary certificate. The reliance server maintains the forwarded information about issued primary certificate. The subscriber forms a transaction and then provides the transaction to a relying party. The transaction includes the primary certificate or a reference thereto. The relying party sends to the reliance server a request for assurance based on the transaction received from the subscriber. The reliance server determines whether to provide the requested assurance based on the information about the issued primary certificate and on the requested assurance. Based on the determining, the reliance server issues to the relying party a secondary certificate providing the assurance to the relying party.

Abstract: A method of managing reliance in an electronic transaction system includes a certification authority issuing a primary certificate to a subscriber and forwarding to a reliance server, information about the issued primary certificate. The reliance server maintains the forwarded information about issued primary certificate. The subscriber forms a transaction and then provides the transaction to a relying party. The transaction includes the primary certificate or a reference thereto. The relying party sends to the reliance server a request for assurance based on the transaction received from the subscriber. The reliance server determines whether to provide the requested assurance based on the information about the issued primary certificate and on the requested assurance. Based on the determining, the reliance server issues to the relying party a secondary certificate providing the assurance to the relying party.

Abstract: A method of unwrapping wrapped digital data that is unusable while wrapped, includes obtaining an acceptance phrase from a user; deriving a cryptographic key from the acceptance phrase; and unwrapping the package of digital data using the derived cryptographic key. The acceptance phrase is a phrase entered by a user in response to information provided to the user. The information and the acceptance phrase can be in any appropriate language. The digital data includes, alone or in combination, any of: software, a cryptographic key, an identifying certificate, an authorizing certificate, a data element or field of an identifying or authorizing certificate, a data file representing an images, data representing text, numbers, audio, and video.

Abstract: A method of managing reliance in an electronic transaction system includes a certification authority issuing a primary certificate to a subscriber and forwarding to a reliance server, information about the issued primary certificate. The reliance server maintains the forwarded information about issued primary certificate. The subscriber forms a transaction and then provides the transaction to a relying party. The transaction includes the primary certificate or a reference thereto. The relying party sends to the reliance server a request for assurance based on the transaction received from the subscriber. The reliance server determines whether to provide the requested assurance based on the information about the issued primary certificate and on the requested assurance. Based on the determining, the reliance server issues to the relying party a secondary certificate providing the assurance to the relying party.