Abstract: A method for non-custodial backup of a secret (1021) by the owner of said secret, assisted by a multiplicity n of recovery agents, each having individual public keys and private keys, and the owner having a first value (1013), comprising providing the owner with a first computer program, which at rest will reside on a computer readable medium, configured to enroll the secret by computing a public data set (1023), as a function of the owner's first value, each of the n recovery agents' public keys (1011), and a nonce (1015). A method for recovery of the secret (1021) is also disclosed.