What is key reconstruction?
Key reconstruction is a mechanism to securely archive a private key on a PGP Universal Server. A user’s private key is used to decrypt files encrypted to the public key as well as to digitally sign files. Normally, a user’s private key is stored on his/her machine and protected by a passphrase; in the event the user looses his/her private key or forgets the passphrase, the user will no longer be able to decrypted files encrypted to the public key. Key reconstruction protects against loss of the private key or the passphrase by allowing the user to store a copy of the private key on a PGP Universal Server. The user specifies a number of questions and answers; PGP Command Line splits the private key and protects it using the answers prior to storing it on the PGP Universal Server. The user can subsequently retrieve the private key using PGP Command Line by providing the correct answers to the security questions, thereby reconstructing the private key.
