We introduce a new cryptosystem with trapdoor decryption based on the difficulty of computing discrete logarithms in the class
group of the nonmaximal imaginary quadratic order N
Δq, where δq = δq2, δ square-free and q prime. The trapdoor information is the conductor q. Knowledge of this trapdoor information enables one to switch to and from the class group of the maximal order N
Δ, where the representatives of the ideal classes have smaller coefficients. Thus, the decryption procedure may be performed
in the class group of N
Δ rather than in the class group of the public N
Δq, which is much more efficient. We show that inverting our proposed cryptosystem is computationally equivalent to factoring
the non-fundamental discriminant δq, which is intractable for a suitable choice of δ and q. We also describe how signature schemes in N
Δq may be set up using this trapdoor information. Furthermore, we illustrate how one may embed key escrow capability into classical
imaginary quadratic field cryptosystems.
Keywords Public key cryptosystem - imaginary quadratic order - trapdoor decryption - factorization - key escrow