Distributed storage network and method for storing and retrieving encryption keys

1. A method for execution by a computing device of a dispersed storage network (DSN), the method comprises:

encrypting a data segment of a data object using a security key to produce an encrypted data segment;

dispersed storage error encoding the encrypted data segment to produce a set of encoded data slices;

sending the set of encoded data slices to storage units of the DSN for storage therein;

encrypting the security key using an encryption key to produce an encrypted security key;

dispersed storage error encoding the encrypted security key to produce a set of encoded key slices, wherein a decode threshold number of encoded key slices is needed to recover the encrypted security key; and

sending the set of encoded key slices to a set of storage units of the DSN for storage therein.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises one of:

generating the encryption key based on a public key; and

generating the encryption key based on a password.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises one of:

increasing the decode threshold to increase a level of security; and

decreasing the decode threshold to decrease a level of security.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

dispersed storage error encoding the encrypted data segment using first dispersed storage error encoding parameters; and

dispersed storage error encoding the encrypted security key using second dispersed storage error encoding parameters.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

the storage units being mutually exclusive of the set of storage units.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

the storage units including at least one storage unit in common with the set of storage units.

7. A computing device comprises:

an interface;

memory; and

a processing module operably coupled to the memory and the interface, wherein the processing module is operable to:

encrypt a data segment of a data object using a security key to produce an encrypted data segment;

dispersed storage error encode the encrypted data segment to produce a set of encoded data slices;

send, via the interface, the set of encoded data slices to storage units of the DSN for storage therein;

encrypt the security key using an encryption key to produce an encrypted security key;

dispersed storage error encode the encrypted security key to produce a set of encoded key slices, wherein a decode threshold number of encoded key slices is needed to recover the encrypted security key; and

send, via the interface, the set of encoded key slices to a set of storage units of the DSN for storage therein.

8. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the processing module is further operable to perform one of:

generating the encryption key based on a public key; and

generating the encryption key based on a password.

9. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the processing module is further operable to perform one of:

increasing the decode threshold to increase a level of security; and

decreasing the decode threshold to decrease a level of security.

10. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the processing module is further operable to:

dispersed storage error encode the encrypted data segment using first dispersed storage error encoding parameters; and

dispersed storage error encode the encrypted security key using second dispersed storage error encoding parameters.

11. The computing device of claim 7 further comprises:

the storage units being mutually exclusive of the set of storage units.

12. The computing device of claim 7 further comprises:

the storage units including at least one storage unit in common with the set of storage units.