Restore RSA key pair (“Reset data key”)

If a user has access to their recovery code, they can restore their RSA key pair independently and at any time. To do this, they log in to their netfiles user account with their user name and password.

In the user settings (click on the user name at the top right of the netfiles user interface), the option “Reset data key” can be found under “Security > End-to-end encryption”. By clicking on this button, the user is prompted to enter their recovery code (manually or by copying and pasting) and can then specify a new data key.

Technical information: Technically, this function does not reset the data key, but restores the RSA key pair using the recovery code and then re-encrypts it with the new data key. The RSA key pair therefore remains unchanged and access to data is also retained.

Generating a new recovery code

If the administrator or user loses the recovery code but still knows the personal data key, it is possible to generate a new recovery code in the netfiles user settings under “Security > End-to-end encryption > Recreate recovery code”. The recovery key must be stored securely.