Does this exist?

[lovingboth]

And is it free / very low cost?

Having created a new server, I want to give someone else the private key - a small text file - to be able to access it in the event that I am not available for one reason or another.

Because they are quite clueless about this and will need to give the info to someone else to use, I would prefer not to give it to them now but to have it somewhere where it will be available to them but where I will be able to see / get a notification if they do access it.

I can't be the only one to want to do this, so how do people do it?

In the past, it was 'easy' - you'd use a wax seal on a letter or similar. In order to open the letter, they'd have to break the seal and wouldn't be able to reseal it because only you have the right ring or whatever. Now the parties can be on the other side of the world, that becomes a bit less practical.

Comments

[vampwillow]

Under what condition(s) do you want them to be able to access it? You can either just trust them not to use the info, or encrypt it and tell someone else to send them the key when the condition takes place. I've toyed with various options in the past (info on a piece of paper in a sealed envelope, type of thing) but now have concluded that all my servers will just stop being available should anything happen to me. YMMV...

[lovingboth]

For some uses, I am happy for them to see it whenever they want.. just for me to get a notification when they do.

There are ways to do that - have it in a file called iuwfh8o134uiy5v09287y4r5 on one of my websites and set up an alert for when someone / thing accesses it.

[rhialto]

Or something like this: https://secrets.syseleven.de/ but they can look at it only once.

Disclosure: this is my current employer. It tells how it works but I don't see immediately if you can host it yourself.

[rhialto]

Ah, it's here: https://github.com/syseleven/shared-secrets

[lovingboth]

Ah ha, thank you!